Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 1:1/רמב"ן על ויקרא א׳:א׳

אאָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּכָאן וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו וְלֹא כֵן בִּשְׁאָר הַמְּקוֹמוֹת, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מֹשֶׁה יָכוֹל לָבֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִהְיוֹתוֹ נִגַּשׁ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הָאֱלֹהִים, רַק בִּקְרִיאָה שֶׁיִּקְרָא אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר לְמֹשֶׁה (שמות כה כב) "וְנוֹעַדְתִּי לְךָ שָׁם וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת" (אשר אועד לך שמה), וְכֵיוָן שֶׁיָּדַע שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יוֹשֵׁב הַכְּרוּבִים שָׁם נִתְיָרֵא לָבֹא בָּאֹהֶל כְּלָל עַד שֶׁיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בְּהַר סִינַי, שֶׁאָמַר (שם כד טז) "וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִתּוֹךְ הֶעָנָן". אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מֹשֶׁה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַכָּבוֹד בָּאֹהֶל וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ הַדִּבּוּר מִשָּׁם, כִּי לֹא כִּסָּהוּ הֶעָנָן עַד יוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי כְּדַעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ת"כ להלן טא), וְאַחֲרֵי הַקְּרִיאָה בָּא מֹשֶׁה בָּאֹהֶל לִפְנַי וְלִפְנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ (תורת כהנים אחרי פרשה טז א), אַהֲרֹן בְּבַל יָבֹא וְאֵין מֹשֶׁה בְּבַל יָבֹא. וְאֵין זֶה דֶּרֶךְ פְּשָׁט בַּכָּתוּב הַזֶּה, וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּיו לְמַעְלָה (שמות מ לד). וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (תורת כהנים פרשה א ז), כִּי לְכָל הַדִּבְּרוֹת וּלְכָל הָאֲמִירוֹת וּלְכָל הַצִּוּוּיִים קָדְמָה קְרִיאָה, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁיֹּאמַר אֵלָיו "מֹשֶׁה מֹשֶׁה", וְיֹאמַר "הִנֵּנִי", וְזֶה דֶּרֶךְ חִבָּה וְזֵרוּז לְמֹשֶׁה. וְהִנֵּה עַל דַּעְתָּם הִזְכִּיר זֶה בְּכָאן בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהוּא תְּחִלַּת הַדִּבּוּר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, לְלַמֵּד עַל כֻּלָּם, כִּי כֵן יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפָּטוֹ כָּל הַיָּמִים בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה, וּ"מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד" לְדַעְתָּם הוּא מֻקְדָּם, וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָיו בָּאֹהֶל, כִּי מֹשֶׁה שָׁם הָיָה. וְשִׁעוּר הַכָּתוּב כְּפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ וּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, וַיִּקְרָא ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת הוּא כְּמוֹ "וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל ה'" (שמות כד א), וְסוֹדוֹ יָדוּעַ מִמַּעֲמַד הַר סִינַי וּבַעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, וּכְבָר רָמַזְתִּי לוֹ (שם):

1AND HE CALLED UNTO MOSES; AND THE ETERNAL SPOKE UNTO HIM. Scripture states [the fact that G-d called to Moses] here and not in other places, because Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting,³¹ and to draw near the place where G-d was,³², 20:18. except through G-d calling him [to come into the Tent of Meeting]. For Moses had already been told, and I will speak with thee from above the ark-cover;³³, 25:22. where I will meet with thee.³⁴, 30:36. Since he knew that the Eternal that sitteth upon the cherubim³⁵ was there, Moses was afraid to come into the Tent at all until He called him, just as it was at Mount Sinai where it is said, and on the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.³⁶ Or it may be that Moses did not know that the Glory of G-d was in the Tent and that the communication to him would be from there,³⁷ since the cloud did not cover the Tent of Meeting until the eighth day of the installation according to the opinion of our Rabbis;³⁸ … (Further 9:1). This was the first of Nisan, and the day was distinguished in ten different ways … It was the day on which the Divine Glory dwelt for the first time among the Israelites …” (Torath Kohanim, ibid.). and after this call Moses came into the innermost part of the Tent [i.e., the Holy of Holies], just as the Rabbis have interpreted:³⁹, (further, 16:2): “Thy brother [Aaron] is under the command not to enter the holy place [except when it was his duty to officiate there], (further 16:2), but Moses is not included in this command.” “Aaron was not to enter [the Sanctuary except at the prescribed time], but Moses was not included in this command.” This is the plain meaning of this verse. I have explained it already above.⁴⁰But our Rabbis have said⁴¹ 1:7. that “all communications [that came to Moses], whether they are introduced by the word dabeir (speak), or by emor (say), or tzav (command), were preceded by a call,” that is to say, G-d said to him, ‘Moses, Moses’ and he answered, ‘Here am I.’⁴² This was a way of expressing affection and encouragement to Moses.⁴³ Now according to this opinion, Scripture mentioned the expression [And He called unto him …] here, because it was the first communication that came to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, thus teaching us concerning all the other communications that such was His procedure with him all the time and with the whole Torah. The expression out of the Tent of Meeting refers according to the Rabbis to the preceding words, [the interpretation of the verse thus being]: “and He called unto him out of the Tent of Meeting; and the Eternal spoke to him in the Tent,” for Moses was already there [in the Tent].⁴⁴ The explanation of the verse according to its plain meaning and sense is: “and the Eternal called unto Moses and spoke unto him, out of the Tent of Meeting.”By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], this verse is like, And unto Moses He said: ‘Come up unto the Eternal.’⁴⁵ Its secret is known from the Revelation on Mount Sinai⁴⁶ (Vol. II, p. 251). and the Ten Commandments. I have alluded to it already.⁴⁵