Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 23:23/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ג:כ״ג
אכִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב – אֵינָם צְרִיכִים לְנַחַשׁ וְקֶסֶם שֶׁיֹּאמַר לְיַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה פָּעַל אֵל וּמַה גְּזֵרוֹתָיו בַּמָּרוֹם, אֵינָם מְנַחֲשִׁים וְקוֹסְמִים אֶלָּא נֶאֱמַר לָהֶם עַל פִּי נְבִיאִים מַה גְּזֵרַת הַמָּקוֹם, אוֹ אוּרִים וְתוּמִּים מַגִּידִים לָהֶם, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר כ״ג:כ״ג). וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתוֹ קוֹסֵם וּבָלָק שָׁלַח לוֹ, כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר תְּבָרֵךְ בִּקְסָמֶיךָ מְבֹרָךְ וַאֲשֶׁר תָּאֹר בָּהֶם יוּאָר (במדבר כ״ב:ו׳), וְשָׁלַח לוֹ קְסָמִים, עַל כֵּן אָמַר לוֹ אֵין נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב לְהָרַע אוֹ לְהֵיטִיב לָהֶם וְלֹא קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מַזִּיק אוֹ מוֹעִיל, כִּי בְּכָל עֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה פָּעַל אֵל בָּהֶם, כִּי מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן תֵּצֵא לָהֶם הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּוֹב. לוֹמַר כִּי חֵלֶק ה' עַמּוֹ, אֵינָם בְּמֶמְשֶׁלֶת שָׂרִים וְכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וּכְסִילֵיהֶם שֶׁיַּזִּיק לָהֶם אָדָם בְּקֶסֶם וְנַחַשׁ כַּגּוֹיִם. וְזֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר מֹשֶׁה ״אֲשֶׁר חָלַק ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אוֹתָם לְכֹל הָעַמִּים תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמָיִם, וְאֶתְכֶם לָקַח ה' לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם נַחֲלָה״ (דברים ד יט כ) כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי בְּסֵדֶר אַחֲרֵי מוֹת (ויקרא יח כה):
1FOR THERE IS NO ENCHANTMENT IN JACOB. “They do not need an enchanter or a diviner to tell Jacob and Israel what hath G-d wrought and what are His decrees on high. They practice neither enchantment nor divination [in order to know such matters], because they are told through the word of the prophets the decree of G-d, or the Urim and Thummim159 declare it to them.” This is Rashi’s language.The correct interpretation appears to me to be that since Balaam [himself] was a diviner, and Balak sent to him saying, for I know that he whom thou blessest through thy means of divination is blessed, and he whom thou cursest through them is cursed,160 and he sent him the tools of divination,161, Verse 7: And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed ‘u’ksamim’ (and the implements of magic) in their hand. therefore Balaam said to Balak: “There is no enchantment in Jacob which can do them evil or good, neither is there any divination in Israel to harm them or to benefit them, for at all times it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel: ‘What hath G-d wrought for them?’” For out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth to them evil and good,162.” But it is actually a rhetorical question — (see J.P.S. translation), and Ramban therefore quotes it in paraphrase, in a positive form. meaning to say that the portion of the Eternal is His people,163 and they are not under the rule of the [celestial] princes and the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof,164 so that one should be able to harm them by means of divination and enchantment, as [one can harm] other nations. This is similar to that which Moses said: [… all the host of heaven …] which the Eternal thy G-d hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven. But you hath the Eternal taken and brought forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance,165 as I have explained in Seder Acharei Moth.166