Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 26:59/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ו:נ״ט
אוְטַעַם אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֹתָהּ לְלֵוִי בְּמִצְרָיִם – עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, לְפִי שֶׁכָּל בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב עִם כָּל בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם יָרְדוּ לְמִצְרַיִם, וְאֵין בָּהֶם מִי שֶׁהוֹלִיד שָׁם אַחֲרֵי כֵן, זוּלָתִי לֵוִי שֶׁהוֹלִיד אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה, כִּי אִחֵר הַשֵּׁם לֵידָתָהּ כִּי לֹא הִגִּיעַ הַקֵּץ כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי כְּבָר (בראשית מו טו):
1[JOCHEBED, THE DAUGHTER OF LEVI], WHO WAS BORN TO LEVI IN EGYPT. The meaning of this according to the simple sense of Scripture is [to point out] that because all the [other] sons of Jacob went down to Egypt with their sons and daughters, and none of them bore children there afterwards, except for Levi who begot this joyful mother of children;150 because she gave birth to three such distinguished children, Aaron, Moses and Miriam. — The reference is based upon Sotah 12a, where it is said that at the time of marriage of Amram and Jochebed the angels of G-d chanted a joyful mother of children. for G-d delayed her birth [since He wanted to redeem Israel through her children], and the time of the redemption had not yet come, as I have already explained.151