Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 5:15/רמב"ן על במדבר ה׳:ט״ו
אלֹא יִצֹק עָלָיו שֶׁמֶן שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא קָרְבָּנָהּ מְהֻדָּר, שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶן קָרוּי אוֹר וְהִיא עָשְׂתָה בַּחֹשֶׁךְ, וְלֹא יִתֵּן עָלָיו לְבוֹנָה, שֶׁהָאִמָּהוֹת קְרוּיוֹת לְבוֹנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שיר השירים ד ו) ״אֶל גִּבְעַת הַלְּבוֹנָה״, וְזוֹ פֵּרְשָׁה מִדַּרְכֵיהֶן (תנחומא נשא ג). כִּי מִנְחַת קְנָאוֹת הוּא הַקֶּמַח הַזֶּה מְעוֹרֶרֶת בָּהּ שְׁתֵּי קְנָאוֹת: קִנְאַת הַמָּקוֹם וְקִנְאַת הַבַּעַל (ספרי נשא נ), לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר ה׳:ט״ו) מִדִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ. וְעַל דַּעַת כָּל הַמְפָרְשִׁים כִּי מִנְחַת קְנָאוֹת הוּא – לוֹמַר בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁזֹּאת הַמִּנְחָה מִנְחַת עֹנֶשׁ, הִיא גְּרוּעָה לִהְיוֹת שְׂעוֹרִים בְּלֹא שֶׁמֶן וּלְבוֹנָה, כִּי הַמִּנְחָה אֲשֶׁר אַזְכָּרָתָהּ לְרָצוֹן לַה' בָּאָה סֹלֶת חִטִּים בְּשֶׁמֶן וּלְבוֹנָה. וּלְפִי דַעְתִּי טַעַם כִּי מִנְחַת קְנָאוֹת הוּא יַחְזֹר אֶל רֹאשׁ הַפָּסוּק, יֹאמַר שֶׁיָּבִיא הָאִישׁ אֶת הַקָּרְבָּן עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר בִּמְקוֹמָהּ, כִּי מִנְחַת קְנָאוֹת הִיא לְהַזְכִּיר עֲוֹנָהּ, וְאֵינֶנּוּ רָאוּי שֶׁתְּבִיאֶנּוּ הִיא מִשֶּׁלָּהּ, אֲבָל הוּא יַקְרִיב מִנְחָה לַשֵּׁם שֶׁיְּקַנֵּא אֶת קִנְאָתוֹ וְיִנְקֹם אֶת נִקְמָתוֹ מִמֶּנָּה. וְטַעַם הַשְּׂעוֹרִים שֶׁתִּהְיֶה סַעֲרַת חֲמַת ה', חֵמָה יוֹצְאָה סַעַר מִתְחוֹלֵל עַל רֹאשׁ הָרְשָׁעָה יָחוּל, וּכְעִנְיַן צְלִיל שְׂעוֹרִים הָאָמוּר בְּגִדְעוֹן (שופטים ז יג) שֶׁפָּתְרוּ אוֹתוֹ לְסַעַר וּמְהוּמָה רַבָּה. וְכֵן בִּכְלִי חֶרֶס סִימָן שֶׁתִּשָּׁבֵר כִּכְלִי יוֹצֵר, וְכֵן הֶעָפָר כִּי עָפָר הִיא וְאֶל עָפָר תָּשׁוּב. וְטַעַם הוּא עַל הַקֶּמַח, וְיֵשׁ לוֹ סוֹד, כִּי לְמַטָּה (במדבר ה׳:י״ח) בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בְּיַד הָאִשָּׁה אָמַר "הִיא", וְעַתָּה הִזְכִּיר הַזִּכָּרוֹן תְּחִלָּה וְאָמַר כִּי הִיא מַזְכֶּרֶת עָוֹן:
1HE SHALL POUR NO OIL UPON IT — “so that her offering shall not be enriched, for oil is called light, whereas she acted in darkness. NOR SHALL HE PUT FRANKINCENSE THEREON, for the matriarchs are compared to frankincense, as it is said, to the hill of frankincense71 [an allegorical expression explained by the Midrash as an allusion to the matriarchs], but this woman turned aside from their [virtuous] ways (Midrash Tanhuma Nasso 3). FOR IT IS A MEAL-OFFERING OF JEALOUSIES. This flour arouses against her two jealousies — the jealousy of G-d, and the jealousy of her husband.” Thus far is Rashi’s language on the basis of the words of our Rabbis.72 3; Sifre Naso 8.But in the opinion of all the commentators73 [the meaning of the expression] for it is a meal-offering of jealousies is to say that because this meal-offering [of the sotah]43 is a woman suspected of adultery, and is subject to the laws explained further on in Verses 11-31. The law concerning her meal-offering is found in Verse 15, where it is called a meal-offering of jealousy. is an offering which may bring her punishment [if the charge against her is true], therefore it is of a lesser quality [than all other meal-offerings and is to be brought of] barley without oil and frankincense. On the other hand, a meal-offering of which the memorial-part is brought to be acceptable before the Eternal, is to be brought from fine wheat-flour with oil and frankincense. But in my opinion the expression for it is a meal-offering of jealousies refers to the beginning of the verse, stating that the husband shall bring the offering for his wife, that is to say, instead of her, for it is a meal-offering of jealousies bringing her iniquity to remembrance. Thus it is not fitting that she should bring it of her own property, but it is he who is to bring the meal-offering to G-d so that He should take note of his suspicions of her, and punish her on his [the husband’s] behalf. And the reason [why this meal-offering comes from] se’orim (barley)74 (barley) is suggestive of the word sa’ar (storm), as is indicated in the next verse quoted by Ramban. is so that ‘sa’arath’ (a storm of) the Eternal is gone forth in fury, yea, a whirling storm; it shall whirl upon the head of wickedness,75 like the cake of barley bread76, 22-28). mentioned in the story of Gideon, which [one of the Midianites who saw it in a dream] interpreted as referring to a storm (sa’ar) and great confusion [which would break forth upon the camp of the Midianites]. Similarly, the earthen vessel77 [in which the holy water is put] is a hint that she shall be broken like a potter’s vessel,78 and likewise the dust [which must be taken from the floor of the Tabernacle and put into the water77 indicates] that she is dust, and into dust shall she return79 [if she is guilty of adultery]. The meaning of the word hu [ki minchath kna’oth ‘hu’ — using the masculine form of “it” in the phrase “it is a meal-offering of jealousies,” when it should have used hi, the feminine form, since the word minchah (meal-offering) is feminine] is because it refers back to the word kemach (flour) [which is mentioned above in the same verse, and the word kemach is masculine]. But this [unusual usage of the masculine here] has a mystical explanation, for further on when the meal-offering is in the hands of the woman80 Scripture uses the word hi [minchath kna’oth hi — literally: “‘she’ is a meal-offering of jealousies”]. And now [in this verse] Scripture mentions the memorial first, stating that “she” brings iniquity to remembrance.81 [literally: “for a meal-offering of jealousies ‘he’ is, a meal-offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance”], and the meaning thereof is that in this meal-offering there is both judgment and mercy: judgment, if she is guilty, and mercy if innocent. The word hu in this verse thus refers both to kemach and zikaron, which allude to these two attributes. Hence also the word hu is mentioned before zikaron (“memorial”), for “the memorial which brings iniquity to remembrance” surely alludes to the attribute of judgment, and the word hu which is mentioned before “the memorial” therefore alludes to mercy. Further on in Verse 18, however, the text reads: eith minchath hazikaron minchath kna’oth hi. There the word hi (“she”) appears at the end of the whole expression, after hazikaron (“the memorial”), when the meal-offering is in her hands [as the verse states] it is only “judgment” which brings the iniquity to remembrance. See further my Hebrew commentary p. 213.