Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Numbers 8:3/רמב"ן על במדבר ח׳:ג׳

אוְטַעַם וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן אַהֲרֹן – לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא הָיָה הַמַּדְלִיק אוֹתָן כָּל יָמָיו, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַמִּצְוָה כְּשֵׁרָה בְּבָנָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יַעֲרֹךְ אוֹתוֹ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו״ (שמות כז כא), אֲבָל הָיָה הוּא מִזְדָּרֵז בַּמִּצְוָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת הָרוֹמֶזֶת לְדָבָר עֶלְיוֹן וְסוֹד נִשְׂגָּב. וְאוּלַי נִרְמָז לוֹ זֶה מִפָּסוּק: ״מִחוּץ לְפָרֹכֶת הָעֵדֻת יַעֲרֹךְ אוֹתוֹ אַהֲרֹן מֵעֶרֶב עַד בֹּקֶר״ (ויקרא כד ג), כִּי בוֹ בָּחַר הַשֵּׁם בְּיָמָיו. וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה אָמַר גַּם עַתָּה "דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ", וְלֹא אָמַר ״דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל בָּנָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְכֶם״:

1AND AARON DID SO. The meaning thereof is to state that it was Aaron who lighted the lamps all his life. For although the commandment may be validly performed by his sons, as it is said, Aaron and his sons shall set it in order,²⁶ it was he who was zealous in the fulfillment of this great commandment which alludes to an exalted matter and sublime secret.²⁷ Perhaps he deduced an allusion to this [i.e., that during his lifetime it was he who was to light the lamps] from the verse, Without the Veil of the Testimony, in the Tent of Meeting, shall Aaron set it in order from evening to morning,²⁸ [implying] that it was him whom G-d chose [to light the lamps] as long as he lived. And it is for this reason that now too, He said, Speak unto Aaron … When thou lightest,²⁹ and He did not say “Speak unto Aaron and his sons … When ye light [the lamps].”