Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 32:2/רמב"ן על במדבר ל״ב:ב׳
אוַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי גָד וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן – הִקְדִּים הַכָּתוּב בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן בַּפָּסוּק הָרִאשׁוֹן ״וּמִקְנֶה רַב הָיָה לִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן וְלִבְנֵי גָד״ כַּמִּשְׁפָּט, כִּי הוּא הַבְּכוֹר וּבֶן הַגְּבִירָה. וְכֵן כְּשֶׁיְּסַפֵּר הַכָּתוּב הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֶּה יֹאמַר: ״וְלָרְאוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי נָתַתִּי״ (דברים ג טז), אֲבָל בְּכָל הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזּוֹ יַקְדִּים בְּנֵי גָד, כִּי הֵם נָתְנוּ הָעֵצָה הַזֹּאת וְהֵם הָיוּ הַמְדַבְּרִים תְּחִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה בַּנַּחֲלָה הַזֹּאת, וְהֵם הָיוּ גִּבּוֹרִים יוֹתֵר מִבְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְטָרַף זְרוֹעַ אַף קָדְקֹד״ (שם לג כ). וּלְפִיכָךְ לֹא הָיוּ יְרֵאִים לָשֶׁבֶת לְבַדָּם בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת מִפְּנֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ. וְהִנֵּה מֹשֶׁה חָשַׁד אוֹתָם כִּי יֹאמְרוּ כֵן מִפַּחַד אַנְשֵׁי אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, שֶׁאָמְרוּ בָּהֶם הַמְרַגְּלִים: ״לֹא נוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת אֶל הָעָם כִּי חָזָק הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ״ (במדבר י״ג:ל״א), וְלָכֵן אָמַר לָהֶם שֶׁאֵינָם בּוֹטְחִים בַּה' כַּאֲבוֹתָם, וְיֹסֵף עוֹד לְהַעֲנִישָׁם כָּהֶם לְהַנִּיחָם בַּמִּדְבָּר. וּלְכָךְ עָנוּ אוֹתוֹ: חָלִילָה שֶׁנִּירָא מֵהֶם, אֲבָל נַעֲבֹר חֲלוּצִים לַמִּלְחָמָה וְנִהְיֶה מְהִירִים וְרִאשׁוֹנִים לִפְנֵי הָעָם לְהִלָּחֵם בְּאוֹיְבֵי ה', כִּי לַחְמֵנוּ הֵם!:
1AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN CAME AND SPOKE UNTO MOSES. In the preceding verse Scripture mentioned the children of Reuben first, [saying], Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, as is the correct way [of referring to them], for he [Reuben] was the firstborn and he was the son of the principal wife [of Jacob, i.e., Leah, whereas Gad was the son of Leah’s handmaid, Zilpah]. Similarly also when Scripture tells of [the occurrence of] this event it says, And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave etc.118 However, in the whole of this section He mentions the children of Gad first, because it was they who suggested this idea, and it was they who first spoke to Moses about this inheritance; and they were also stronger than the children of Reuben, as it is said [of the Gadites], and he teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head,119, 33:20. and therefore they were not afraid of living alone amongst the inhabitants of that land. Now Moses suspected that they were only suggesting this [plan of settling on the east side of the Jordan] because they were afraid of the people in the land of Canaan, concerning whom the spies had said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we120 — therefore he told them that they did not trust in G-d, just like their fathers [who did not trust in Him] and therefore He would again punish them like their fathers, by leaving them in the wilderness.121 Therefore they answered him: “Far be it from us to fear them! For we shall pass over [the Jordan] armed for battle, and we shall be the most eager and the first amongst the people to fight against the enemies of the Eternal, for they are bread for us.”122