Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 23:10/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ג:י׳
אמִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב – יֹאמַר: אֲנִי רוֹאֶה אוֹתָם מֵרֹאשׁ הָרִים שׁוֹכְנִים לְבָדָד, וְלֹא אוּכַל לִמְנוֹת אוֹתָם, כִּי הֵם לְבַדָּם כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יוּכַל אִישׁ לִמְנוֹת אֶת עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ. וְגַם רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַחֲנוֹת הַדְּגָלִים הָאַרְבָּעָה לֹא אוּכַל לִמְנוֹת. יִתְנַבֵּא עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁיִּרְבּוּ וְלֹא יִמְעֲטוּ, וְיִהְיוּ תָּמִיד הֵם לְבַדָּם זֶרַע יַעֲקֹב כְּחוֹל הַיָּם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִמַּד וְלֹא יִסָּפֵר. וְזֶה דַּעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על במדבר כ״ג:י׳) בְּרֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל. גַּם נָכוֹן הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כְּמוֹ ״אָרְחִי וְרִבְעִי זֵרִיתָ״ (תהלים קלט ג) מִן ״לֹא תַרְבִּיעַ כִּלְאַיִם״ (ויקרא יט יט), כִּלְשׁוֹן ״וּמִמֵּי יְהוּדָה יָצָאוּ״ (ישעיהו מח א). וְאָמַר: תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים וּתְהִי אַחֲרִיתִי כָּמֹהוּ, לוֹמַר שֶׁהֵן נוֹחֲלֵי גַּן עֵדֶן, כִּי אַחֲרִית הָאָדָם הַמָּוֶת, עַל כֵּן יְבַקֵּשׁ שֶׁיָּמוּת מוֹת יְשָׁרִים - הֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּקְרָאִים יְשֻׁרוּן, שֶׁיְּבַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטּוֹב, וּתְהִי אַחֲרִיתִי כָּמוֹהוּ כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר חֶלְקָם בַּחַיִּים וְאֵינָם בְּנֵי גֵּיהִנֹּם וַאֲבַדּוֹן. וְהִנֵּה כָּלַל נְבוּאָתוֹ בָּזֶה הַפַּעַם שֶׁאֵין הַשֵּׁם חָפֵץ בְּקִלְלָתֵנוּ, וְכִי אֲנַחְנוּ עַם לְבָדָד חֶלְקוֹ וְעַמּוֹ, לֹא נִתְעָרֵב בַּגּוֹיִם וְלֹא נֵחָשֵׁב עִמָּהֶם, וְאַחֲרִיתֵנוּ טוֹבָה בְּדֶרֶךְ יָשָׁר:
1WHO HATH COUNTED THE DUST OF JACOB? Balaam is saying: “I see them from the top of the rocks dwelling alone, and I cannot count them for they alone are like the dust of the earth, and no man can number the dust of the earth;134 nor can I count even rova Yisrael (one fourth of Israel) when they are encamped under four standards.” Thus he prophesied that they would increase in number and they shall not be diminished,135 and the seed of Jacob will always be alone as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered.136 This is Onkelos’ opinion [as to the meaning] of rova Yisrael [that it means “one fourth” of the total population of Israel, i.e., one standard of the four in which the people encamped].It is also correct that the term rova be [interpreted as in the expression], Thou dost measure my going about ‘v’riv’i’ (and my lying down),137 of [the same root as in]: Thou shalt not let thy cattle ‘tharbia’ (gender) with a diverse kind,138 and similar in expression to: and are come forth out of the fountain of Jacob.139Balaam said [in this verse]: Let me die the death of ‘yesharim’ (the righteous), and let mine end be like his, meaning that they are those who are inheritors of the Garden of Eden [i.e., they are assured of eternal life after death]. For since the end of man is death, therefore he wanted to die the death of ‘yesharim’ (the righteous), these being Israel, who are called Yeshurun,140 because they spend their days in goodness.141 And let mine end be like his — like that of Israel whose portion is in [eternal] life,142 and who do not go to Gehenna and destruction. Thus the general tenor of Balaam’s prophecy this time was that G-d does not want us to be cursed, and that we are a people [dwelling] alone, His portion and His people; we shall not mix with the [other] nations, nor be counted amongst them, and our end will be good, according to the way of the righteous.