Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 11:15/רמב"ן על במדבר י״א:ט״ו
אוְאִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עֹשֶׂה לִּי – תָּשַׁשׁ כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה כִּנְקֵבָה, שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא פֻּרְעָנוּת שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לְהָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם. עַל זֹאת אָמַר לְפָנָיו: אִם כֵּן הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרוֹג, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר י״א:ט״ו). וְלֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי זֶה, שֶׁכִּנּוּי "אַתְּ" כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה הוּא. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט מִנְהַג הַלָּשׁוֹן הוּא גַּם בְּזָכָר ״אַתְּ כְּרוּב מִמְשַׁח הַסּוֹכֵךְ״ (יחזקאל כח יד). וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת, אִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עֹשֶׂה לִּי - בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין יְדַבֵּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״וַיִּחַר אַף ה' מְאֹד״ (במדבר י״א:י׳). וְכֵן ״וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ״ (דברים ה כד) - כִּנּוּי לָאֵשׁ הַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁתְּדַבֵּר דִּבְרֵי הַשֵּׁם אֵלֵינוּ, וְשָׁמַעְנוּ מִפִּיךָ וְעָשִׂינוּ. וְכֵן ״אַתְּ כְּרוּב מִמְשַׁח״ - בַּכְּרוּב הַשֵּׁנִי יִרְמֹז, וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין:
1AND IF ‘AT’ (THOU) DO THUS WITH ME. “[The Hebrew word for Thou appears here in the feminine form at, instead of atah in the masculine, because] Moses’ strength grew weak, like that of a woman, because the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the punishment He was to bring upon them for this [sin of theirs]. Moses then said to Him, ‘If so, kill me, I pray Thee.’” This is Rashi’s language. But I do not understand this. For the pronoun at refers here to Him on high, [for since it is Moses who is speaking in the verse, his use of the second-person pronoun must be referring to G-d; so how can Rashi explain that the feminine form is used to indicate that Moses’ strength weakened like that of a woman]! But according to the plain meaning of Scripture, the custom of the [Hebrew] language is [to use the form at] even when referring to a man, such as, ‘at’ (thou) the far-covering cherub.182 refers to k’ruv (cherub), which is a masculine noun. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], And if ‘at’ do thus with me refers to the attribute of justice [“attribute” in Hebrew being feminine, and the meaning of the verse is: “if it be decreed that the attribute of justice encounter me, then kill me, I pray Thee], just as it is said, and the anger of the Eternal was kindled greatly.183 Similarly, ‘v’at’ shalt speak unto us184 is a reference to the great fire,185, Verse 22. “Fire” can be feminine or masculine in Hebrew. from which you shall speak the words of G-d unto us, and we will hear it184 from your mouth, and do it.184 Similarly, ‘at’ the far-covering cherub182 refers to k’ruv (cherub), which is a masculine noun. alludes to the second cherub.186 The student versed [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand.
בוְטַעַם הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרֹג, שֶׁתִּשְׁלַח עָלַי הוֹרְגִים בַּחֶרֶב, כִּי טוֹב מוֹתִי אֲפִלּוּ בְּחֶרֶב אָדָם מֵחַיַּי בַּצַּעַר הַזֶּה. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהוּא כְּמוֹ הֲמִיתֵנִי, וְכֵן ״וְאַנְשֵׁיהֶם יִהְיוּ הֲרוּגֵי מָוֶת, בַּחוּרֵיהֶם מֻכֵּי חֶרֶב בַּמִּלְחָמָה״ (ירמיהו יח כא), וְכֵן ״וּפְחִי בַהֲרוּגִים הָאֵלֶּה״ (יחזקאל לז ט):
2HORGEINI NA HAROG’ (KILL ME, I PRAY THEE). This means that Thou should send upon me those that kill by the sword, for it is better for me to die187 even by the sword of man than to live187 with this grief. It is possible that the sense [of the term horgeini] is “take my life” [and not, as explained before, that it means death by human agency]. A similar [usage of the term is found in these verses]: and let their men be ‘harugei maveth’ (slain of death), and their young men smitten of the sword in battle;188 and breathe ‘baharugim ha’eileh’ (upon these slain).189 is to be understood literally: “upon those that were killed [by the sword]” (R’dak).