הֲל֧וֹא נָכְרִיּ֛וֹת נֶחְשַׁ֥בְנוּ ל֖וֹ כִּ֣י מְכָרָ֑נוּ וַיֹּ֥אכַל גַּם־אָכ֖וֹל אֶת־כַּסְפֵּֽנוּ׃
Hindi ba't itinuring niya kaming parang mga dayuhan? Sapagkat ipinagbili niya kami, at lubusan pa niyang inubos ang aming salapi.
Sforno
לעם נכרי לא ימשול למכרה בבגדו בה, the father of the girl in question who had already betrayed her by “selling” her initially. We know that even Lavan’s daughters were angry at what they considered their father having done when he “sold” them into marriage. (compare Genesis 31,15) The Torah describes here the negative impression it makes on any of his peers when he observes a Jewish father selling his daughter’s services for something other than marriage. Once an employer/prospective husband, has done this no other Jewish father is allowed to sell his daughter to such a man. [the word נכרי does not refer to a non Jew, but to a Jew who acted contrary to Jewish mores. Ed.]
Rav Hirsch
לעם נכרי לא ימשל וגו׳ kann sich unmöglich auf den Herrn beziehen, er hat ja überhaupt nicht das Recht, sie weiter zu verkaufen, auch nicht an einen, der nicht unter עם נכרי zu begreifen wäre. Es ist vielmehr auch hier der Vater Subjekt. עם נכרי: wir haben schon wiederholt zu bemerken die Gelegenheit gehabt, wie עם durchaus nicht bloß den Gesamtkreis eines Volkes bedeutet, wie vielmehr das jüdische Volk als aus einer Mehrheit von Kreisen bestehend begriffen wird, deren jeder ein עם ist; daher ja der gewöhnliche Ausdruck: הכרת מעמיה ,רכיל בעמיך ,בעל בעמיו ,עמיך ,עמיו usw. Ein jeder Familienkreis ist עם, und עם נכרי ist: ein ihr fremd bleibender Familienkreis. Vergl. נכריות נחשבנו לו (Bereschit 31, 15) נכר׳ לבנ׳ אמ׳ (Ps. 69, 9). Er, der Vater, hat nicht das Recht, sie in einen Kreis hinein zu verkaufen, der ihr fremd bleiben muss oder fremd bleiben soll. Er darf sie nur einem Manne verkaufen, dessen Kreis sie durch seine oder (V. 9) seines Sohnes Heirat angehörig werden kann und eventuell soll. אין מוכרה לקרובים (Kiduschin 18b). Er darf sie nicht an solche Blutsverwandte verkaufen, mit denen die Eingehung einer Ehe unmöglich ist, darf sie auch nicht verkaufen על מנת שלא ליעדה mit der ausgesprochenen Bestimmung, daß die Ehe nicht erfolgen soll, und hat daher auch ihre Loskaufung zu bewirken, sobald der Herr erklärt, sie nicht heiraten zu wollen.
Ramban
AND HE EXPIRED (‘VAYIGVA’). Rashi comments: “This expression — ‘expiring’ — is only mentioned in the case of righteous people.” But in the Gemara186Baba Bathra 16b. The Gemara (teaching) constitutes the collected discussions of the Amoraim, centering around the Mishnah. The Mishnah and Gemara combined are known as the Talmud. the Rabbis objected, “But it says ‘expiring’ with reference to the generation of the flood: And all flesh expired that moved upon the earth, etc., and every man;187Above, 7:21. Every thing that is in the earth shall expire.”188Ibid., 6:17. And the Gemara answers: “We were referring to [those places where it mentions both] ‘expiring’ and ‘gathering,’” [as it says in the case of Abraham and in the present verse concerning Ishmael].
The intent of the Rabbis is that the expression “expiring” indicates death without prolonged sickness and without pains. This death is merited only by the righteous people, [and concerning their death both “expiring” and “gathering” are mentioned]. But the men of the generation of the flood, who were overthrown as in a moment, and no hands fell upon them,189Lamentations 4:6. as also those who died in the desert — with them Scripture therefore mentions only “expiring”: when our brethren expired.190Numbers 20:3. And so is the sense of the verse, And that man expired not alone in his iniquity,191Joshua 22:20. meaning that his iniquity did not cause him instant death. But when Scripture so mentions the term “expiring” in reference to death together with the word vayei’aseph (and he was gathered [unto his people]) or vayamoth (and he died), it hints to the death of the righteous ones.
In the words of Bereshith Rabbah,19262:2. “And Abraham expired, and died,193Verse 8 here. Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Ilai said, ‘The early pious men used to suffer with intestinal disease for about ten or twenty days before death, thus establishing the principle that illness cleanses from sin.’ Rabbi Yehudah said, ‘All who are said to have expired died of intestinal disease.’” There in Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis also said,19431:15. “Everything that is in the earth ‘yigva’188Ibid., 6:17. — will shrivel.”
It would appear that to the Rabbis, the word gviyah (expiring) was analogous to Their flesh shall consume while they stand upon their feet.195Zechariah 14:12. So also is the opinion of Onkelos who translated here ve’isnagid, meaning “fainting,” similar to the expressions: “isnagid (he became faint) and sighed”;196Sanhedrin 39a. “You might think he may pay as a fine five negidim (emaciated) oxen.”197Baba Kamma 67b. In case of a thief who makes restitution for stolen oxen. See Exodus 21:37. Now “you might think that if he stole an ox worth one hundred (weights in gold or silver) he may pay as a fine five oxen emaciated (‘and in near-dying condition’ - Rashi). It is for this reason that Scripture says (he shall pay five oxen) ‘tachtav’ “ — in its place. In other words each one of the five oxen must be equal in value to the stolen ox, “for otherwise he might pay him back five emaciated oxen which together will not equal even the value of the one stolen” (Meiri, Baba Kamma ibid.). It is so said in the case of the flood, as Scripture states, And He blotted out every being.198Above 7:23. Ramban’s intent here is to be understood in the light of what he has written above on that verse: “And He blotted out every living substance…” After having said, And all flesh perished (‘vayigva’), and having said, whatever was in the dry land, died, Scripture continues to say, “And He blotted out, meaning etc.”(see above p. 112). Here in discussing the meaning of the word gviyah. Ramban brings proof to his theory that gviyah in itself does not mean death but fainting, emaciation, etc. For it is on this basis that we can understand why after having said ‘vayigva’ all flesh Scripture continued to inform us further that it died and was blotted out, since these facts are not included in the term of gviyah. And in the case of Ishmael it is stated in the verse before us: And he expired and died, as a man who is powerless and dies, and this is the measure199“A measure.” In the Lisbon edition of Ramban: “the death.” meted out to righteous people.200For since in the present verse concerning Ishmael it says both “expired” and “died” the reference must be to the death of a righteous person, as explained in the text above. “It is based upon this (double expression) that the Sages of blessed memory have said that Ishmael repented of his evil ways” (Bachya, p. 219 in my edition).
Toldoth
The intent of the Rabbis is that the expression “expiring” indicates death without prolonged sickness and without pains. This death is merited only by the righteous people, [and concerning their death both “expiring” and “gathering” are mentioned]. But the men of the generation of the flood, who were overthrown as in a moment, and no hands fell upon them,189Lamentations 4:6. as also those who died in the desert — with them Scripture therefore mentions only “expiring”: when our brethren expired.190Numbers 20:3. And so is the sense of the verse, And that man expired not alone in his iniquity,191Joshua 22:20. meaning that his iniquity did not cause him instant death. But when Scripture so mentions the term “expiring” in reference to death together with the word vayei’aseph (and he was gathered [unto his people]) or vayamoth (and he died), it hints to the death of the righteous ones.
In the words of Bereshith Rabbah,19262:2. “And Abraham expired, and died,193Verse 8 here. Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Ilai said, ‘The early pious men used to suffer with intestinal disease for about ten or twenty days before death, thus establishing the principle that illness cleanses from sin.’ Rabbi Yehudah said, ‘All who are said to have expired died of intestinal disease.’” There in Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis also said,19431:15. “Everything that is in the earth ‘yigva’188Ibid., 6:17. — will shrivel.”
It would appear that to the Rabbis, the word gviyah (expiring) was analogous to Their flesh shall consume while they stand upon their feet.195Zechariah 14:12. So also is the opinion of Onkelos who translated here ve’isnagid, meaning “fainting,” similar to the expressions: “isnagid (he became faint) and sighed”;196Sanhedrin 39a. “You might think he may pay as a fine five negidim (emaciated) oxen.”197Baba Kamma 67b. In case of a thief who makes restitution for stolen oxen. See Exodus 21:37. Now “you might think that if he stole an ox worth one hundred (weights in gold or silver) he may pay as a fine five oxen emaciated (‘and in near-dying condition’ - Rashi). It is for this reason that Scripture says (he shall pay five oxen) ‘tachtav’ “ — in its place. In other words each one of the five oxen must be equal in value to the stolen ox, “for otherwise he might pay him back five emaciated oxen which together will not equal even the value of the one stolen” (Meiri, Baba Kamma ibid.). It is so said in the case of the flood, as Scripture states, And He blotted out every being.198Above 7:23. Ramban’s intent here is to be understood in the light of what he has written above on that verse: “And He blotted out every living substance…” After having said, And all flesh perished (‘vayigva’), and having said, whatever was in the dry land, died, Scripture continues to say, “And He blotted out, meaning etc.”(see above p. 112). Here in discussing the meaning of the word gviyah. Ramban brings proof to his theory that gviyah in itself does not mean death but fainting, emaciation, etc. For it is on this basis that we can understand why after having said ‘vayigva’ all flesh Scripture continued to inform us further that it died and was blotted out, since these facts are not included in the term of gviyah. And in the case of Ishmael it is stated in the verse before us: And he expired and died, as a man who is powerless and dies, and this is the measure199“A measure.” In the Lisbon edition of Ramban: “the death.” meted out to righteous people.200For since in the present verse concerning Ishmael it says both “expired” and “died” the reference must be to the death of a righteous person, as explained in the text above. “It is based upon this (double expression) that the Sages of blessed memory have said that Ishmael repented of his evil ways” (Bachya, p. 219 in my edition).
Toldoth