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Ramban on Leviticus 25:10/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ה:י׳

איוֹבֵל הִיא שָׁנָה זוֹ נִבְדֶּלֶת מִשְּׁאָר הַשָּׁנִים בִּנְקִיבַת שֵׁם לְבַדָּהּ, וּמַה שְׁמָהּ, יוֹבֵל שְׁמָהּ, עַל שֵׁם תְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא כ"ה:י'). וְכֵן דַּעַת הַמְפָרְשִׁים, מִלְּשׁוֹן "בִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיּוֹבֵל" (שמות יט יג), "שׁוֹפְרוֹת הַיּוֹבְלִים" (יהושע ו ד). וְאֵינוֹ מְחֻוָּר לִי, בַּעֲבוּר "תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם", כִּי מָה טַעַם שֶׁיֹּאמַר בַּשָּׁנָה "תְּקִיעָה הִיא תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם וְשַׁבְתֶּם". וְאוּלַי יֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב "יוֹבֵל הִיא", נְקוּבָה בַּשֵּׁם הַזֶּה שֶׁקָּרָאתִי לָהּ, וְ"תִהְיֶה לָכֶם" לְכֻלְּכֶם, יְדוּעָה בַּתְּקִיעָה שֶׁתִּתְקְעוּ בָּהּ לְהַזְכִּיר עִנְיָנָהּ, שֶׁתָּשׁוּבוּ בָּהּ אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ. וְכֵן "יוֹבֵל הִיא שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם", שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לָכֶם יוֹבֵל שֶׁלֹּא תִּזְרְעוּ וְלֹא תִּקְצְרוּ, כְּלוֹמַר יְדוּעָה בְּשֵׁם לִהְיוֹת בָּהּ כָּכָה. וְכָל זֶה אֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן בְּעֵינַי, כִּי פֵּרוּשׁ "שׁוֹפְרוֹת הַיּוֹבְלִים" - קַרְנֵי הָאֵלִים, וְגַם תַּרְגּוּם יוֹנָתָן "שׁוֹפָרָא דְּקֶרֶן דִּכְרָא", וְכֵן בַּגְּמָרָא (ר"ה כו), מֵאֵי מַשְׁמַע דְּהַאי יוֹבֵלָא לִשָּׁנָא דְּדִכְרָא הוּא, שֶׁכֵּן בְּעַרְבִי קוֹרִין לְדִכְרָא - יוֹבֵלָא. וְהַשּׁוֹפָר בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אֵין מְיֻחָד לִהְיוֹתוֹ מֵהָאַיִל, אֲבָל כָּל הַשּׁוֹפָרוֹת כְּשֵׁרִין בּוֹ. וְעַל דַּעַת מִשְׁנָתֵנוּ (שם כו) וְכָל הַתַּנָּאִין מִצְוָתוֹ בְּשֶׁל יְעֵלִים, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה תִּקָּרֵא הַשָּׁנָה שְׁנַת הָאַיִל. וְר"א אָמַר כִּי יוֹבֵל כְּטַעַם שִׁלּוּחַ. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי לֹא קְרָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב יוֹבֵל עַל הַתְּקִיעָה, רַק עַל הַדְּרוֹר, כִּי לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַשֵּׁם הַזֶּה בַּכָּתוּב הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁאָמַר "וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ שׁוֹפַר תְּרוּעָה", אֲבָל אָמַר "וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר בָּאָרֶץ לְכָל יֹשְׁבֶיהָ", שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כֻּלָּם בְּנֵי חוֹרִין לָדוּר בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁיִּרְצוּ. וְאָמַר "יוֹבֵל הִיא", שֶׁבָּהּ יוּבַל כָּל אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ וְאֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ יוֹבִילוּהוּ רַגְלָיו מֵרָחוֹק לָגוּר (ישעיהו כג ז). וְנִשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה בְּעִנְיָנִים רַבִּים, "יוּבַל שַׁי לַה' צְבָאוֹת" (ישעיהו יח ז), וְאָמַר "וְעַל יוּבַל יְשַׁלַּח שָׁרָשָׁיו" (ירמיהו יז ח), "פְּלָגִים יִבְלֵי מָיִם" (ישעיהו ל כה), הֵם הַמַּעֲמַקִּים שֶׁשָּׁם יוּבְלוּ הַמַּיִם, "וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ" (ויקרא כ"ו:ד'), "וְאֵין יְבוּל בַּגְּפָנִים" (חבקוק ג יז), עִנְיַן הֲבָאָה גַּם כֵּן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּקָּרֵא תְּבוּאָה. וְכֵן בַּאֲרָמִית "וְהוֹלֵךְ מְהֵרָה" (במדבר יז יא) תַּרְגּוּמוֹ "וְאוֹבֵל בִּפְרִיע". וְיִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ "יוֹבֵל הִיא תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם" הֲבָאָה הִיא, וְתִהְיֶה כֵן לְכֻלְּכֶם, כִּי תָבֹאוּ וְתָשׁוּבוּ אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ. וְחָזַר וְאָמַר "יוֹבֵל הִיא שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם" (ויקרא כ"ה:י"א), שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לָכֶם שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה לְיוֹבֵל, לֹא לְדָבָר אַחֵר, וְלֹא תִזְרְעוּ וְלֹא תִקְצְרוּ, אֲבָל תִּהְיֶה קֹדֶשׁ וְתָשׁוּבוּ אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ, לִהְיוֹתָהּ לְכֻלְּכֶם יוֹבֵל כִּשְׁמָהּ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת, "דְּרוֹר" מִלְּשׁוֹן "דּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא" (קהלת א ד), וְכֵן "יוֹבֵל" שֶׁיָּשׁוּב אֶל הַיּוֹבֵל אֲשֶׁר שָׁם שָׁרָשָׁיו, וְהִיא תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם:

1YOVEIL HI’ (IT IS A JUBILEE). “This [the fiftieth] year is distinguished from all other years by being given a special name. And what is that name? Its name is yoveil [literally: ‘the ram’s horn’] on account of the blowing of the Shofar.” This is Rashi’s language, and such also is the opinion of the commentators¹⁴³. that [the word yoveil here] is of the roots: ‘b’keren hayoveil’ (with the ram’s horn);¹⁴⁴ ‘shofroth ha’yovlim’ (the rams’ horns).¹⁴⁵, Verse 4. But I do not find this acceptable, because of [the expression here] shall be unto you [it shall be a Jubilee unto you]; for what sense is there in saying of a year that “it shall be ‘a blowing’ unto you”¹⁴⁶ means “blowing the Shofar,” then it follows that ‘yoveil hi’ the fiftieth year shall be unto you means that “the fiftieth year shall be blowing the Shofar to you.” But how can this be said of a year? Mizrachi in defense of Rashi writes that Rashi means that “the year in which every man returns to his possession and to his family, is called yoveil (Jubilee) on account of the blowing of the Shofar,” but not that the word yoveil means “blowing.” and you shall return [every man unto his possession etc.]? Perhaps Scripture is stating: “It is a Jubilee distinguishable by that name which I have called it, and it shall be unto all of you known by the blowing of the Shofar which you will do thereon, reminding you of the purport [of the Jubilee year], that in it every man shall return unto his possession, and every man unto his family.” Similarly, A Jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you¹⁴⁷ means that it shall be a Jubilee unto you, that ye shall not sow, neither reap, that is to say, it is known by its name that it is to be so.But all this appears to me to be incorrect. For the meaning of shofroth ha’yovlim¹⁴⁵, Verse 4. is “the horns of the rams,” and Yonathan [ben Uziel] also translated there: “shofroth [made] of rams’ horns.” It is also so stated in the Gemara:¹⁴⁸ “What intimation is there that the term yoveil is an expression for a ram? In Arabic they call a ram yovlo.” Now the Shofar used on the Day of Atonement [in the Jubilee year] does not necessarily need to be a ram’s horn, for all shofroth (horns) are valid on it, and in the opinion of our Mishnah¹⁴⁹, 26 b. and all the Tannaim (Sages of the Mishnah), the commandment is [preferably to be performed in the year of the Jubilee] with the horn of wild goats. If so, why then would the [Jubilee] year be called “the year of the ram?”Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the meaning of yoveil is like “sending forth.” In my opinion, Scripture does not call the year yoveil with reference to the blowing [of the Shofar], but with reference to “the liberty” [that it brings to the inhabitants of the Land]; for this term is not mentioned in the first verse which states, Then shalt thou make proclamation with the blast of the horn.¹⁵⁰ But when He stated [in the verse before us] and ye shall proclaim liberty throughout the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof, meaning that they shall all be free to reside wherever they please, He continued by saying ‘yoveil hi,’ that it is a year in which every man is “carried away” to his possession, and his feet “transport him” to his family afar off to sojourn.¹⁵¹ This term [yoveil] is used in connection with many subjects. Thus: ‘yuval’ (there shall be brought) a present unto the Eternal of hosts,¹⁵², 18:7. and it is further stated: and on ‘yuval’ it spreadeth out its roots;¹⁵³ streams and ‘yivlei mayim’,¹⁵⁴ which mean “channels through which water is conveyed.” And the Land shall yield ‘yevulah';¹⁵⁵ and neither shall ‘yevul’ be in the vines¹⁵⁶ also signify a kind of “bringing” [of produce or fruits], just as they are called t’vuah [“produce,” which is of the root “bringing”]. Similarly in Aramaic [as will be explained]. Thus: and carry it quickly¹⁵⁷ the Targum renders: “v’ovil quickly.” Thus the meaning of it shall be ‘yoveil’ unto you is “it is a year which ‘brings’ [liberty] and it shall be so to all of you, that you shall come and return every man unto his possession, and every man unto his family.” And He stated again [in the following verse], A ‘yoveil’ shall that fiftieth year be unto you¹⁴⁷ meaning that the fiftieth year shall be to you only for yoveil [“bringing” liberty], and not for anything else, and ye shall not sow, neither reap,¹⁴⁷ but instead it shall be holy¹⁵⁸ and every man shall return unto his possession,¹⁵⁹ so that the year shall be for all of you a yoveil [bringing everyone back to his possession and family], as its name indicates.And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the term d’ror (liberty) is related to the expression, ‘dor’ (a generation) passeth away, ‘v’dor’ (and a generation) cometh.¹⁶⁰ means that ‘it had already come beforetime.’” See also in Genesis 38:8, Vol. I, p. 469, Note 155. Similarly, yoveil means that everyone will return to the yoveil (source) whence his roots are, and this shall be unto you, [until that time].¹⁶¹