Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 26:4/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ו:ד׳

אוְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם הִקְדִּים דְּבַר הַגְּשָׁמִים כִּי בְּבוֹאָם בְּעִתָּם כַּאֲשֶׁר יָאוּת יִהְיֶה הָאֲוִיר זַךְ וְטוֹב וְהַמַּעְיָנוֹת וְהַנְּהָרוֹת טוֹבִים, וְיִהְיֶה זֶה סִבַּת בְּרִיאוּת לַגּוּפִים, וְהַפֵּרוֹת כֻּלָּם יִרְבּוּ וְיִתְבָּרְכוּ בָּהֶן, כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר "וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ". וְהִנֵּה עִם זֶה לֹא יֶחֱלֶה הָאָדָם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה בָּהֶם מְשַׁכֵּלָה וַעֲקָרָה וּבִבְהֶמְתָּם וְיִמְלְאוּ יְמֵיהֶם, כִּי בִּהְיוֹת הַגּוּפִים גְּדוֹלִים וּבְרִיאִים יִתְקַיְּמוּ כִּימֵי הָאָדָם, וְהִנֵּה הִיא גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁבַּבְּרָכוֹת. וְהִנֵּה אָמַר כִּי הַשָּׁמַיִם יַעֲנוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ בִּגְשָׁמִים בְּעִתָּם, וְהָאָרֶץ תַּעֲנֶה אֶת יְבוּלָהּ וְהִיא הַצֶּמַח וּבַעֲלֵי נֶפֶשׁ הַתְּנוּעָה בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה וְרֶמֶשׂ וְעוֹף גַּם הַדָּגִים, כִּי הָאָרֶץ תִּכְלֹל הַכַּדּוּר הַתַּחְתּוֹן כֻּלּוֹ, כְּמוֹ "בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ" (בראשית א א), "וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ" (שם ב א), וְכֵן "הַלְלוּ אֶת ה' מִן הָאָרֶץ תַּנִּינִים וְכָל תְּהֹמוֹת" (תהלים קמח ז), וְכֵן בְּרוֹב מְקוֹמוֹת הַכָּתוּב. וְהִנֵּה כָּל הַתּוֹלָדוֹת שֶׁבַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ:

1THEN WILL I GIVE YOUR RAINS IN THEIR SEASON. He mentioned the matter of rains first [of all the blessings] because if they come in their proper season, the air is pure and good and the springs and rivers are good [clear], and thus it [the rain] is a [prime] cause of physical health, and all produce will increase and be blessed by it, just as He said, and the Land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.¹ Thus because of this [pure state of the environment] people do not become sick, and none shall miscarry, nor be barren,² even among their cattle,³ and they will live out [the full extent of] their days.⁴ For when the material frame [of human beings] is large and healthy, they can continue [in health] as in the days of Adam.⁵, on Verse 4, (Vol. I pp. 98-99). Thus this [blessing — the rains in their seasons] is the greatest of all blessings [and therefore it is given first place].Now He said that the heavens will respond to the earth⁶ with rains in their seasons, and the earth shall respond⁷, Verse 24. with its “produce”, which includes vegetation and all moving creatures — cattle, beasts, creeping things and fowl, as well as fish — for the term ha’aretz [“the earth” or “the land,” in and ‘the land’ shall yield her produce] includes the whole of the lower sphere [i.e., everything under the sphere of the moon], just as [in the verses]: In the beginning G-d created the heaven and ‘ha’aretz’ (the earth);⁸, Verse 3 (Vol. I, p. 25) where he discusses this topic fully, and mentions also the verses cited in the following text. And the heaven and ‘ha’aretz’ (the earth) were finished;⁹, 2:1. and similarly, Praise the Eternal from ‘ha’aretz’ (the earth), ye sea-monsters and all deeps,¹⁰ and so also in most verses in Scripture [where this word occurs]. Thus all things created in the lower spheres are “the produce of the earth.”