Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Numbers 4:32/רמב"ן על במדבר ד׳:ל״ב

אוְעַמּוּדֵי הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב וְאַדְנֵיהֶם וִיתֵדֹתָם וּמֵיתְרֵיהֶם – שֶׁל עַמּוּדִים, שֶׁהֲרֵי יְתֵדוֹת וּמֵיתְרֵי קְלָעִים בְּמַשָּׂא בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן הָיוּ. וִיתֵדוֹת וּמֵיתָרִים הָיוּ לַיְרִיעוֹת וְלַקְּלָעִים מִלְּמַטָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יַגְבִּיהֵם הָרוּחַ, וִיתֵדוֹת וּמֵיתָרִים הָיוּ לָעַמּוּדִים סָבִיב לִתְלוֹת בָּהֶם הַקְּלָעִים לִשְׂפָתָם הָעֶלְיוֹנָה בִּכְלוֹנְסוֹת וְקוּנְדָּסִין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר ד׳:ל״ב). וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מַה יַעֲשׂוּ יְתֵדוֹת בָּעַמּוּדִים, וְעוֹד מַה נִּשְׁתַּנּוּ יְתֵדוֹת שֶׁל עַמּוּדִים מִשְּׁאָר הַיְּתֵדוֹת, שֶׁאֵלּוּ לִבְנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן וְאֵלּוּ לִבְנֵי מְרָרִי. וְלֹא מָצָאתִי בְּמִשְׁנַת מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְתֵדוֹת לָעַמּוּדִים, אֶלָּא כָּךְ שָׁנוּ שָׁם (פרק ה'): הָיָה מְחַבֵּר אֶת הַקּוּנְדָּסִין בַּמֵּיתָרִים וּבָעַמּוּדִים, וּמְחַבְּרָן בְּתוֹךְ יְתֵדוֹת שֶׁל הָאֹהֶל. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהָיוּ יְתֵדוֹת לַמִּשְׁכָּן כָּךְ הָיוּ יְתֵדוֹת לֶחָצֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כז יט): ״לְכָל כְּלֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן בְּכָל עֲבֹדָתוֹ וְכָל יְתֵדֹתָיו וְכָל יִתְדֹת הֶחָצֵר (סביב) נְחֹשֶׁת״ - זֶה לְשׁוֹן הַבָּרַיְתָא, וְלֹא נִשְׁנָה שָׁם שֶׁיְּהוּ יְתֵדוֹת לָעַמּוּדִים. אֲבָל נְפָרֵשׁ כִּי יְתֵדוֹת וּמֵיתָרִים שֶׁל קַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר הָיוּ בְּיַד בְּנֵי מְרָרִי, וּמֵיתָרִים וִיתֵדוֹת שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן וְהָאֹהֶל הֵם שֶׁהָיוּ בְּיַד בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן. כִּי "וְאֵת מֵיתְרֵיהֶם וְאֶת כָּל כְּלֵי עֲבוֹדָתָם" (במדבר ד׳:כ״ו) כִּנּוּי לִירִיעוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וּלְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד הַנִּזְכָּרִים בְּרֹאשׁ הַפָּסוּק (במדבר ד׳:כ״ה), לֹא לֶחָצֵר. וְכֵן אָמַר לְמַעְלָה (ג כו) "וְאֵת מֵיתָרָיו" שֶׁהוּא רֶמֶז לַמִּשְׁכָּן הַנִּזְכָּר (שם פסוק כה), לֹא לְקַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר. וְדוֹמֶה לָזֶה ״אַךְ אֶל כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא יִקְרָבוּ״ (במדבר י״ח:ג׳) עַל "שֵׁבֶט אָבִיךָ" הָרָחוֹק, לֹא עַל "בָּנֶיךָ" הַקָּרוֹב. וְכֵן ״וּפְדוּיָו מִבֶּן חֹדֶשׁ תִּפְדֶּה״ (שם פסוק טז) שָׁב אֶל "בְּכוֹר הָאָדָם", לֹא אֶל "בְּכוֹר הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּמֵאָה", וְכֵן רַבִּים. אֲבָל לְפִי לְשׁוֹן הַבְּרַיְתָא נִרְאֶה לִי שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן נוֹשְׂאִים אֶלָּא בְּגָדִים, לֹא נְחֹשֶׁת וְעֵצִים כְּלָל. וְהוּא שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ (שם פרק יג): ״בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן הָיוּ מְמֻנִּים בַּמַּעֲרָב וְהֵם מְמֻנִּים עַל כְּלֵי הָאֶרֶג״. וְאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ וִיתֵדֹתָם שֶׁל הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְשֶׁל עַמּוּדֵי הֶחָצֵר, וּמֵיתְרֵיהֶם שֶׁל עַמּוּדֵי הֶחָצֵר בִּלְבַד. וְכֵן אָמַר לְמַעְלָה (ג לו): ״קַרְשֵׁי הַמִּשְׁכָּן וּבְרִיחָיו וְעַמּוּדָיו וַאֲדָנָיו וְכָל כֵּלָיו וְכֹל עֲבֹדָתוֹ״, וְיִכְלֹל יְתֵדוֹתָיו. וּלְכָךְ יַזְכִּיר מֵיתָרִים בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם וְלֹא יַזְכִּיר יְתֵדוֹת רַק בִּבְנֵי מְרָרִי:

1AND THE PILLARS OF THE COURT ROUND ABOUT, AND THEIR SOCKETS, AND THEIR PINS, AND THEIR CORDS. “[These sockets, pins and cords refer only to] those of the pillars, because the pins and cords of the hangings were part of the burden of the Gershonites [as stated above in Verse 26, and here Scripture is speaking of the work of the sons of Merari]. For there were pins and cords for the curtains and hangings on their lower edges, so that the wind should not raise them, and there were [also] pins and cords round about the pillars, in order to suspend the hangings on them at their upper edges with poles and rails, as we have been taught in [the Beraitha] on the work of the Tabernacle.” This is Rashi’s language. But I do not understand what pins have to do with the pillars!⁸ of the hangings was fixed, however, were made of wood, not of brass, and are not included in the Hebrew word for pins. Therefore Ramban asks what do the pins [made of brass] have to do with the pillars? (Kur Zahav). Moreover, [even if the pillars did have pins], why were the pins of the pillars different from the other pins, in that [the other pins were given] to the sons of Gershon, and those [of the pillars were given] to the sons of Merari? Nor have I found in the Mishnah⁹ on the work of the Tabernacle that there were pins to the pillars! Instead, the Rabbis taught there the following:¹⁰ “He [Moses] joined the rails by means of cords to the pillars, and attached them to the pins of the Tent. And just as there were pins to the Tabernacle, so were there pins to the court, as it is said, All the instruments of the Tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, round about, shall be of brass. ”¹¹, 38:20. This is the language of the Beraitha. And it does not teach there that there were pins to the pillars.But we must rather explain that the pins and cords of the hangings of the court¹² were in the hands of the sons of Merari [not, as Rashi understands, that they were in the charge of the Gershonites]; whereas it is the cords and pins of the Tabernacle and Tent¹³. that were in the hands of the Gershonites, for [the prepositions] and ‘their’ cords, and all the instruments of ‘their’ service¹² [mentioned in connection with the charge of the Gershonites] are a reference to the curtains of the Tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting¹⁴, Verse 25. mentioned in [the beginning of] the previous verse [relating to the work to be done by the Gershonite], and do not refer to [the hangings of] the court [as Rashi wrote]. Similarly, when He said above [with reference to the charge of the Gershonites], and the cords ‘of it’¹⁵, 3:26. [the preposition “it”] alludes to the Tabernacle mentioned there [in the preceding verse],¹⁶, Verse 25: And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle and the Tent etc. — Ramban is thus, interpreting the preposition “it” [and the cords of ‘it’] — in 3:26 — as referring back to Verse 25 which mentions the Tabernacle and Tent and does not refer to the hangings of the court mentioned in the selfsame Verse 26. To prove this method of exegesis, Ramban proceeds to bring examples from other places in Scripture where this principle perforce applies. and not to the hangings of the court [mentioned in the same verse]. A similar case [of a Scriptural reference to a prior subject] is [G-d’s command addressed to Aaron]: only ‘they’ shall not come nigh unto the vessels of holiness and unto the altar¹⁷ [where the pronoun “they”] refers back to the more distant [phrase, namely: thy brethren, the tribe of Levi] the tribe of thy father¹⁸, Verse 2. [mentioned] in the preceding verse, and does not refer to the nearer [phrase] thy sons. So also the verse, And ‘their’ redemption-money — from a month old shalt thou redeem them¹⁹, Verse 16. [where the word “their”] refers back to the firstborn of man²⁰, Verse 15. [mentioned in the earlier part of the preceding verse], and not to the firstling of unclean beasts [stated at the end of the preceding verse]. There are many cases like this.However, it appears to me that according to the text of the Beraitha [mentioned further on] the Gershonites only carried cloths, but [did] not [carry] any brass and wood at all. This is the Beraitha wherein we are taught:²¹ “The sons of Gershon were assigned [to pitch] on the west²² [of the Tabernacle], and they were in charge of all woven materials.” If so, the meaning of the term and their pins [mentioned in the verse before us dealing with the charge of the sons of Merari] is: “[the pins] of the Tabernacle and of the pillars of the court,” while [the term] and their cords refers only to those of the pillars of the court [since the cords of the Tabernacle itself were in the hands of the Gershonites]. Similarly He said above [with reference to the burden of the sons of Merari]: the boards of the Tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the instruments thereof, and all that pertaineth to the service thereof,²³, Verse 36. including [in general terms] the pins thereof [i.e., of both the Tabernacle and the pillars of the court]. Therefore He mentioned the cords [in speaking of] both [the burdens of the sons of Gershon²⁴ and those of Merari,²⁵ because the cords of the Tabernacle were carried by the sons of Gershon, and those of the pillars of the court by the sons of Merari], but the pins He mentioned only [in the verse before us] with reference to the sons of Merari [because the Gershonites carried no objects of brass or wood at all, but which instead were carried by the sons of Merari].

בוְטַעַם וּבְשֵׁמוֹת תִּפְקְדוּ אֶת כְּלֵי מִשְׁמֶרֶת מַשָּׂאָם, שֶׁיַּפְקִיד בְּיַד כָּל אִישׁ בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת לְגֻלְגְּלוֹתָם כְּלֵי מַשָּׂאָם. יֹאמַר: ״אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי יִשָּׂא מִן הַקְּרָשִׁים כָּךְ בְּמִסְפָּר, וּפְלוֹנִי מִן הַבְּרִיחִים אוֹ הָעַמּוּדִים כָּךְ בְּמִסְפָּר״, לֹא שֶׁיְּצַוֶּה: ״בְּנֵי מְרָרִי בִּכְלָלָם יִשְׂאוּ כָּל הַקְּרָשִׁים וְהָאֲדָנִים וְהָעַמּוּדִים״. וְהִזְכִּיר זֶה תְּחִלָּה בִּבְנֵי מְרָרִי בַּעֲבוּר כֹּבֶד מַשָּׂאָם, אוּלַי יָקֵל כָּל אֶחָד מִמַּשָּׂאוֹ וְיַטִּיל עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, וְהוּא הַדִּין גַּם בִּבְנֵי קְהָת וְגֵרְשׁוֹן:

2AND BY NAME YE SHALL APPOINT THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE CHARGE OF THEIR BURDENS. This means that he [Ithamar] should put the vessels which they were to carry in the hands of each man, according to the number of names, by their polls.²⁶ He [Ithamar] is to say: “This person shall carry a certain number of the boards, and that person a certain number of the bars or of the pillars,” rather than commanding [generally]: “The sons of Merari as a whole shall carry all the boards, sockets and pillars.” He mentioned this first in the case of the sons of Merari although this principle applied also to the work done by the sons of Kohath and Gershon because of the weight of their burdens, for each one [of the sons of Merari] might [be inclined to] make his load lighter by putting it upon his fellowman, [therefore the command had to be given to each person individually].