Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 10:29/רמב"ן על במדבר י׳:כ״ט
אוַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹבָב – כְּבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (שמות ב טז) כִּי חוֹבָב שֵׁם חָדָשׁ שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לְיִתְרוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁב לְתוֹרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי זֶה דֶּרֶךְ כָּל הַמִּתְגַּיֵּר, כִּי לַעֲבָדָיו יִקְרָא שֵׁם אַחֵר. וְהִנֵּה מֹשֶׁה חִלָּה פָנָיו לָלֶכֶת עִמָּהֶם, וְאָמַר לוֹ סְתָם ״וְהֵטַבְנוּ לָךְ״, וְהוּא חָשַׁב שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ לוֹ מִן הַשָּׁלָל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּבְגָדִים וְצֹאן וּבָקָר, וְלֹא תִהְיֶה לוֹ נַחֲלָה בְתוֹכָם. וְעַל כֵּן לֹא הָיָה חָפֵץ וְעָנָה ״כִּי אִם אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי אֵלֵךְ״, כִּי שָׁם לִי נַחֲלָה וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד. אָז אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה ״אַל נָא תַּעֲזֹב אֹתָנוּ״, כִּי מִדַּעְתְּךָ הַמִּדְבָּר תִּהְיֶה לָנוּ לְעֵינַיִם בְּכִבּוּשׁ הָאֲרָצוֹת וְתוֹרֵנוּ הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר נַעֲלֶה בָהּ, וּמִכָּל הַטּוֹב הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יֵיטִיב ה' לָנוּ נֵטִיב לָךְ, רָמַז לָתֵת לוֹ אֲחֻזָּה בָּאָרֶץ טוֹבָה בִּשְׂכָרוֹ עַל טָרְחוֹ וְעֶזְרָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר יַעַזְרֵם בְּכִבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ. וְעַל דַּעְתִּי כִּי נִתְרַצָּה אֵלָיו בָּזֶה וְעָשָׂה כֵן כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכַּרְתִּי שָׁם (שמות יח א). וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בַּיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי (בכורים פ״א ה״ד): בְּנֵי קֵינִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה מְבִיאִין וְקוֹרִין, דִּכְתִיב "לְכָה אִתָּנוּ וְהֵטַבְנוּ לָךְ״:
1AND MOSES SAID UNTO CHOBAB. I have already explained131 (Exodus 18:1). that Chobab [of the root chavav — love] was the new name which they gave to Jethro when he converted to the Torah of Israel, for such is the way of all proselytes, for he calls His servants by another name.132 Now Moses had begged him to go with them and had told him without explanation, and we will do thee good.133 But Chobab thought that they would give him of the spoil, silver and gold, garments, sheep and herd, but that he would not have an inheritance among them [in the Land]. Therefore he did not want [to go with them] and he answered, “But I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred,134 since there I have an inheritance, wealth and honor.” So Moses told him, “'Leave us not, I pray thee,’135 for because of your familiarity with the wilderness thou shalt be to us instead of eyes135 [i.e., a guide] in the conquest of the lands, and you will show us the way by which we must go up,136 and of all that goodness the Eternal shall do unto us, the same we will do unto thee.”137 Moses thus hinted that he would be given an inheritance in the good Land as a reward for his trouble and help that he would extend to them in the conquest of the Land. In my opinion Chobab consented to this offer and he did so [as Moses requested of him], as I have mentioned there.131 (Exodus 18:1). And so the Rabbis said in the Yerushalmi:138 “The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, bring first-fruits and read [the section of first-fruits, wherein it is stated, I have brought the first of the fruit of the soil which Thou, O Eternal, hast given me],139 because it is written, Come thou with us, and we will do thee good.”133