Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 24:2/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ד:ב׳

אצַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל זוֹ פָּרָשַׁת מִצְוַת הַנֵּרוֹת, וּפָרָשַׁת "וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה" (שמות כז כ) לֹא נֶאֶמְרָה אֶלָּא עַל סֵדֶר מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן לְפָרֵשׁ צֹרֶךְ הַמְּנוֹרָה, וְכָךְ מַשְׁמָעָהּ, וְאַתָּה סוֹפְךָ לְצַוּוֹת אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל כָּךְ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא כ"ד:ב'). וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן בְּעֵינַי, שֶׁאֵין הַפָּרָשָׁה הַהִיא סְמוּכָה לְפָרָשַׁת הַמְּנוֹרָה, וּכְבָר נֶאֱמַר "וַיַּעַל הַנֵּרֹת לִפְנֵי ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה" (שם מ כה), וְהִנֵּה הַמִּצְוָה וְהַמַּעֲשֶׂה נִזְכָּרִים וְנַעֲשִׂים כְּבָר. אֲבָל צֹרֶךְ הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת לִשְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים, שֶׁשָּׁם צִוָּה וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּלוֹמַר מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא אִתּוֹ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זַךְ לַמָּאוֹר עִם שְׁאָר תְּרוּמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְכֵן עָשׂוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְהַנְּשִׂיאִים הֵבִיאוּ וְגוֹ' אֶת הַבֹּשֶׂם וְאֶת הַשָּׁמֶן לְמָאוֹר" (שם לה כז כח), וְאע"פ שֶׁאָמַר שָׁם "חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתָם" (שם כז כא), הוּא עַל הַהַדְלָקָה, וְעַכְשָׁו כָּלָה הַשֶּׁמֶן הַהוּא שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים נְדָבָה, וְצִוָּה שֶׁיִּקְחוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשֶּׁל צִבּוּר לְדֹרֹתָם שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית כַּשֶּׁמֶן הָרִאשׁוֹן, כְּטַעַם "וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה" (במדבר יט ב), שֶׁיְּבַקְשׁוּ אוֹתָהּ וִיבִיאוּהָ הַצִּבּוּר. וְשָׁם עוֹד לֹא אָמַר אֶלָּא "יַעֲרֹךְ אֹתוֹ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו" וְגוֹ', וְהָיָה בַּמַּשְׁמָע עַל הַמְּנוֹרָה אוֹ בְּלֹא מְנוֹרָה אִם תִּשָּׁבֵר אוֹ תֹּאבַד, כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה בְּשׁוּבָם מִן הַגּוֹלָה, וְעַכְשָׁו אָמַר בְּפֵרוּשׁ "עַל הַמְּנוֹרָה הַטְּהוֹרָה" (ויקרא כ"ד:ד'), שֶׁלֹּא יַדְלִיקוּ אֶלָּא עַל מְנוֹרָה הַטְּהוֹרָה. וּמִדְרַשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ת"כ פרשה יג יב), "עַל הַמְּנוֹרָה הַטְּהוֹרָה" - עַל טָהֳרָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה, שֶׁלֹּא יִסְמְכֵם בִּקְסָמִים וּבִצְרוֹרוֹת. "יַעֲרֹךְ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת לִפְנֵי ה'" - שֶׁלֹּא יְתַקֵּן מִבַּחוּץ וְיַכְנִיס. "תָּמִיד" - אַף בְּשַׁבָּת. "תָּמִיד" - אַף בְּטֻמְאָה:

1COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. “This is the section containing the [actual] commandment of lighting the lamps. And the section of V’atah Tetzaveh (And thou shalt command)⁵⁰⁸ [where the same subject is mentioned], is stated only for the sake of giving an orderly account of the work of the Tabernacle, explaining what the purpose of the candelabrum is, and the sense of the verse there is as follows: ‘and thou wilt at some future time command the children of Israel on this matter.’” This is Rashi’s language.But it does not appear to me to be correct, for that section [there in Exodus 27:20] is not in fact adjoined to the section of the candelabrum [which is mentioned previously in Exodus 25:31-40]; and [also] it has already been stated, And he lighted the lamps before the Eternal, as the Eternal commanded Moses,⁵⁰⁹, 40:25. thus both the commandment and fulfillment were already mentioned and kept! Rather, the need for [restatement of] this section is for two purposes. For there He commanded that they bring you a donation on the behalf of the children of Israel,⁵¹⁰, 27:21. that is to say, from every man with whom was found pure olive oil [beaten] for the light,⁵⁰⁸ together with the other donations for the Tabernacle. And so they did, as it is said, And the princes brought etc. and the spice, and the oil, for the light.⁵¹¹, 35:27-28. And although it says there, it shall be a statute forever throughout their generations,⁵¹⁰, 27:21. this refers to the lighting of the lamps. But now the oil which the princes brought as a donation was used up, and therefore He commanded that the children of Israel take from the public treasury throughout the generations⁵¹² pure olive oil beaten for the light, as was the first oil [of the princes]. This is similar to the expression, that they bring thee a Red Heifer,⁵¹³ meaning that they should seek it and it is to be brought from the public treasury. Also, there [in the section of V’atah Tetzaveh]⁵⁰⁸ He stated only, Aaron and his sons shall set it in order etc.,⁵¹⁰, 27:21. which might mean [set it in order] on the candelabrum, or without the candelabrum if it is broken or lost, as happened when they returned from the [Babylonian] exile.⁵¹⁴ Therefore now He stated clearly, He shall order the lamps upon the pure candelabrum,⁵¹⁵ teaching that they should only light the lamps upon the pure candelabrum. And the interpretation of our Rabbis is as follows:⁵¹⁶ 13:12. “Upon the pure candelabrum.⁵¹⁵ This means upon the very candelabrum itself, that he is not to support them [i.e., the lamps] with pieces of wood or pebbles [but the lamps are to be upon the candelabrum itself, with nothing intervening between them]. He shall set the lamps before the Eternal.⁵¹⁵ This teaches that he is not to set them outside the Sanctuary and bring them inside. Continually,⁵¹⁵ even on the Sabbath; continually, even in impurity.”⁵¹⁷