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Ramban on Numbers 11:16/רמב"ן על במדבר י״א:ט״ז

אאֶסְפָה לִּי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – כְּבָר הִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ כִּי שִׁבְעִים אֻמּוֹת הֵן בְּשִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן, וְיֵשׁ לְכָל אַחַת וְאַחַת מַזָּל בָּרָקִיעַ וְשַׂר לְמַעְלָה, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּדָנִיֵּאל (י, יג): ״וְשַׂר מַלְכוּת פָּרַס״, וּכְתִיב (שם) אֵצֶל מַלְכֵי פָרַס, וְכֵן ״וְהִנֵּה שַׂר יָוָן בָּא״ (שם פסוק כ). וְהוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו כד, כא): ״יִפְקֹד ה' עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם״ (מכילתא שירה ב). וְאָמְרוּ (סוכה נה) כִּי פָּרֵי הֶחָג יִרְמְזוּ בָּהֶם, וּבְפִרְקֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר (פרק כד) אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְשִׁבְעִים מַלְאָכִים הַסּוֹבְבִים כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדוֹ: ״בּוֹאוּ וּנְבַלְבֵּל לְשׁוֹנָם״. וְלָכֵן הָיָה הַמִּסְפָּר בְּיוֹרְדֵי מִצְרַיִם שִׁבְעִים, וְצִוָּה הַמִּסְפָּר הַזֶּה בְּשׁוֹפְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי הַמִּסְפָּר הַזֶּה יִכְלֹל כָּל הַדֵּעוֹת בִּהְיוֹתוֹ כּוֹלֵל כָּל הַכֹּחוֹת וְלֹא יִפָּלֵא מֵהֶם כָּל דָּבָר. וְכֵן בְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה ״וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (שמות כד, א), כִּי רָאוּי בַּמִּסְפָּר הַשָּׁלֵם הַזֶּה שֶׁיִּשְׁרֶה עֲלֵיהֶם כְּבוֹד הַשְּׁכִינָה כַּאֲשֶׁר הִיא בַּמַּחֲנֶה הָעֶלְיוֹן, כִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל צִבְאוֹת הַשֵּׁם בָּאָרֶץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה אָרוֹן וְכַפֹּרֶת וּמִשְׁכָּן בִּדְמוּת הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין בַּמָּרוֹם, וְנַעֲשׂוּ הַדְּגָלִים בְּדִמְיוֹן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה אֲשֶׁר רָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָה עֲלֵיהֶם בָּאָרֶץ כַּאֲשֶׁר הִיא שְׁכִינָה בַּשָּׁמַיִם. וְהִנֵּה מֹשֶׁה עַל גַּבֵּי שִׁבְעִים זְקֵנִים רֶמֶז לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ. וְקִבְּלוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סנהדרין ב) כִּי כָל סַנְהֶדְרֵי גְדוֹלָה הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּבֵית הַשֵּׁם בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר לְשִׁכְנוֹ שָׁם כֵּן יִהְיֶה מִנְיָנָם שִׁבְעִים, וְהַנָּשִׂיא עַל גַּבֵּיהֶם כְּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, וְהִנֵּה הֵם שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. וְכֵן הָאוֹתִיּוֹת בַּשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל הַמְפֹרָשׁ שִׁבְעִים וּשְׁתַּיִם כְּנֶגֶד הַשָּׂרִים וְהַשֵּׁם הַמְיֻחָד שֶׁהוּא אָדוֹן יָחִיד עַל כֻּלָּם. וְלָזֶה יִרְמֹז הַכָּתוּב בְּאָמְרוֹ: ״אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל בְּקֶרֶב אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁפֹּט״ (תהלים פב, א), כִּי הַשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם לְהַסְכִּים עַל יָדָם. וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״עַד מָתַי תִּשְׁפְּטוּ עָוֶל״ (שם פסוק ב), יַזְהִיר בָּהֶם אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד עִמָּהֶם בִּדְבַר הַמִּשְׁפָּט אֵיךְ לֹא תִירְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לְהַטּוֹת הַמִּשְׁפָּט, כְּטַעַם ״הָעָם הַמַּכְעִיסִים אוֹתִי עַל פָּנַי״ (ישעיהו סה, ג). וְאוֹמֵר עוֹד (תהלים פב, ו): ״אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם״, כִּי מִסְפַּרְכֶם כְּמִסְפַּר שָׂרֵי מַעְלָה וְאָדוֹן הַיָּחִיד, וְאָמַרְתִּי שֶׁתֵּשְׁבוּ מוֹשַׁב אֱלֹהִים בָּאָרֶץ. אָכֵן כְּאָדָם תְּמוּתוּן כְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁגּוֹרַשׁ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ הַנִּכְבָּד וּמֵת, כֵּן תִּתְגָּרְשׁוּ מִבֵּית הַשֵּׁם וְתָמוּתוּ, וּכְאַחַד הַשָּׂרִים שֶׁל מַעְלָה הֱיִיתֶם וְתִפְּלוּ מִן הַמַּעֲלָה הַהִיא. וּכְבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי מִן הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה בְּסֵדֶר ״וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים״ (שמות כא, ו):

1AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES: GATHER UNTO ME SEVENTY MEN OF THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL. Our Rabbis have already mentioned that there are seventy nations¹⁹⁰ with seventy languages,¹⁹¹ each one having a constellation in the heavens with a prince above it, as it is said in the Book of Daniel, and the prince of the kingdom of Persia,¹⁹² and it is [further] written with reference to the kings of Greece, lo, the prince of Greece shall come;¹⁹³ and it is about this that Scripture states, And the Eternal will punish the host of the high heaven on high.¹⁹⁴ The Rabbis have also said¹⁹⁵ that the [seventy] bullocks [brought as offerings on the seven days] of the Festival of Tabernacles allude to them. [A similar reference to the seventy princes we find, in connection with the Tower of Babel] in the Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer:¹⁹⁶ “Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to the seventy kings that surround the throne of His Glory: ‘Let us come and confound their language.’”¹⁹⁷ It was for this reason that the number of those who went down to Egypt was seventy,¹⁹⁸, 46:27. and that He commanded that there should be this number of judges in Israel [as is stated in the verse before us], for this number includes all opinions [that are possible in a given case] since it comprises all powers, and there will not be anything too hard for them.¹⁹⁹ etc. — and go to the judges of the Great Sanhedrin and they will answer you. The point is thus clear: there will not be anything “too hard” for them. Similarly at the Giving of the Torah [special prominence was given to] seventy elders of Israel,²⁰⁰ and it is fitting that the Glory of the Divine Presence should rest upon [a group of] this perfect number, since it is [comparable to] the camp on high, for Israel are the hosts of the Eternal²⁰¹, 12:41. See also Vol. I, p. 393. on earth, just as the ark and its cover and the Tabernacle were all made in the likeness of those that minister [before Him] on high. So also were the [four] standards made in the image of the Divine Chariot which Ezekiel saw,²⁰² in order that the Divine Presence should rest upon them on earth as it is present in the heavens.Now Moses was above the seventy elders [in authority], thus alluding to Israel, a nation one in the earth.²⁰³ And our Rabbis have received by tradition that every Sanhedrin (Great Court) that sits in G-d’s House in the place which He shall choose on which to rest His Presence, should consist of this number, seventy, with the head [of the Court] above them [in authority] like Moses our teacher, and thus they comprise [a Court] a seventy-one [judges, and with the Divine Presence in their midst they are seventy-two]. Similarly the letters in the Great Ineffable Divine Name are seventy-two, corresponding to the seventy princes [of the seventy nations, together with Israel, making seventy-one nations],²⁰⁴ and the One G-d who is the sole Master over all. It is to this that Scripture hints in saying, G-d standeth in the congregation of G-d; in the midst of the judges He judgeth,²⁰⁵ for the Divine Presence is with them to assent to their judgment. And Scripture further states, How long will ye judge unjustly?,²⁰⁶, Verse 2. thus admonishing [and saying] that since the Glorious Name²⁰⁷ is with them in giving judgment,²⁰⁸ how can you not be fearful of Him when you pervert justice, as in the expression, the people that provoke Me to My face continually.²⁰⁹ And it states furthermore [in that psalm], “I said: Ye are godlike beings, and all of you sons of the Most High,²¹⁰ for your number is the same as the number of the princes above and the One Master, and so I said that you will sit in the seat of G-d²¹¹ on earth. But ‘k’adam’ ye shall die²¹² — like the first man [Adam] who was driven from his glorious place [in the Garden of Eden] and died, so will you [who judge unjustly] be driven out of the House of G-d and die. And like one of the princes²¹² on high you were, but you fell from that high position.” I have already mentioned something of this matter in Seder V’eileh Hamishpatim.²¹³ — Exodus 21:1. The verse referred to is ibid., 6.