Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 21:29/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״א:כ״ט
אוְטַעַם אוֹי לְךָ מוֹאָב אָבַדְתָּ עַם כְּמוֹשׁ – כִּי הָיָה עַם מוֹאָב עוֹבֵד לִכְמוֹשׁ אֱלֹהָיו, בּוֹנֶה בָּמוֹת וּבוֹטֵחַ בּוֹ יוֹתֵר מִכָּל עַם, וּבְעֵת צָרָתוֹ אָמַר לוֹ: ״קוּמָה וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ״. וְכֵן הַכָּתוּב מַזְכִּיר בָּהֶם בְּכָל מָקוֹם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וְהָיָה כִי נִרְאָה כִּי נִלְאָה מוֹאָב עַל הַבָּמָה וּבָא אֶל מִקְדָּשׁוֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וְלֹא יוּכָל״ (ישעיהו טז יב), וְנֶאֱמַר: ״וְיָצָא כְמוֹשׁ בַּגּוֹלָה כֹּהֲנָיו וְשָׂרָיו יַחְדָּו״ (ירמיהו מח ז), ״וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי לְמוֹאָב נְאֻם ה' מַעֲלֶה בָמָה וּמַקְטִיר לֵאלֹהָיו״ (שם פסוק לה). וּלְכָךְ יֹאמְרוּ הַמּוֹשְׁלִים דֶּרֶךְ לַעַג כִּי כְּמוֹשׁ נָתַן בָּנָיו פְּלֵטִים, כְּלוֹמַר בּוֹרְחִים וְנָסִים מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב, וּבְנֹתָיו בַּשְּׁבִית, כִּי הַמַּאֲמִינִים בּוֹ יִקָּרְאוּ בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו כַּאֲשֶׁר יִקָּרְאוּ עַמּוֹ. וְכֵן ״בַּת אֵל נֵכָר״ (מלאכי ב יא). וְלֹא כְּדִבְרֵי רַשִׁ״י שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ: נָתַן הַנּוֹתֵן בָּנָיו פְּלֵטִים מֵחֶרֶב. וְהָיָה כְּמוֹשׁ נֶעֱבָד גַּם לִבְנֵי עַמּוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר יִפְתָּח: ״אֵת אֲשֶׁר יוֹרִישְׁךָ כְּמוֹשׁ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אוֹתוֹ תִירָשׁ״ (שופטים יא כד), וְהָיָה לָהֶם עוֹד בְּאַרְצָם "מִלְכֹּם שִׁקּוּץ עַמּוֹנִים" (מלכים א יא ה). אוֹ הִזְכִּיר יִפְתָּח לְעַמּוֹן כְּמוֹשׁ בַּעֲבוּר מַה שֶׁתָּפְשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמּוֹאָב, כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּיר לָהֶם (שם פסוק כה) בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב, לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא הִצִּיל כְּמוֹשׁ אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא בָּלָק מַלְכָּם אֶת אַרְצָם מִיַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהָגוּן הוּא מְאֹד שֶׁנֹּאמַר כְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (במדב״ר יט יח) כִּי הַמּוֹשְׁלִים - בִּלְעָם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ מִן הַקּוֹסְמִים שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹשְׂאִים מָשָׁל בָּעֲתִידוֹת:
1WOE TO THEE, MOAB! THOU ART PERISHED, O PEOPLE OF CHEMOSH. The meaning of this is that [the people of] Moab used to worship Chemosh their deity, and build high places [i.e., altars, to him] and trust in him more than every other people, and in the time of their trouble they would say to him: ‘Arise, and save us.’300 Similarly Scripture refers to [this worship of theirs] in all places, as it is written, And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab hath wearied himself upon the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail;301 and it is further stated [of Moab], and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, his priests and his princes together with him;302 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Eternal, him that offereth in the high place, and him that offereth to his gods.303, Verse 35. Therefore those who spoke in parables said by way of mockery, that Chemosh hath given ‘his sons’ as fugitives,304 refugees who flee [to safety] because of the sword; and ‘his daughters’ into captivity;304 [these terms, “sons” and “daughters” are used] because those who believe in him are called “his sons” and “his daughters,” in the same way that they are [here] called “his people” [people of Chemosh]. Similarly [we find the expression], the daughter of a strange god.305 The [correct explanation is thus] not like the words of Rashi, who interpreted [the verse as follows]: “He the Giver [i.e., G-d] gave his sons [i.e., those of Moab] as fugitives from the sword.”Chemosh was also worshipped by the children of Ammon, as Jephthah said [to the king of Ammon], that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess that you will possess.306 They also had in their country Milcom the detestation of the Ammonites.307 Or [it may be that] Jephthah mentioned Chemosh to the king of Ammon because of [the land] which Israel had captured from Moab, just as he [Jephthah] mentioned to them [i.e., to the Ammonites]: Balak king of Moab,308 meaning to say that neither Chemosh their god nor Balak their king had saved their land [Moab] from the hand of Israel. It is very fitting that we say, as our Rabbis explained,309 that [the reference in the term] ‘hamoshlim’ (they that speak in parables)263 is to Balaam and those like him, the diviners who spoke in parables about future events.