Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 21:18/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״א:י״ח

אחָרֻם אוֹ שָׂרוּעַ כֹּל שֶׁחָטְמוֹ שָׁקוּעַ בֵּין שְׁתֵּי הָעֵינַיִם, שֶׁכּוֹחֵל שְׁתֵּי עֵינָיו כְּאַחַת, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא כ"א:י"ח). וּבְתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים (פרשה ג ז) וּבַגְּמָרָא דִּבְכוֹרוֹת (מג) שָׁנִינוּ, חָרוּם - שֶׁחָטְמוֹ שָׁקוּעַ; חָטְמוֹ בָּלוּם, חָטְמוֹ סוֹלֵד, חָטְמוֹ נוֹטֵף מִנַּיִן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר "אוֹ חָרוּם". אַבָּא יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אֵין חָרוּם אֶלָּא הַכּוֹחֵל שְׁתֵּי עֵינָיו כְּאַחַת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, הִפְלַגְתָּ, אע"פ שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִכְחֹל שְׁתֵּי עֵינָיו כְּאַחַת. וּלְשׁוֹן "חָרוּם" מִלְּשׁוֹן "כָּל חֵרֶם אֲשֶׁר יָחֳרַם" (ויקרא כ"ז:כ"ט), "וְהַחֲרַמְתִּי אֶת עָרֵיהֶם" (במדבר כא ב), עִנְיַן חֻרְבָּן, וְיִקָּרֵא "חָרוּם" כִּי הַחֹטֶם הַדְרַת פָּנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (יבמות קכ), אֵין מְעִידִין אֶלָּא עַל פַּרְצוּף פָּנִים עִם הַחֹטֶם, וַאֲשֶׁר אֵין חָטְמוֹ כְּתֹאַר בְּנֵי הָאָדָם צוּרָתוֹ חֲרֵבָה. וְטַעַם "אוֹ גִבֵּן" (ויקרא כ"א:כ'), נִמְשָׁךְ אֶל מִלַּת "בְּעֵינוֹ", אוֹ שֶׁהוּא גִּבֵּן בְּעֵינוֹ, אוֹ דַק אוֹ תְּבַלֻּל בְּעֵינוֹ, וְהוּא שֶׁגַּבּוֹת עֵינָיו שׁוֹכְבוֹת עֲלֵיהֶן, מִלְּשׁוֹן "גַּב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ" (יחזקאל מג יג), "עַל גַּבִּי חָרְשׁוּ חֹרְשִׁים" (תהלים קכט ג). וְהִזְכִּיר תְּחִלָּה הַמּוּם בְּחֶסְרוֹן הָאֵבָרִים, עִוֵּר אוֹ פִסֵּחַ, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵּן בְּקַטְנוּת כְּגוֹן הֶחָרוּם, וּבְגֹדֶל כְּגוֹן הַשָּׂרוּעַ, וְאח"כ בְּשִׁבְרוֹן הָעֲצָמוֹת, אע"פ שֶׁכָּל אֵבָרָיו עִמּוֹ כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּר הָעֶצֶם פָּסוּל, וְאח"כ פָּסַל אֲפִילּוּ בְּכִעוּר הַתֹּאַר, כְּגוֹן הַגִּבֵּן וַאֲשֶׁר בְּעֵינָיו הַגַּרְעִינִין, וְאַחַר כָּךְ בִּבְשַׂר הַגּוּף, כִּי צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נָקִי וְחָלָק, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן הוֹסִיף בַּעַל הָרוּחַ אֲשֶׁר בֵּיצָיו נְפוּחִים בּוֹ, אע"פ שֶׁהוּא חֹלִי נָהוּג בַּזְּקֵנִים וְאֵינוֹ מוּם בַּעֶצֶם אוֹ בַּבָּשָׂר. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ בֵּאֲרוּ (בכורות פרקים ו ז) מוּמִים רַבִּים נִלְמָדִים מֵאֵלֶּה, כִּי הַנִּזְכָּרִים בַּתּוֹרָה אָבוֹת לָהֶן:

1O (OR) CHARUM O (OR) SARU’A.’ “[Charum] is anyone whose nose is sunk between his two eyes, so that he is able to paint both his eyes [for cosmetic purposes] with one stroke.” This is Rashi’s language. And in the Torath Kohanim⁷⁰ 3:7. and in the Gemara of Tractate Bechoroth⁷¹ we have been taught: “Charum is one whose nose is sunk. [How do I know about] one whose nose is obstructed? or one whose nose is turned up? or whose nose overhangs his lips? From the expression o charum, [the word ‘o’ (or) includes these blemishes]. Aba Yosei says: The word charum means only one who can paint both his eyes with one stroke. But the Rabbis said to him: ‘You have overstated it. Even though he cannot paint both his eyes with one stroke’” [because his nose is not so deeply sunken, he may nonetheless come within the term charum].⁷² is one whose nose is so far sunk that he is able to paint both his eyes with one stroke. But, as pointed out by Ramban, this is only the opinion of a single Sage, Aba Yosei, while all the other Sages differ with him, as explained in the text. Mizrachi too, writes that he does not know what prompted Rashi to follow the opinion of a single Sage. See also Gur Aryeh.The term charum is of the expressions: None ‘cheirem’ (doomed) who shall be ‘yachoram’ (doomed of man);⁷³ ‘v’hacharamti’(and I shall utterly destroy) their cities,⁷⁴ the meaning thereof being destruction. Now [a man with a sunken nose] is called charum because the nose determines the beauty of the face, just as the Rabbis have said:⁷⁵ “Evidence [as to the identity of a corpse] may not be given unless [from proof afforded by recognition] of the face together with the nose,” and if someone’s nose is unlike that of the appearance of normal people, the shape [of his face] is deemed “destroyed.”‘O gibein o dak o t’valul b’eino.’⁷⁶ The expression ‘o gibein’ is connected with the word ‘b’eino’ (in his eye), meaning that he is either a gibein in his eye, or has a dak (membrane) or a t’valul (a speck) in his eye, gibein meaning that the hair of his eyebrows are so long that they lie over his eyes, of the expressions: ‘gav’ (the side of) the altar;⁷⁷ upon ‘gabi’ (my back) plowed the plowers.⁷⁸Now Scripture mentioned⁷⁹ first [in Verse 18 before us] blemishes of missing limbs: a blind man, or a lame, and afterwards [itmentioned blemishes which are a result of] the smallness of the limbs, such as the charum [whose nose is sunk into his face, and consequently is shorter than the normal nose], or a result of the largeness of the limbs, such as the saru’a [meaning “anything too long,” as where one eye is larger than the other, or one leg longer]. Then in the following verse [19] it cites blemishes because of the breaking of bones even though he has all his limbs with him, nonetheless, if the bone is broken, he is disqualified [from ministering the Service]. Then [in Verse 20] He disqualified [a priest from performing the Service] even on account of a hideous appearance, such as one whose eyebrows overhang his eyes, or who has kernel-like growths in his eyes [like a membrane or a speck], and then it mentioned blemishes on the flesh of the body [such as scabs or scurvy], because he [the priest] must be clean and smooth [in flesh]. And afterwards He added [o m’roach ashech, which means] one who has wind [and as a result of which] his testicles are swollen, even though it is a sickness common amongst older people, and is not a blemish in the bone or flesh. Now our Rabbis have explained⁸⁰ many other blemishes which are deduced from these, for those mentioned in the Torah are merely the primary [categories of those] blemishes [deduced by the Rabbis].