Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 26:42/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ו:מ״ב
אוְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב אָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על ויקרא כ"ו:מ"ב) כִּי הוּא מוֹשֵׁךְ עַצְמוֹ וְאַחֵר עִמּוֹ, וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי בְּרִית יַעֲקוֹב, וְכֵן "הַנְּבוּאָה עוֹדֵד הַנָּבִיא" (דהי"ב טו ח), "רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם" (דברים כט ט). וְהָאָרֶץ אֶזְכֹּר טַעְמוֹ אֶזְכֹּר הָאָרֶץ שֶׁפָּרְעָה הַשַּׁבָּתוֹת וְנֶעְזְבָה מֵהֶם, וְאֶזְכֹּר שֶׁהֵם רָצוּ אֶת עֲוֹנָם. וְיִתָּכֵן עַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת שֶׁיֹּאמַר וְזָכַרְתִּי יַעֲקֹב וְיִצְחָק וְאַבְרָהָם שֶׁהֵם בְּנֵי בְּרִית, שֶׁכָּל הַמִּדּוֹת נִקְרְאוּ כֵן בִּהְיוֹתָם בִּבְרִית, וְהָאָרֶץ הַכְּלוּלָה מֵהֶם אֶזְכֹּר בִּכְלָל. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ רָמְזוּ כֵן, אָמְרוּ (ויק"ר לו ה), וְלָמָּה הוּא מַזְכִּיר זְכוּת הָאָרֶץ עִמָּהֶם, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ, מָשָׁל לְאָדוֹן שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ בָּנוֹת וְשִׁפְחָה אַחַת מְגַדַּלְתָּן, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָאָדוֹן שׁוֹאֵל בִּשְׁלוֹם בְּנוֹתָיו הָיָה אוֹמֵר שַׁאֲלוּ לִי בִּשְׁלוֹם מְגַדַּלְתָּן:
1THEN WILL I REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that this [is a case where a word] draws along with itself another [similar] word, thus meaning: “Then will I remember My covenant, the covenant with Jacob.172 (My covenant) is grammatically equivalent to saying habrith sheli (the covenant of Mine). Now since a noun that is preceded by the definite article cannot be in the construct state, it follows that there is a word implied here, which makes it: eth brithi ‘brith’ Ya’akov (My covenant, the covenant of Jacob). A similar explanation applies to the following two verses which Ramban mentions. Similarly: the prophecy of Oded the prophet;173 (and the prophecy — a prophecy of Oded the prophet). your heads of your tribes.174 (your heads — heads of your tribes). And the Land I will remember. The meaning thereof is that I will remember the Land, and that it was paid its Sabbaths and lay forsaken without them, and I will remember that they have atoned for their iniquity.”It is possible according to the way of Truth, [the mystic doctrines of the Cabala], that He is saying: “And I will remember Jacob and Isaac and Abraham, who are the men of the covenant,” for all attributes are so called when they are in the covenant; “v’ha’aretz (and the earth),175. which is composed of them all, I will remember among them.” Our Rabbis have so alluded. Thus they said:176 “And why does He mention the merit of ha’aretz with them? Said Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: This is like the case of a master who had three daughters, and one maidservant who raised them. Whenever the master asked about the welfare of his daughters, he would say: ‘Ask on my behalf about the welfare of she who raises them.’”