Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 1:17/רמב"ן על ויקרא א׳:י״ז
אבִּכְנָפָיו עִם כְּנָפָיו, אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִמְרֹט כַּנְפֵי נוֹצָתוֹ. "כְּנָפָיו", נוֹצָה מַמָּשׁ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא א':י"ז). וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן, שֶׁאִם כֵּן לֹא יַזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב מֵאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם יְשַׁסַּע אוֹתוֹ, אִם מִלְּפָנָיו אוֹ מִגַּבּוֹ. אֲבָל פֵּרוּשׁוֹ וְשִׁסַּע אוֹתוֹ בִּמְקוֹם כְּנָפָיו, כִּי הַבֵּי"ת בֵּי"ת הַכְּלִי, כְּאָמְרְךָ בָּאָרוֹן בַּבַּיִת אוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה. וְאֵין "כְּנָפָיו" נוֹצָה, אֲבָל הוּא כְּכָל הַכְּנָפַיִם שֶׁבַּכָּתוּב, "כֹּל צִפּוֹר כָּל כָּנָף" (בראשית ז יד), "יִפְרֹשׁ כְּנָפָיו לְתֵימָן" (איוב לט כו), וְכֵן "בִּכְנַף מְעִילוֹ" (שמואל א טו כז). וְ"נוֹצָה" הוּא הַשֵּׂעָר אֲשֶׁר עַל גּוּף הָעוֹפוֹת, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (יחזקאל יז ג) "הַנֶּשֶׁר הַגָּדוֹל גְּדוֹל הַכְּנָפַיִם אֶרֶךְ הָאֵבֶר מָלֵא הַנּוֹצָה", וְכֵן שָׁנִינוּ (טהרות א ג) הַכְּנָפַיִם וְהַנּוֹצָה טְמֵאוֹת וּמְטַמְּאוֹת וּמִצְטָרְפוֹת, וְאָמְרוּ (תורת כהנים אחרי פרק יב ב), פְּרָט לַחַרְטוֹם וְלַצִּפָּרְנַיִם וְלַכְּנָפַיִם וְלַנּוֹצָה:
1AND HE SHALL REND IT ‘BICHNAFAV’ — “together with its feathers. He need not pluck out the feathers of its plumage. Knafav means the actual feathers [not the wings].” This is the language of Rashi. But it is not correct, for if so, then Scripture does not mention from which place he is to rend [the bird], whether from its front or back. Rather, the meaning thereof is as follows: “he shall rend it at the place of its wings,” for the letter beth [in the word bichnafav] serves here as “the beth of apparatus,” [teaching that the rending is to be done from the back of the bird where “the wings” are, for knafav, as will be explained, means “its wings,” and not “its feathers” as Rashi explained]; similar to the expression, ba’aron, (in the ark), ba’bayith, (in the house), or ba’sadeh (in the field). Knafav does not mean “feathers” [as Rashi wrote], but is similar to all expressions of knafayim mentioned in Scripture [which mean wings]: every bird, whatever hath ‘kanaf’ (wings);187 and he stretcheth ‘knafav’ (his wings) towards the south.188 Similarly, ‘bichnaf’ (the skirt) of his robe.189 Notzah is the down [the soft under-plumage] on the body of birds, something like that which is written, a great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of ‘hanotzah’ (down).190 Similarly we have learned [in the Mishnah]:191 “Large feathers and down are both capable of contracting uncleanness and conveying uncleanness, and join together [with the flesh to make up the required size that is needed to convey uncleanness].” The Rabbis have also said:192 12:2. “excepting the beak and claws, the large feathers and the down.”