אֵ֣לֶּה בְנֵי־שֵׁ֔ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לִלְשֹׁנֹתָ֑ם בְּאַרְצֹתָ֖ם לְגוֹיֵהֶֽם׃
Estos fueron los hijos de Sem por sus familias, por sus lenguas, en sus tierras, en sus naciones.
Ramban
AND THE LAND WAS DEFILED, THEREFORE DID I VISIT THE INIQUITY THEREOF UPON IT, AND THE LAND VOMITED OUT HER INHABITANTS. Scripture was very strict in forbidding these sexual relationships on account of the Land which becomes defiled by them, and which in turn will vomit out the people that do [these abominations]. Now forbidden sexual relationships are matters affecting personal conduct, and do not depend on the Land, [so why should the Land be affected by these personal immoral acts]? But the secret of the matter is in the verse which states, When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the borders of the people, etc. For the portion of the Eternal is His people etc.380Deuteronomy 32:8-9. The meaning thereof is as follows: The Glorious Name381Ibid., 28:58. created everything and He placed the power of the lower creatures in the higher beings, giving over each and every nation in their lands, after their nations382Genesis 10:31. some known star or constellation, as is known by means of astrological speculation. It is with reference to this that it is said, which the Eternal thy G-d hath allotted unto all the people,383Deuteronomy 4:19. for He allotted to all nations constellations in the heavens, and higher above them are the angels of the Supreme One whom He placed as lords over them, as it is written, But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me,384Daniel 10:13. and it is written, lo, the prince of Greece shall come.385Ibid., Verse 20. They are called “kings,” as it is written [there], and I was left over there beside the kings of Persia.384Daniel 10:13. Now the Glorious Name381Ibid., 28:58. is G-d of gods, and Lord of lords386Deuteronomy 10:17. over the whole world. But the Land of Israel, which is in the middle of the inhabited earth,387Aware of the fact that the earth is spherical [and not flat, as believed by most people in the Medieval Ages], Jewish sources being mindful of this fact speak of the Land of Israel as being in the middle of the “inhabited” earth, and not just “of the earth,” as there is no middle point in a spherical body. is the inheritance of the Eternal designated to His Name. He has placed none of the angels as chief, observer, or ruler388Proverbs 6:7. over it, since He gave it as a heritage to His people who declare the Unity of His Name, the seed of His beloved ones [i.e., the patriarchs]. It is with reference to this that He said, and ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine,389Exodus 19:5. and it is further written, so shall ye be My people, and I will be your G-d,390Jeremiah 11:4. and you will not be subject to other powers at all. Now He [also] sanctified the people who dwell in His Land with the sanctity of observing the laws against forbidden sexual relationships, and with the abundant commandments, so that they [His people] would be dedicated to His Name. It is for this reason that He said, And ye shall keep all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do them, that the Land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out,391Further, 20:22. and it is further written, But I have said unto you: ‘Ye shall inherit their Land, and I will give it unto you to possess it’ … I am the Eternal your G-d, Who have set you apart from the peoples,392Ibid., Verse 24. meaning to say, that He has set us apart from all the nations over whom He appointed princes and other celestial powers, by giving us the Land [of Israel] so that He, blessed be He, will be our G-d, and we will be dedicated to His Name. Thus the Land which is the inheritance of the Glorious Name, will vomit out all those who defile it and will not tolerate worshippers of idols, nor those who practise immorality. Now this section mentioned the Molech,393Above, Verse 21. which is a form of idolatry, together with the forbidden sexual relationships, and with reference to all of them He said, Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things; for in all of these the nations are defiled,394Verse 24. and the Land vomited out her inhabitants395In Verse 25 before us. [thus showing that the Land is unable to contain idol worshippers or those who practise immorality]. And so also did He say in the second section [i.e., in Seder Kedoshim], and I have set you apart from the peoples, that ye should be Mine,396Further, 20:26. which is [the basis for] the strict prohibition against idolatry. Therefore He stated that it is because they are dedicated to His Name that He gave them the Land, as it is said, And I have said unto you: ‘Ye shall inherit their Land, and I will give it unto you to possess it’ … I am the Eternal your G-d, Who have set you apart from the peoples.392Ibid., Verse 24.
Now outside the Land of Israel, although it all belongs to the Glorious Name,381Ibid., 28:58. yet its purity is not perfect, because of “the servants” who hold sway there, and the nations go astray after their princes to worship them as well. It is for this reason that Scripture states, the G-d of the whole earth shall He be called,397Isaiah 54:5. since He is the G-d of gods Who rules over all, and He will in the end punish the host of the high heaven on high,398Ibid., 24:21. removing the celestial powers and demolishing the array of “the servants,” and afterwards He will punish the kings of the earth upon the earth.398Ibid., 24:21. This is the meaning of the verse stating, The matter is by the decree of ‘irin’ (the wakeful ones), and ‘sh’elta’ (the sentence) by the word of the holy ones,399Daniel 4:14. meaning, the matter that was decreed on Nebuchadnezzar [that he be driven from men and eat grass as oxen etc.] is the pronouncement of the guarding angels and the sentence of the word of the holy ones, who have ordained on the powers emanating from them that it be so. They [the angels] are called irin [literally: “the wakeful ones”], because from their emanations proceed all the powers that stir all activities, similar to that which it says, and behold ‘ir’ (a wakeful one) and a holy one came down from heaven. He cried aloud, and said thus: ‘Hew down the tree etc.400Ibid., Verse 10-11. — [In the verse] And ‘sh’elta’ (the sentence) is by word of the holy ones,399Daniel 4:14. [the word sh’elta] is like sha’alu, meaning first “they ask” what is the will of the Supreme One about it, and afterwards they decree that it be so done. It is with reference to this that Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, it is the decree of the Most High,401Ibid., Verse 21. for everything is from Him, blessed be He.
Thus the Glorious Name,381Ibid., 28:58. blessed be He, is G-d of gods,386Deuteronomy 10:17. in the whole world, and G-d of the Land of Israel which is the inheritance of the Eternal.402I Samuel 26:19. This is the meaning of the expression, and he will go astray after the foreign gods of the Land,403Deuteronomy 31:16. for the gods are foreign to the Land of G-d and His inheritance. This is what Scripture means when it states [of the Cutheans who were settled by the king of Assyria in the cities of the kingdom of Israel], they knew not the manner of the G-d of the Land; therefore He hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the G-d of the Land.404II Kings 17:26. The verse is thus stating that they did not live in the Land in a way befitting its special characteristic as G-d’s inheritance — hence the phrase “the G-d of the Land.” Now the Cutheans were not punished in their own land when they worshipped their gods, by G-d sending lions among them, but only when they came into the Land of G-d and conducted themselves as before, did He send lions among them who slew them. And so the Rabbis taught in the Sifra:405Sifra Kedoshim 11:14. “And the Land vomit not you out also etc.406Verse 28. The Land of Israel is unlike other lands; it is unable to contain sinners.” And in the Sifre we find that the Rabbis taught:407Sifre Ha’azinu, 315. “And there was no strange god with Him408Deuteronomy 32:12. [when He took Israel out of Egypt, and protected them during their wandering through the wilderness], so that none of the princes of the nations should have power to come and exercise authority over you, something like that which it is said, and when I go forth, lo, the prince of Greece shall come, etc.”385Ibid., Verse 20. This is the meaning of the saying of the Rabbis:409Kethuboth 110 b. “Whoever lives outside the Land, is as if he had no G-d, for it is said, I am the Eternal your G-d, Who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your G-d,410Further, 25:38. and it is further said, for they have driven me [David] out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of the Eternal, saying: Go, serve other gods.”411I Samuel 26:19. “And who told David, ‘Go, serve other gods?’ This can only mean to teach you that he who lives outside the Land is like etc.’” (Kethuboth). Having been forced to leave the Land, David was thus justified in saying that those responsible for it had, as it were, said to him, “Go, etc.” And in the Tosephta of Tractate Abodah Zarah the Rabbis have said:412Tosephta, Abodah Zarah 5:5. On the name Tosephta, see in Seder Tazria Note 124. “Now it is said, And I [Jacob] will come back to my father’s house in peace, then shall the Eternal be my G-d,413Genesis 28:21. and it is further said, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your G-d.410Further, 25:38. When you are in the land of Canaan I am your G-d. When you are not in the land of Canaan, I am not your G-d if it were at all possible to say so [for He is our G-d under all circumstances and in all places]. Similarly it is said, about forty thousand ready armed for war passed on in the presence of the Eternal unto battle,414Joshua 4:13. and it is further said, and the Land is subdued before the Eternal, and before His people.415I Chronicles 22:18. But how could it enter one’s mind that Israel subdued the Land before the Eternal [as if to say that they captured it for His sake]? But [this teaches that] as long as they are upon the Land, it is as if it were subdued [before Him, since He is their G-d, as explained above], but when they are not upon it, it is not subdued.”
It is on the basis of this matter that the Rabbis have said in the Sifre:416Sifre Eikev, 43. “And ye perish quickly from off the good Land.417Deuteronomy 11:17. The following verse continues: And ye shall lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul etc. This clearly indicates even as the Sifre teaches, that after banishment from the Land they are to continue the observance of the commandments. Although I banish you from the Land to outside the Land, make yourselves distinctive by the commandments, so that when you return they shall not be novelties to you. This can be compared to a master who was angry with his wife, and sent her back to her father’s house and told her, ‘Adorn yourself with precious things, so that when you come back they will not be novelties to you.’ And so did the prophet Jeremiah say [to the people in exile in Babylon], Set thee up waymarks.418Jeremiah 31:20. These are the commandments, by which Israel is made distinctive.” Now the verses which state, and ye perish quickly … and ye shall lay up these My words etc.419Deuteronomy 11:17-18. only make obligatory in the exile [the observance of those commandments] affecting personal conduct, such as the [wearing of] phylacteries and [placing of] Mezuzoth420A parchment on which is written Deuteronomy 6:4-9, and 11:13-21, and which is fastened to the right door-post. See further in Vol. II, p. 173. [these being specifically mentioned there in the following words of Scripture], and concerning them the Rabbis [in the above text of the Sifre] explained [that we must observe them] so that they shall not be novelties to us when we return to the Land, for the main [fulfillment] of the commandments is [to be kept] when dwelling in the Land of G-d. Therefore the Rabbis have said in the Sifre:421Sifre R’eih, 80. “And ye shall possess it, and dwell therein. And ye shall observe to do all the statutes etc.422Deuteronomy 11:31-32. Dwelling in the Land of Israel is of equal importance to all the commandments of the Torah.” A similar statement is also found in the Tosephta of Tractate Abodah Zarah.423Tosephta, Abodah Zarah 5:3. This in fact was the thought of the wicked ones who [misusing the intention of the above statement], said to the prophet Ezekiel [whose prophetic activity was in the Babylonian exile]:424Sanhedrin 105 a. “Our master Ezekiel, if a servant is sold by his master, does the master still have any claim to him?”425In other words, “since G-d sold them to Nebuchadnezzar and banished them from before Him, does He still have any claim upon them?” (Rashi ibid.). The answer was that they were never “sold” since the exile was merely a form of temporary punishment for their sins, and therefore, and that which cometh into your mind etc. (see text). For it is said, and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all; in that ye say: We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.426Ezekiel 20:32. And this was the command of our patriarch Jacob to his household, and to all that were with him, at the time that they came into the Land, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves.427Genesis 35:2. And G-d, by Whom alone actions are weighed,428See I Samuel 2:3. [brought it about] that Rachel died on the way when they started coming into the Land,429Genesis 35:16-19. See in Vol. I, pp. 330-332, where Ramban refers briefly to this problem, namely why Jacob married two sisters in their lifetime, and then concludes that “he married them only outside the Land.” Here Ramban completes the thought, by explaining that G-d, by Whom events are decided, therefore brought about the death of one of the sisters as soon as they came into the Land. The reason why Rachel had to die and not Leah, is explained in the text. for on account of her own merit she did not die outside the Land, and for Jacob’s merit, he could not dwell in the Land with two sisters [in their lifetime, since this is forbidden in the Torah, and the laws of the Torah were observed by our ancestors in the Land of Israel even before the Torah was given on Sinai], and she [Rachel] was the one by whose marriage the prohibition against two sisters took effect [since Jacob was already married to Leah]. It would appear that Rachel became pregnant with Benjamin before they came to Shechem, and while in the Land Jacob did not touch her at all, for the reason that we have mentioned. And the prophet states, And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have profaned My Land; they have filled Mine inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable things and their abominations.430Jeremiah 16:18. This matter [i.e., that the Land of Israel is the inheritance of the Eternal and thus cannot tolerate sinners] is found in many places in the Scriptures, and you will see it clearly after I have opened your eyes to it.
Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented in the section of Vayeilech:431Deuteronomy 31:16. “We know that G-d is One, and changes arise because of those who receive [His beneficent deeds], but G-d does not change His deeds, as they are all done in wisdom. And included in the worship of G-d is to guard the ability to receive [His beneficence] according to the place [so that if a particular place is holier than others, one must observe there more strictly the laws of holiness]. Therefore it is written [of the Cutheans, that they did not know] the manner of the G-d of the Land,432II Kings 17:26. The Cutheans were thus punished for not being heedful of the holiness of the Land of Israel which is unable to retain worshippers of idols. and of Jacob it is said [when he came into the Land he told his household], put away the strange gods,427Genesis 35:2. and the extreme opposite of [the sanctity of] the place [i.e., the Land of Israel] is indulging in forbidden sexual relationships, as they are [sins of the] flesh. The student versed [in the mysteries of the Torah] will understand.” Thus are the words [of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra] of blessed memory.
Now do not refute me [in what I have written above, that Israel is under the direct guidance of G-d alone, and no celestial power determines their fate], by citing the verse, Michael your prince,433Daniel 10:21. for he is only a ministering angel who implores mercy for Israel, but is in no way a prince exercising any royalty or power. So was also the captain of the host434Joshua 5:14. who appeared to Joshua at Jericho, showing him that G-d had sent him to fight their battles, similar to [that which happened in the days of] Hezekiah.435II Kings 19:35: And it came to pass at that night, that the angel of the Eternal went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians etc. Besides, this matter [of Michael imploring mercy for Israel] was when we were already outside the Land of Israel.
Now I do not have permission to explain on the subject of ha’aretz (“the earth” or “the Land”) more than this.436Ramban is alluding to the word ha’aretz, which is mentioned here repeatedly: vatitma ha’aretz … vataki ha’aretz (literally: “and the earth was defiled … and the earth vomited out”). This hints at the first ha’aretz, mentioned in the first verse of Creation, which Ramban has already explained in many places as referring to “the higher earth,” to which the souls finally return after their sojourn on the lower earth. But if you will merit to understand the first “earth” mentioned in the verse of Bereshith (In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth), and also the one mentioned in the section of Im Bechukothai,437Further, 26:42. v’ha’aretz ezkor (literally: “and the earth I will remember”). you will know a profound and sublime secret, and you will further understand what our Rabbis have said:438Tanchuma, Vayakheil 7. “The Sanctuary on high is exactly opposite the Sanctuary below.” I have already alluded to this on the verse, for all the earth is Mine.439Exodus 19:5. Now Scripture mentions that the people of the land of Canaan were punished on account of their immoral [sexual] deeds. And our Rabbis have said that they were warned about these matters from the time of creation, when these laws were declared to Adam440Sanhedrin 56 b. Rambam in the Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Melachim 9:1, puts it as follows: “The first man was commanded concerning six matters: idolatry, blasphemy, bloodshed, incest, robbery, etc.” and to Noah,441Incest is counted among the Seven Laws of the Noachides (see Vol. I, p. 417, Note 148). for He does not punish unless He admonishes first. Scripture, however, did not state the admonition, but instead said that the Land would vomit them out, for the Land abhors all these abominations.442Verse 27. Now the Canaanites were not the only ones who were admonished about these matters [for since these laws were declared to Adam and Noah, they applied to all mankind], and the Scriptural section mentions specifically, After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do,443Above, Verse 3. which proves that the Egyptians also did all these abominations, and yet the land of Egypt did not vomit them out, nor did the lands of other nations vomit them out! Rather, this whole subject shows the distinction of the Land [of Israel] and its holiness [so that it alone is unable to retain sinners]. Scripture states, and the Land vomited out [using a past tense, although the Canaanites were still living there], for from the time that He was to punish [them] for the sins committed upon her [i.e. the Land], having decreed destruction upon the Canaanites, it is as if the Land had already vomited them out. Or it may be that the expression, and the Land vomited out is a reference to above, similar to what is said, their defense is removed from over them.444Numbers 14:9. See Ramban there.
Now outside the Land of Israel, although it all belongs to the Glorious Name,381Ibid., 28:58. yet its purity is not perfect, because of “the servants” who hold sway there, and the nations go astray after their princes to worship them as well. It is for this reason that Scripture states, the G-d of the whole earth shall He be called,397Isaiah 54:5. since He is the G-d of gods Who rules over all, and He will in the end punish the host of the high heaven on high,398Ibid., 24:21. removing the celestial powers and demolishing the array of “the servants,” and afterwards He will punish the kings of the earth upon the earth.398Ibid., 24:21. This is the meaning of the verse stating, The matter is by the decree of ‘irin’ (the wakeful ones), and ‘sh’elta’ (the sentence) by the word of the holy ones,399Daniel 4:14. meaning, the matter that was decreed on Nebuchadnezzar [that he be driven from men and eat grass as oxen etc.] is the pronouncement of the guarding angels and the sentence of the word of the holy ones, who have ordained on the powers emanating from them that it be so. They [the angels] are called irin [literally: “the wakeful ones”], because from their emanations proceed all the powers that stir all activities, similar to that which it says, and behold ‘ir’ (a wakeful one) and a holy one came down from heaven. He cried aloud, and said thus: ‘Hew down the tree etc.400Ibid., Verse 10-11. — [In the verse] And ‘sh’elta’ (the sentence) is by word of the holy ones,399Daniel 4:14. [the word sh’elta] is like sha’alu, meaning first “they ask” what is the will of the Supreme One about it, and afterwards they decree that it be so done. It is with reference to this that Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, it is the decree of the Most High,401Ibid., Verse 21. for everything is from Him, blessed be He.
Thus the Glorious Name,381Ibid., 28:58. blessed be He, is G-d of gods,386Deuteronomy 10:17. in the whole world, and G-d of the Land of Israel which is the inheritance of the Eternal.402I Samuel 26:19. This is the meaning of the expression, and he will go astray after the foreign gods of the Land,403Deuteronomy 31:16. for the gods are foreign to the Land of G-d and His inheritance. This is what Scripture means when it states [of the Cutheans who were settled by the king of Assyria in the cities of the kingdom of Israel], they knew not the manner of the G-d of the Land; therefore He hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the G-d of the Land.404II Kings 17:26. The verse is thus stating that they did not live in the Land in a way befitting its special characteristic as G-d’s inheritance — hence the phrase “the G-d of the Land.” Now the Cutheans were not punished in their own land when they worshipped their gods, by G-d sending lions among them, but only when they came into the Land of G-d and conducted themselves as before, did He send lions among them who slew them. And so the Rabbis taught in the Sifra:405Sifra Kedoshim 11:14. “And the Land vomit not you out also etc.406Verse 28. The Land of Israel is unlike other lands; it is unable to contain sinners.” And in the Sifre we find that the Rabbis taught:407Sifre Ha’azinu, 315. “And there was no strange god with Him408Deuteronomy 32:12. [when He took Israel out of Egypt, and protected them during their wandering through the wilderness], so that none of the princes of the nations should have power to come and exercise authority over you, something like that which it is said, and when I go forth, lo, the prince of Greece shall come, etc.”385Ibid., Verse 20. This is the meaning of the saying of the Rabbis:409Kethuboth 110 b. “Whoever lives outside the Land, is as if he had no G-d, for it is said, I am the Eternal your G-d, Who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your G-d,410Further, 25:38. and it is further said, for they have driven me [David] out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of the Eternal, saying: Go, serve other gods.”411I Samuel 26:19. “And who told David, ‘Go, serve other gods?’ This can only mean to teach you that he who lives outside the Land is like etc.’” (Kethuboth). Having been forced to leave the Land, David was thus justified in saying that those responsible for it had, as it were, said to him, “Go, etc.” And in the Tosephta of Tractate Abodah Zarah the Rabbis have said:412Tosephta, Abodah Zarah 5:5. On the name Tosephta, see in Seder Tazria Note 124. “Now it is said, And I [Jacob] will come back to my father’s house in peace, then shall the Eternal be my G-d,413Genesis 28:21. and it is further said, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your G-d.410Further, 25:38. When you are in the land of Canaan I am your G-d. When you are not in the land of Canaan, I am not your G-d if it were at all possible to say so [for He is our G-d under all circumstances and in all places]. Similarly it is said, about forty thousand ready armed for war passed on in the presence of the Eternal unto battle,414Joshua 4:13. and it is further said, and the Land is subdued before the Eternal, and before His people.415I Chronicles 22:18. But how could it enter one’s mind that Israel subdued the Land before the Eternal [as if to say that they captured it for His sake]? But [this teaches that] as long as they are upon the Land, it is as if it were subdued [before Him, since He is their G-d, as explained above], but when they are not upon it, it is not subdued.”
It is on the basis of this matter that the Rabbis have said in the Sifre:416Sifre Eikev, 43. “And ye perish quickly from off the good Land.417Deuteronomy 11:17. The following verse continues: And ye shall lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul etc. This clearly indicates even as the Sifre teaches, that after banishment from the Land they are to continue the observance of the commandments. Although I banish you from the Land to outside the Land, make yourselves distinctive by the commandments, so that when you return they shall not be novelties to you. This can be compared to a master who was angry with his wife, and sent her back to her father’s house and told her, ‘Adorn yourself with precious things, so that when you come back they will not be novelties to you.’ And so did the prophet Jeremiah say [to the people in exile in Babylon], Set thee up waymarks.418Jeremiah 31:20. These are the commandments, by which Israel is made distinctive.” Now the verses which state, and ye perish quickly … and ye shall lay up these My words etc.419Deuteronomy 11:17-18. only make obligatory in the exile [the observance of those commandments] affecting personal conduct, such as the [wearing of] phylacteries and [placing of] Mezuzoth420A parchment on which is written Deuteronomy 6:4-9, and 11:13-21, and which is fastened to the right door-post. See further in Vol. II, p. 173. [these being specifically mentioned there in the following words of Scripture], and concerning them the Rabbis [in the above text of the Sifre] explained [that we must observe them] so that they shall not be novelties to us when we return to the Land, for the main [fulfillment] of the commandments is [to be kept] when dwelling in the Land of G-d. Therefore the Rabbis have said in the Sifre:421Sifre R’eih, 80. “And ye shall possess it, and dwell therein. And ye shall observe to do all the statutes etc.422Deuteronomy 11:31-32. Dwelling in the Land of Israel is of equal importance to all the commandments of the Torah.” A similar statement is also found in the Tosephta of Tractate Abodah Zarah.423Tosephta, Abodah Zarah 5:3. This in fact was the thought of the wicked ones who [misusing the intention of the above statement], said to the prophet Ezekiel [whose prophetic activity was in the Babylonian exile]:424Sanhedrin 105 a. “Our master Ezekiel, if a servant is sold by his master, does the master still have any claim to him?”425In other words, “since G-d sold them to Nebuchadnezzar and banished them from before Him, does He still have any claim upon them?” (Rashi ibid.). The answer was that they were never “sold” since the exile was merely a form of temporary punishment for their sins, and therefore, and that which cometh into your mind etc. (see text). For it is said, and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all; in that ye say: We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.426Ezekiel 20:32. And this was the command of our patriarch Jacob to his household, and to all that were with him, at the time that they came into the Land, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves.427Genesis 35:2. And G-d, by Whom alone actions are weighed,428See I Samuel 2:3. [brought it about] that Rachel died on the way when they started coming into the Land,429Genesis 35:16-19. See in Vol. I, pp. 330-332, where Ramban refers briefly to this problem, namely why Jacob married two sisters in their lifetime, and then concludes that “he married them only outside the Land.” Here Ramban completes the thought, by explaining that G-d, by Whom events are decided, therefore brought about the death of one of the sisters as soon as they came into the Land. The reason why Rachel had to die and not Leah, is explained in the text. for on account of her own merit she did not die outside the Land, and for Jacob’s merit, he could not dwell in the Land with two sisters [in their lifetime, since this is forbidden in the Torah, and the laws of the Torah were observed by our ancestors in the Land of Israel even before the Torah was given on Sinai], and she [Rachel] was the one by whose marriage the prohibition against two sisters took effect [since Jacob was already married to Leah]. It would appear that Rachel became pregnant with Benjamin before they came to Shechem, and while in the Land Jacob did not touch her at all, for the reason that we have mentioned. And the prophet states, And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have profaned My Land; they have filled Mine inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable things and their abominations.430Jeremiah 16:18. This matter [i.e., that the Land of Israel is the inheritance of the Eternal and thus cannot tolerate sinners] is found in many places in the Scriptures, and you will see it clearly after I have opened your eyes to it.
Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented in the section of Vayeilech:431Deuteronomy 31:16. “We know that G-d is One, and changes arise because of those who receive [His beneficent deeds], but G-d does not change His deeds, as they are all done in wisdom. And included in the worship of G-d is to guard the ability to receive [His beneficence] according to the place [so that if a particular place is holier than others, one must observe there more strictly the laws of holiness]. Therefore it is written [of the Cutheans, that they did not know] the manner of the G-d of the Land,432II Kings 17:26. The Cutheans were thus punished for not being heedful of the holiness of the Land of Israel which is unable to retain worshippers of idols. and of Jacob it is said [when he came into the Land he told his household], put away the strange gods,427Genesis 35:2. and the extreme opposite of [the sanctity of] the place [i.e., the Land of Israel] is indulging in forbidden sexual relationships, as they are [sins of the] flesh. The student versed [in the mysteries of the Torah] will understand.” Thus are the words [of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra] of blessed memory.
Now do not refute me [in what I have written above, that Israel is under the direct guidance of G-d alone, and no celestial power determines their fate], by citing the verse, Michael your prince,433Daniel 10:21. for he is only a ministering angel who implores mercy for Israel, but is in no way a prince exercising any royalty or power. So was also the captain of the host434Joshua 5:14. who appeared to Joshua at Jericho, showing him that G-d had sent him to fight their battles, similar to [that which happened in the days of] Hezekiah.435II Kings 19:35: And it came to pass at that night, that the angel of the Eternal went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians etc. Besides, this matter [of Michael imploring mercy for Israel] was when we were already outside the Land of Israel.
Now I do not have permission to explain on the subject of ha’aretz (“the earth” or “the Land”) more than this.436Ramban is alluding to the word ha’aretz, which is mentioned here repeatedly: vatitma ha’aretz … vataki ha’aretz (literally: “and the earth was defiled … and the earth vomited out”). This hints at the first ha’aretz, mentioned in the first verse of Creation, which Ramban has already explained in many places as referring to “the higher earth,” to which the souls finally return after their sojourn on the lower earth. But if you will merit to understand the first “earth” mentioned in the verse of Bereshith (In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth), and also the one mentioned in the section of Im Bechukothai,437Further, 26:42. v’ha’aretz ezkor (literally: “and the earth I will remember”). you will know a profound and sublime secret, and you will further understand what our Rabbis have said:438Tanchuma, Vayakheil 7. “The Sanctuary on high is exactly opposite the Sanctuary below.” I have already alluded to this on the verse, for all the earth is Mine.439Exodus 19:5. Now Scripture mentions that the people of the land of Canaan were punished on account of their immoral [sexual] deeds. And our Rabbis have said that they were warned about these matters from the time of creation, when these laws were declared to Adam440Sanhedrin 56 b. Rambam in the Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Melachim 9:1, puts it as follows: “The first man was commanded concerning six matters: idolatry, blasphemy, bloodshed, incest, robbery, etc.” and to Noah,441Incest is counted among the Seven Laws of the Noachides (see Vol. I, p. 417, Note 148). for He does not punish unless He admonishes first. Scripture, however, did not state the admonition, but instead said that the Land would vomit them out, for the Land abhors all these abominations.442Verse 27. Now the Canaanites were not the only ones who were admonished about these matters [for since these laws were declared to Adam and Noah, they applied to all mankind], and the Scriptural section mentions specifically, After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do,443Above, Verse 3. which proves that the Egyptians also did all these abominations, and yet the land of Egypt did not vomit them out, nor did the lands of other nations vomit them out! Rather, this whole subject shows the distinction of the Land [of Israel] and its holiness [so that it alone is unable to retain sinners]. Scripture states, and the Land vomited out [using a past tense, although the Canaanites were still living there], for from the time that He was to punish [them] for the sins committed upon her [i.e. the Land], having decreed destruction upon the Canaanites, it is as if the Land had already vomited them out. Or it may be that the expression, and the Land vomited out is a reference to above, similar to what is said, their defense is removed from over them.444Numbers 14:9. See Ramban there.
Ramban
AND HARAN DIED IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS FATHER TERAH IN THE LAND OF HIS BIRTH IN UR OF THE CHALDEES. In accordance with the words of our Rabbis, Rashi wrote, “Terah accused his son Abram before Nimrod of having broken his idols, and he cast him into a fiery furnace. Meanwhile Haran waited and said to himself, ‘if Abram proves triumphant I will be on his side, and if Nimrod wins I shall be on his.’ When Abram was saved, they said to Haran, ‘On whose side are you?’ He replied, ‘I am on Abram’s side.’ They therefore cast him into the fiery furnace, and he was burnt to death. It is to this event that the name Ur Kasdim (fire of the Chaldees) alludes. Menachem ben Saruk,347Menachem ben Saruk was a great grammarian who lived in the middle of the tenth century in southern Spain. He composed the first dictionary covering the entire field of the Biblical language. His work is called Machbereth (literally, “a joining of words”). Rashi, in his commentary on the Torah and other books of the Bible, made great use of this work. however, explained the word ur as meaning ‘valley.’ So also, Therefore glorify ye the Eternal ‘ba’urim’ (in the valleys),348Isaiah 24:15. and also, ‘me’urath’ (the den of) the basilisk.349Ibid., 11:8. Every hole or deep cleft may be called ur.” This matter received by our Rabbis through tradition is the truth, and I will elucidate it.
Our father Abraham was not born in the land of Chaldaea. His ancestors were descendants of Shem, and Chaldaea and the whole land of Shinar were countries inhabited by the sons of Ham,350See above, 10:10-12. and Scripture states, And he told to Abram the ‘Hebrew,’351Further, 14:13. not Abram the Chaldean. And it is further written, Your fathers dwelt in days of old beyond the river, Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor,352Joshua 24:2. the word mei’olam (of old) teaching that his origins were always from there. And again Scripture states, And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river.353Ibid. 3. Proof of the matter is that we find Nahor [Abraham’s brother] in Haran.354Genesis 29:4-5. Now if Terah’s place were in Ur of the Chaldees in the land of Shinar and Scripture relates that upon Terah’s going forth from Ur of the Chaldees he took with him only his son Abram, his grandson Lot the son of Haran, and Sarai his daughter-in-law,355Verse 31 here. then Nahor was left in the land of Chaldaea, [and yet we find that he was in Haran,354Genesis 29:4-5. which is in the land of Mesopotamia, as explained further].
But the truth of the matter is that the country of the birth of Abraham’s ancestors was the land of Aram, which is beyond the River Euphrates; this was always the habitat of his ancestors. Thus Scripture says concerning the children of Shem, And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest toward Sephar, unto the mountain of the east,333Above, 10:30. this being a generic name applicable to all their countries, as it is written there, in their land, after their nations,336Above, 10:31. and again it is written, From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east,356Numbers 23:7. [proving that Aram is in the land of “the mountains of the east”]. Thus it is clear that Abram and his ancestors always lived in the land of Aram. Furthermore, we find in the Talmud357Baba Bathra 91a. that Abraham was imprisoned [by Nimrod because he broke the idols] in Cuthah, and that city is not in the land of Chaldaea, for it is written, And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath,358II Kings 17:24. and it is further written, And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal.359Ibid., Verse 30. But it would appear that Cuthah is a city beyond the river, in the land of Mesopotamia, for Haran is the name of a city in the land of Mesopotamia, as it is written, And he went to Aram-naharaim [Mesopotamia], unto the city of Nahor,360Genesis 24:10. which is Haran. Furthermore, we have investigated and know it from the word of many students361This alludes to the time during the last three years of his life when Ramban lived in the land of Israel and there gathered around him students from nearby countries. It was from these students, who came from the eastern countries, that he sought first-hand knowledge to illumine the problems he had in his commentary. Concerning this fascinating period in the life of Ramban, see his biography, pp. 191-206 in my Hebrew work, pp. 60-65 in the English edition. who lived in that country that Cuthah is a large city between Haran and Assyria, far from the country of Babylon. The distance between it and Haran is about that of a six-day journey. It is, however, included in the term, “beyond the river,”353Ibid. 3. because it lies between Mesopotamia and the River Euphrates — which is the border of the land of Israel362Genesis 15:18. — and the Tigris which goeth towards the east of Assyria.363Above, 2:14. Thus Terah begot his older sons, Abraham and Nahor, in the area “beyond the river,” the land of his ancestors. He then went with his son Abram to the land of Chaldaea, where his youngest son, Haran, was born. His son Nahor, however, remained “beyond the river,” in the city of Haran. It may be that he was born there or that he came to settle there from Cuthah. This is the meaning of [the verse here which says of Haran], in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, since that was the birthplace of Haran alone [among Terah’s children].
This matter received through tradition [that Cuthah was the birthplace of Abraham] is also found in a book called The Antiquities of the Nations, as the Rabbi267Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam or Maimonides). See Seder Bereshith, Note 139. wrote in the Moreh Nebuchim364III, 29. Ramban is following Al-Charizi’s translation, and not Ibn Tibbon’s. See notes in my Hebrew commentary, pp. 72-73. that in the book of Egyptian Agriculture it is mentioned that Abraham, who was born365“Born.” Ibn Tibbon has, “grew up.” in Cuthah, differed with the opinion of the people who worshipped the sun, and the king put him in prison, but he continued to argue against them for many days. At last the king was afraid that he might corrupt his land and turn the people away from their religion, and so he expelled him to the far land of Canaan, after confiscating all his wealth.
Thus in any case it was in this place, the land of Chaldaea, that a miracle — or more exactly a hidden miracle366See Ramban further, 17:1, concerning the two kinds of miracles. — was done to our father Abraham, for G-d put it into the heart of that king to save him and not to kill him, and so he released him from prison to go where he desires. It may be that it was an overt miracle,366See Ramban further, 17:1, concerning the two kinds of miracles. i.e., that the king threw him into a fiery furnace, and he was saved, as our Rabbis have stated.367As mentioned in Rashi, quoted at the beginning of this verse.
Let not Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra mislead you with his questions,368In Verse 26. saying that Scripture has not narrated this wonder, for I will yet give you369See Ramban further, 46:15. a reason for the omission and proof of the verity of this and other miracles like it. These peoples, however, did not mention it in their books because they differed with his [the Patriarch’s] opinion, and they thought his miracle was a deed of sorcery, just as was the case with our teacher Moses in his confrontation with the Egyptians at the beginning of his deeds. It is on account of this that Scripture no longer mentions this miracle [of Abraham] for it would have had to mention the words of those who differed with him, as it mentioned the words of the Egyptian magicians, and Abraham’s words were not as openly verified to them as were ultimately the words of our teacher Moses, [which were established by ten clearly revealed miracles]. Thus Scripture says, I am the Eternal that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees to give thee this land to inherit it,370Genesis 15:7. for the word hotzeisicha (brought thee out) points to a miracle. It does not say, “that took thee from Ur of the Chaldees;” instead it says, that brought thee out, meaning that He brought out a prisoner from the dungeon371See Isaiah 42:7. just as in the verse: that brought thee out from the land of Egypt.372Exodus 20:2. And He said to Abraham, to give thee this land to inherit it,370Genesis 15:7. because from the time that G-d brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, it was His Will, exalted be He, to make him into a great nation and to give him this land of Canaan. From that day on which Abraham was saved, Terah — his father — and Abraham had in mind to go to the land of Canaan, a distant point far from the land of Chaldaea, out of fear of the king, since Haran, [the city of their inhabitance], was near them [the Chaldeans], and they were one people with one language since Aramaic was their common language. They [Terah and Abraham] wanted to go to a nation where their speech would not be understood by that king and his people. This is the meaning of the verse, And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan, and they came unto Haran373Verse 31 here. where their families and ancestors ever lived, and they settled among them, staying there for many days. It was there that Abraham was commanded to do what he had intended, i.e., to go to the land of Canaan, and so he left his father, who later died there in Haran,374Verse 32. his country, and went with his wife and Lot, his brother’s son, to the land of Canaan.375Further, 12:5. Thus Scripture says, And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan,353Ibid. 3. for Abraham was commanded concerning this when he was yet “beyond the river,” and from there G-d took him and led him throughout all the land of Canaan.
Now according to the opinion of our Rabbis [that Nimrod threw Abraham into a fiery furnace, the name] Ur Kasdim will be understood as the plain meaning indicates, [namely, “Fires of the Chaldees”], from the same expression: I am warm, I have seen ‘ur’ (the fire).376Isaiah 44:16. Scripture thus says, And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees,373Verse 31 here. even though Terah did not go forth from the fiery furnace. However, since Abram is the main [person of interest, it mentions Ur Kasdim although the name has reference to him alone]. It may be that on account of the miracle the place came to be so called, just as we find, And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah,377Deuteronomy 9:22. — These places were so named because of the events that occurred there. See Numbers 11:3, 34. Exodus 17:7. and others. Scripture thus alludes that when Abram went forth from the fiery furnace, they all fled from that country.
And the meaning of the verse, Glorify ye the Eternal ‘ba’urim,’348Isaiah 24:15. is in my opinion consonant with that which the Rabbis have said [concerning Ur Kasdim, namely, that it means “the Fire of the Chaldees”], for urim are the high mountains on which they make fires and “kindle the flares”378Rosh Hashana 22b. The subject there concerns the kindling of flares on the tops of the hills to declare that the day of the New Moon had been declared. to make the new events known quickly in distant places, even as it says [in the second half of the verse]: In the isles of the sea, the name of the Eternal, the G-d of Israel.348Isaiah 24:15. The sense of that verse is thus that for the glory of G-d they should let the whole world know the miracle and the wonder which had been done to them. So also, ‘Me’urath’ the basilisk349Ibid., 11:8. means his [the serpent’s] hole, where his fire and great heat are, just as he is indeed called saraph [the serpent, but literally, “the burning one”]. And I have seen in the Midrash:379Pesikta d’Rabbi Kahana, 21. “Arise, ‘uri’ (shine).380Isaiah 60:1. Therefore glorify ye the Eternal ‘ba’urim.’348Isaiah 24:15. How do you glorify Him? Rabbi Yeivo bar Kahana said, ‘With these torches such as the lanterns which burn in synagogues381This is one of the earliest sources for establishing the religious duty of kindling lights in a synagogue. See my edition of Kithvei Rabbeinu Bechaya, pp. 89-90. in all places, even in the isles of the sea,348Isaiah 24:15. to the glory of G-d.’” Thus it is clear that the Rabbis understood the word ba’urim as an expression of fire, in accordance with its simple sense.
Our father Abraham was not born in the land of Chaldaea. His ancestors were descendants of Shem, and Chaldaea and the whole land of Shinar were countries inhabited by the sons of Ham,350See above, 10:10-12. and Scripture states, And he told to Abram the ‘Hebrew,’351Further, 14:13. not Abram the Chaldean. And it is further written, Your fathers dwelt in days of old beyond the river, Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor,352Joshua 24:2. the word mei’olam (of old) teaching that his origins were always from there. And again Scripture states, And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river.353Ibid. 3. Proof of the matter is that we find Nahor [Abraham’s brother] in Haran.354Genesis 29:4-5. Now if Terah’s place were in Ur of the Chaldees in the land of Shinar and Scripture relates that upon Terah’s going forth from Ur of the Chaldees he took with him only his son Abram, his grandson Lot the son of Haran, and Sarai his daughter-in-law,355Verse 31 here. then Nahor was left in the land of Chaldaea, [and yet we find that he was in Haran,354Genesis 29:4-5. which is in the land of Mesopotamia, as explained further].
But the truth of the matter is that the country of the birth of Abraham’s ancestors was the land of Aram, which is beyond the River Euphrates; this was always the habitat of his ancestors. Thus Scripture says concerning the children of Shem, And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest toward Sephar, unto the mountain of the east,333Above, 10:30. this being a generic name applicable to all their countries, as it is written there, in their land, after their nations,336Above, 10:31. and again it is written, From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east,356Numbers 23:7. [proving that Aram is in the land of “the mountains of the east”]. Thus it is clear that Abram and his ancestors always lived in the land of Aram. Furthermore, we find in the Talmud357Baba Bathra 91a. that Abraham was imprisoned [by Nimrod because he broke the idols] in Cuthah, and that city is not in the land of Chaldaea, for it is written, And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath,358II Kings 17:24. and it is further written, And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal.359Ibid., Verse 30. But it would appear that Cuthah is a city beyond the river, in the land of Mesopotamia, for Haran is the name of a city in the land of Mesopotamia, as it is written, And he went to Aram-naharaim [Mesopotamia], unto the city of Nahor,360Genesis 24:10. which is Haran. Furthermore, we have investigated and know it from the word of many students361This alludes to the time during the last three years of his life when Ramban lived in the land of Israel and there gathered around him students from nearby countries. It was from these students, who came from the eastern countries, that he sought first-hand knowledge to illumine the problems he had in his commentary. Concerning this fascinating period in the life of Ramban, see his biography, pp. 191-206 in my Hebrew work, pp. 60-65 in the English edition. who lived in that country that Cuthah is a large city between Haran and Assyria, far from the country of Babylon. The distance between it and Haran is about that of a six-day journey. It is, however, included in the term, “beyond the river,”353Ibid. 3. because it lies between Mesopotamia and the River Euphrates — which is the border of the land of Israel362Genesis 15:18. — and the Tigris which goeth towards the east of Assyria.363Above, 2:14. Thus Terah begot his older sons, Abraham and Nahor, in the area “beyond the river,” the land of his ancestors. He then went with his son Abram to the land of Chaldaea, where his youngest son, Haran, was born. His son Nahor, however, remained “beyond the river,” in the city of Haran. It may be that he was born there or that he came to settle there from Cuthah. This is the meaning of [the verse here which says of Haran], in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, since that was the birthplace of Haran alone [among Terah’s children].
This matter received through tradition [that Cuthah was the birthplace of Abraham] is also found in a book called The Antiquities of the Nations, as the Rabbi267Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam or Maimonides). See Seder Bereshith, Note 139. wrote in the Moreh Nebuchim364III, 29. Ramban is following Al-Charizi’s translation, and not Ibn Tibbon’s. See notes in my Hebrew commentary, pp. 72-73. that in the book of Egyptian Agriculture it is mentioned that Abraham, who was born365“Born.” Ibn Tibbon has, “grew up.” in Cuthah, differed with the opinion of the people who worshipped the sun, and the king put him in prison, but he continued to argue against them for many days. At last the king was afraid that he might corrupt his land and turn the people away from their religion, and so he expelled him to the far land of Canaan, after confiscating all his wealth.
Thus in any case it was in this place, the land of Chaldaea, that a miracle — or more exactly a hidden miracle366See Ramban further, 17:1, concerning the two kinds of miracles. — was done to our father Abraham, for G-d put it into the heart of that king to save him and not to kill him, and so he released him from prison to go where he desires. It may be that it was an overt miracle,366See Ramban further, 17:1, concerning the two kinds of miracles. i.e., that the king threw him into a fiery furnace, and he was saved, as our Rabbis have stated.367As mentioned in Rashi, quoted at the beginning of this verse.
Let not Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra mislead you with his questions,368In Verse 26. saying that Scripture has not narrated this wonder, for I will yet give you369See Ramban further, 46:15. a reason for the omission and proof of the verity of this and other miracles like it. These peoples, however, did not mention it in their books because they differed with his [the Patriarch’s] opinion, and they thought his miracle was a deed of sorcery, just as was the case with our teacher Moses in his confrontation with the Egyptians at the beginning of his deeds. It is on account of this that Scripture no longer mentions this miracle [of Abraham] for it would have had to mention the words of those who differed with him, as it mentioned the words of the Egyptian magicians, and Abraham’s words were not as openly verified to them as were ultimately the words of our teacher Moses, [which were established by ten clearly revealed miracles]. Thus Scripture says, I am the Eternal that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees to give thee this land to inherit it,370Genesis 15:7. for the word hotzeisicha (brought thee out) points to a miracle. It does not say, “that took thee from Ur of the Chaldees;” instead it says, that brought thee out, meaning that He brought out a prisoner from the dungeon371See Isaiah 42:7. just as in the verse: that brought thee out from the land of Egypt.372Exodus 20:2. And He said to Abraham, to give thee this land to inherit it,370Genesis 15:7. because from the time that G-d brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, it was His Will, exalted be He, to make him into a great nation and to give him this land of Canaan. From that day on which Abraham was saved, Terah — his father — and Abraham had in mind to go to the land of Canaan, a distant point far from the land of Chaldaea, out of fear of the king, since Haran, [the city of their inhabitance], was near them [the Chaldeans], and they were one people with one language since Aramaic was their common language. They [Terah and Abraham] wanted to go to a nation where their speech would not be understood by that king and his people. This is the meaning of the verse, And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan, and they came unto Haran373Verse 31 here. where their families and ancestors ever lived, and they settled among them, staying there for many days. It was there that Abraham was commanded to do what he had intended, i.e., to go to the land of Canaan, and so he left his father, who later died there in Haran,374Verse 32. his country, and went with his wife and Lot, his brother’s son, to the land of Canaan.375Further, 12:5. Thus Scripture says, And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan,353Ibid. 3. for Abraham was commanded concerning this when he was yet “beyond the river,” and from there G-d took him and led him throughout all the land of Canaan.
Now according to the opinion of our Rabbis [that Nimrod threw Abraham into a fiery furnace, the name] Ur Kasdim will be understood as the plain meaning indicates, [namely, “Fires of the Chaldees”], from the same expression: I am warm, I have seen ‘ur’ (the fire).376Isaiah 44:16. Scripture thus says, And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees,373Verse 31 here. even though Terah did not go forth from the fiery furnace. However, since Abram is the main [person of interest, it mentions Ur Kasdim although the name has reference to him alone]. It may be that on account of the miracle the place came to be so called, just as we find, And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah,377Deuteronomy 9:22. — These places were so named because of the events that occurred there. See Numbers 11:3, 34. Exodus 17:7. and others. Scripture thus alludes that when Abram went forth from the fiery furnace, they all fled from that country.
And the meaning of the verse, Glorify ye the Eternal ‘ba’urim,’348Isaiah 24:15. is in my opinion consonant with that which the Rabbis have said [concerning Ur Kasdim, namely, that it means “the Fire of the Chaldees”], for urim are the high mountains on which they make fires and “kindle the flares”378Rosh Hashana 22b. The subject there concerns the kindling of flares on the tops of the hills to declare that the day of the New Moon had been declared. to make the new events known quickly in distant places, even as it says [in the second half of the verse]: In the isles of the sea, the name of the Eternal, the G-d of Israel.348Isaiah 24:15. The sense of that verse is thus that for the glory of G-d they should let the whole world know the miracle and the wonder which had been done to them. So also, ‘Me’urath’ the basilisk349Ibid., 11:8. means his [the serpent’s] hole, where his fire and great heat are, just as he is indeed called saraph [the serpent, but literally, “the burning one”]. And I have seen in the Midrash:379Pesikta d’Rabbi Kahana, 21. “Arise, ‘uri’ (shine).380Isaiah 60:1. Therefore glorify ye the Eternal ‘ba’urim.’348Isaiah 24:15. How do you glorify Him? Rabbi Yeivo bar Kahana said, ‘With these torches such as the lanterns which burn in synagogues381This is one of the earliest sources for establishing the religious duty of kindling lights in a synagogue. See my edition of Kithvei Rabbeinu Bechaya, pp. 89-90. in all places, even in the isles of the sea,348Isaiah 24:15. to the glory of G-d.’” Thus it is clear that the Rabbis understood the word ba’urim as an expression of fire, in accordance with its simple sense.