Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 6/רמב"ן על במדבר ו׳
אוְטַעַם הַחַטָּאת שֶׁיַּקְרִיב הַנָּזִיר בְּיוֹם מְלֹאת יְמֵי נִזְרוֹ לֹא נִתְפָּרֵשׁ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט כִּי הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה חוֹטֵא נַפְשׁוֹ בִּמְלֹאת הַנְּזִירוּת, כִּי הוּא עַתָּה נָזוֹר מִקְּדֻשָּׁתוֹ וַעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְרָאוּי הָיָה לוֹ שֶׁיַּזִּיר לְעוֹלָם וְיַעֲמֹד כָּל יָמָיו נָזִיר וְקָדוֹשׁ לֵאלֹהָיו, כְּעִנְיַן שֶׁאָמַר (עמוס ב יא) ״וָאָקִים מִבְּנֵיכֶם לִנְבִיאִים וּמִבַּחוּרֵיכֶם לִנְזִרִים״' הִשְׁוָה אוֹתוֹ הַכָּתוּב לְנָבִיא, וּכְדִכְתִיב (במדבר ו׳:ח׳) ״כָּל יְמֵי נִזְרוֹ קָדוֹשׁ הוּא לַה'״, וְהִנֵּה הוּא צָרִיךְ כַּפָּרָה בְּשׁוּבוֹ לְהִטַּמֵּא בְּתַאֲווֹת הָעוֹלָם:
1AND THE PRIEST SHALL PREPARE ONE FOR A SIN-OFFERING. The reason why a Nazirite must bring a sin-offering when the days of his Naziritehood are fulfilled105 has not been explained.106 In accordance with the plain meaning of Scripture, [it is because] this man sins against his soul on the day of completion of his Naziritehood; for until now he was separated in sanctity and the service of G-d, and he should therefore have remained separated forever, continuing all his life consecrated and sanctified to his G-d, as it is said, And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazirites,107 where Scripture compares the Nazirite to a prophet, and as it is written, All the days of his Naziritehood he is holy unto the Eternal.108 Thus [when he completes his Naziritehood and returns to his normal life] he requires atonement, since he goes back to be defiled by [material] desires of the world.
אזֹאת תּוֹרַת הַנָּזִיר – שִׁעוּר הַכָּתוּב: זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַנָּזִיר אֲשֶׁר יִדֹּר נֶדֶר נָזִיר, קָרְבָּנוֹ לַה' עַל נִזְרוֹ יִהְיֶה מִלְּבַד אֲשֶׁר תַּשִּׂיג יָדוֹ, אוֹ: זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַנָּזִיר וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת קָרְבָּנוֹ לַה' עַל נִזְרוֹ. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיֹּאמַר: זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַנָּזִיר שֶׁיִּדֹּר אֶת קָרְבָּנוֹ עַל נִזְרוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יְפָרֵשׁ דָּבָר בַּקָּרְבָּן רַק יִדֹּר ״אָבִיא קָרְבָּן עַל נִזְרִי״, אוֹ שֶׁיֹּאמַר בִּסְתָם ״הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר״, כִּי כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּדַר בְּנָזִיר נָדוּר הוּא בַּקָּרְבָּן הַנִּזְכָּר. וְחָזַר וְאָמַר מִלְּבַד אֲשֶׁר תַּשִּׂיג יָדוֹ, שֶׁאִם הָיָה עָשִׁיר יַרְבֶּה בְּקָרְבָּנוֹ, וּכְפִי נִדְרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יִדֹּר בַּקָּרְבָּנוֹת, בֵּין עָשִׁיר בֵּין עָנִי, כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה עַל תּוֹרַת נִזְרוֹ לְרַבּוֹת וְלֹא לְמַעֵט. וְהִזְכִּיר זֶה לְלַמֵּד שֶׁאִם הָיָה עָשִׁיר וְרָצָה לְהַרְבּוֹת קָרְבָּנוֹת, אוֹ שֶׁנָּדַר בַּתְּחִלָּה ״הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר וְאַקְרִיב אֶלֶף עוֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים״, שֶׁיָּבִיא אֶת כֻּלָּן בְּיוֹם מְלֹאת, וְלֹא יִשְׁתֶּה יַיִן עַד הַקְרִיבוֹ אֶת כֻּלָּם, כִּי הַכֹּל תּוֹרַת נִזְרוֹ. וְיִתָּכֵן ״מִלְּבַד אֲשֶׁר תַּשִּׂיג יָדוֹ״ - שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כְּפִי נִדְרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יִדֹּר, וְהִזְכִּיר זֶה כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הֶעָשִׁיר לִדֹּר כֵּן:
1THIS IS THE LAW OF THE NAZIRITE WHO VOWETH HIS OFFERING UNTO THE ETERNAL FOR HIS NAZIRITEHOOD, BESIDES THAT WHICH HIS MEANS SUFFICE. The correct meaning of the verse is as if it had said: “This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth a vow of the Nazirite;109 his offering unto the Eternal for his Naziritehood shall be besides that which his means suffice.” Or it may mean: “This is the law of the Nazirite, and this is the law of his offering unto the Eternal for his Naziritehood.” It is possible that He is saying: “This is the law of the Nazirite, that he vow his offering unto the Eternal for his Naziritehood,” meaning to say that he should not specify a particular animal as an offering, but should vow: “I shall bring an offering for my Naziritehood,” or he should simply say: “I am a Nazirite,” for as soon as he vowed to be a Nazirite, it is [already] binding upon him as a vow [to bring] the offering mentioned [in the Torah]. He reverts and states, besides that which his means suffice, [meaning to say] that if he is rich he may [voluntarily] increase his offerings [i.e., the burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, as will be explained, but not the sin-offering]; and according to his vow which he voweth concerning these offerings, whether [he is] rich or poor, so he must do after the law of his Naziriteship — so that he may bring more, but not less [than what Scripture prescribes for him to bring]. He mentioned this in order to teach us that if the Nazirite was rich and wants to bring several offerings, or if he vowed at the beginning: “I am a Nazirite and I shall bring a thousand burnt-offerings and peace-offerings,” then he must bring them all on the day of completion [of his time as a Nazirite], and he may not drink wine until he has offered them all up, for they all constitute the law of his Naziriteship. It is possible that [the latter half of the verse means]: “besides that for which his means suffice so must he do according to his vow which he voweth.” This He mentioned because it is usually the rich who vow in this way.110 as referring to the rich, and according to his vow which he voweth as applying to the poor, as explained above. Now Ramban interprets both expressions as applying to the rich, for it is usually they who vow to bring several burnt-offerings or peace-offerings. The reason why Ramban gives this interpretation may be because it is unnecessary for Scripture to state specifically that a poor Nazirite must bring the minimum number of offerings, as was explained in the first interpretation, since this is self-understood.
אדַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ – כְּבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי בְּסֵדֶר וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי (ויקרא ט כב) כִּי צִוָּה אֶת אַהֲרֹן לָשֵׂאת אֶת יָדָיו אֶל הָעָם וּלְבָרֵךְ אוֹתָם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, וְכָאן צִוָּה לְדוֹרוֹת לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו וּפֵרֵשׁ הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁיְּבָרְכוּ אוֹתָם. וְהִזְכִּירָה בַּהֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה ה' אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סוטה לז): בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ בַּשֵּׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ וּבַמְּדִינָה בְּכִנּוּיוֹ, בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אוֹתָהּ בְּרָכָה אַחַת וּבַגְּבוּלִין שָׁלֹשׁ בְּרָכוֹת, כִּי הַבְּרָכָה בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ מְיֻחֶדֶת בַּשֵּׁם הַמְיֻחָד:
1SPEAK UNTO AARON AND UNTO HIS SONS, SAYING: THUS YE SHALL BLESS. I have already mentioned in Seder Vayehi Bayom Ha’shemini111, 22. that He commanded Aaron to lift up his hands towards the people and bless them on that day [i.e., the eighth day of the initiation of the priests, which was the day of the final erection of the Tabernacle], and here He commanded Aaron and his sons to do so throughout the generations, and He explained what the blessing was with which they are to bless them. He mentioned this blessing in connection with the setting up of the Tabernacle [discussed in the next chapter], for there the Eternal commanded the blessing, even life forever,112 just as our Rabbis have said:113 “In the Sanctuary [the priests pronounced the blessing] using the Divine Name [i.e., the Tetragrammaton],114 but in the provinces by a substitute Name. In the Sanctuary they pronounced it as a single blessing, but in the provinces [it was pronounced] as three blessings” [the people responding “Amen” to each of the three verses which comprise the priestly blessing], for the blessing in the Sanctuary was singled out by being pronounced with the Proper Name of G-d [i.e., the Tetragrammaton].
אוְטַעַם יְבָרֶכְךָ ה' וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ עַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת, כִּי הַבְּרָכָה - מִלְמַעְלָה, וְהַשְּׁמִירָה - שֶׁתִּשְׁמֹר אוֹתָהּ, כְּטַעַם ״זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר״. וְעוֹד: יָאֵר הַשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל אֶת פָּנָיו הַמַּבִּיטִים בְּךָ. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (ספרי על במדבר ו כה): רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר: זֶה מְאוֹר שְׁכִינָה. וִיחֻנֶּךָּ שֶׁתִּשָּׂא חֵן בְּעֵינָיו, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ (בראשית רבה ט ד): ״עוֹלָמִי עוֹלָמִי, הַלְוַאי תְּהֵא מַעֲלַת חֵן לְפָנַי בְּכָל שָׁעָה״. וְעוֹד: יִשָּׂא הַשֵּׁם פָּנָיו אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם הַכֹּל בְּבֵיתְךָ. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (ספרי על במדבר ו כו): רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר: זֶה שְׁלוֹם מַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד. וְשָׂמוּ אֶת שְׁמִי הַגָּדוֹל עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲנִי אֲבָרְכֵם כִּי אֲנִי הַמְדַבֵּר הִנֵּנִי, וְשָׁלוֹם:
1THE ETERNAL BLESS THEE, AND KEEP THEE. By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the meaning thereof is because “the blessing” comes from on High [downward], and the meaning of shmirah [“keeping” — and He ‘keep’ thee] is that you should “keep” it, like Remember [the Sabbath-day],115 and ‘Shamor’ (Keep) the Sabbath-day.116 Furthermore, the Great Name will make His countenance that watches over you shine [upon you].117 And so did the Rabbis say in the Sifre:118 41. “Rabbi Nathan says: [The Eternal make His countenance shine upon thee.] This is a reference to the light of the Divine Presence.” And He be gracious unto thee, that you may find favor in His sight, similar to that which the Rabbis have said [that when G-d completed the creation of the world He said]: “My world! My world! Would that you will find favor in My sight all the time [as at this moment]!”119 Furthermore, the Eternal lift up His countenance to the heavens above and give thee peace120 — all in your house. And so the Rabbis said in the Sifre:121 42. “[And He give thee peace.] Rabbi Nathan said: This is a reference to the peace of the kingdom of David.” So shall they put My Great Name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them,122 for it is I that speaketh, behold, here I am,123 and peace.124