Commentaire de citation sur Les Nombres 10:2

AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO ABRAHAM ‘LECH LECHA’ (GET THEE OUT). This means, “For your own benefit and for your own good. And there I will make of you a great nation whilst here you will not merit the privilege of having children.” Thus the language of Rashi.
Now there is no need for it¹Ramban’s intent is that it is unnecessary to explain the word lecha (literally, “to you”) as meaning “for your own benefit” for it is merely the idiomatic usage of the Hebrew language, as explained further in the text. for such is the normal expression of the Hebrew language as in the verses: The rain is over and gone ‘lo’;²Song of Songs 2:11. Literally, “gone to itself.” I will get ‘li’ unto the great men;³Jeremiah 5:5. Literally, “get to me.” Rise up, and get ‘lachem’ over the brook Zered;⁴Deuteronomy 2:13. Literally, “and get to you.” and many similar examples. Our Rabbis, however, have made a Midrash — (a homiletical interpretation) — concerning the verses [addressed to Moses] which state, And thou shalt make ‘lecha’ an ark of wood,⁵Deuteronomy 10:1. Literally, “make to thee.” The Midrash of the Rabbis is as follows: “Here the verse states, And ‘thou’ shalt make an ark, meaning Moses, but in Exodus (25:10) it states, And ‘they’ shall make an ark! This teaches us that the people of a community are commanded to do the work of a Torah-scholar who resides in their midst.” (Yoma 72b.) and Make ‘lecha’ two trumpets of silver,⁶Numbers 10:2. Literally, “make to thee.” The Rabbis commented: “As though it were possible, I would prefer it to be from that which is thine to that which is theirs.” (Yoma 3b.) since it was not his work and it would have been proper for these verses to be stated in the same way as that concerning the tabernacle, i.e., And thou shalt make the tabernacle.⁷Exodus 26:1.

ויאמר ה' אל אברם לך לך, “The Lord said to Avram: “go forth for yourself, etc.” Rashi interprets the words לך as meaning “for your own benefit, and for your own satisfaction.” Rashi explains this verse in this fashion, although he was aware that our sages considered this verse as introducing one of the ten trials G’d subjected Avraham to. Having to move away from his birthplace was considered one of these trials. Nachmanides does not interpret the word לך as meaning “for your own benefit,” i.e. the repetition of the words לך לך. He feels that the wording לך לך is not at all unusual, and therefore does not call for a special interpretation at this point. He quotes Song of Songs 2,11 הגשם הלך לו, “the rain has ceased,” as well as the preceding words לכי לך, “go forth,” as examples of the pronoun לך appearing without any ulterior meanings having to be looked for. Other similar examples are (Jeremiah 5,5) אלכה לי אל הגדולים, “so I will go to the wealthy, etc.” However, our sages (long before Rashi) have used this kind of syntax in order to derive additional meanings from it. (Deut. 10,1) ועשית לך ארון עץ, “make yourself a wooden ark; or Numbers 10,2 עשה לך שתי חצוצרות כסף “make for yourself two silver trumpets.” The Talmud Yuma 3 explains the word לך to mean that these trumpets were to be Moses’ personal property, and in fact they were hidden after his death so that no one else could make use of them. In view of the above, there is no reason for Nachmanides to criticize Rashi’s interpretation of the word לך in our verse. (seeing that the Tabernacle was not Moses’ personal property, the expression לך used in connection with it would not fit the interpretation Rashi gave it here, whereas the trumpets were specifically not communal property.)

And that which [Ramban] said that the making of the ark should also be brought into the count [of the commandments] - it appears to me [that the reason it is not counted] is because it is not practiced for [all] the generations. For we will never need to make another, since the one Betzalel made exists for [all] the generations, and it did not get lost from the world, as it is hidden away. Also when it returns to us, it will never be lost. And if so, there is no scenario in the world in which we would make another ark. And [regarding] that which the author of the Zohar HaRakiya said, in Positive Commandment 120, that one can bring a proof that is practiced for [all] the generations from that which they said as a question (rhetorically) in Menachot (28b) in Chapter 3, "If that is so, that which is written (Deuteronomy 10:1), 'Make for you an Ark of wood,' should also be for you, but not for all generations" - it appears to me that it is not for that reason. As the explanation of that which it said, "'for you,' but not for all generations," is not to say, "Is this commandment not practiced for [all] the generations?" Rather its explanation is, "And is the ark that was made in the days of Moshe fitting to be used [only] by Moshe and not by [all] the generations?" As behold, this is the challenge that they challenged about that which it said there, "The Sages taught, 'All of the vessels that Moses fashioned were fit for his generation and were fit for [all] the generations. Yet the trumpets that Moses fashioned were fit for his generation but were unfit for [all] the generations': What is the reason [the trumpets were unfit]? If we say because the verse states (Numbers 10:2), 'Make for you,' for you, but not for [all] the generations; if that is so, that which is written, 'Make for you an Ark of wood,' should also be, for you, but not for [all] the generations!"