Ramban on the Torah

Ramban #59: Lech Lecha: When Did Bris Bein Habesarim Happen?

Explanation of Ramban - 12:7, 15:1, Shemos 12:40 - discussion between Rashi, Tosafos, Ibn Ezra, Ramban and Vilna Gaon, whether Bris Bein Habesarim (ch. 15) happened when

Ramban #58 - Noach: Are Rainbows Natural or Miraculous?

Explanation of Ramban - 1) 6:18 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban what the covenant mentioned to Noach is, 2) 9:12 - debate between Rashi/Ibn Ezra vs. Rav Saadi

Ramban #57 - Bereishit: Who was Naamah?

Explanation of Ramban - 1) 4:17 - did any of Cain's descendants survive the flood, 2) 4:22 - three views in the midrash what was significant about Naamah, 3) 4:23 - debat

Ramban #56 - Bereishit: Is Shamayim the Heaven or the Sky?

Explanation of Ramban - 1:6, 1:8, 1:10 - debate between Rashi/Ibn Ezra vs. Rambam/Ramban whether the Shamayim in verse 1:1 is the spiritual Heavens or the physical Sky

Ramban#55 - Vezot Habracha: Why Was Shimon Omitted?

Explanation of Ramban - 1) 33:2 - debate between Rashi, Rav Saadia Gaon, Ibn Ezra and Ramban where God "came from" to Mt. Sinai, 2) 33:5 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra

Ramban #54 - Vayelech: Children at Hakhel

Discussion of Ramban - 31:13 - at what age are children brought to Hakhel: as toddlers, or only once they will have some understanding (6-7 years old).

Ramban #53 - Ki Teitzei: Moav's Sin

Explantion of Ramban - 23:5, 23:7 - debate between Ibn Ezra and Ramban whether Moav gave the Jewish people food and water, and what it means not to offer them peace.

Ramban #52 - Shoftim: The Gibeonites Lie

Explanation of Ramban - 20:10, 20:11, 29:10 - debate between Rashi vs. Rambam/Ramban whether Canaanite nations can surrender, and discussion of why the Gibeonites had to

Ramban #51 - Shoftim: Three Witnesses and Lying Witnesses

Explanation of Ramban - 1) 17:6 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban regarding why the Torah mentions "three witnesses"? 2) 19:19 - Ramban and other commentators'

Ramban #50: Reeh: What Does Miketz Mean?

Explanation of Ramban - 15:1 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban what "miketz" means, and when hakhel and cancelling the debts in shemitah happens.

Ramban #49 - Ekev: Moshe's Ark

Explanation of Ramban - 10:1 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban whether there were one or two arks in the desert.

Ramban #48 - Vaetchanan: The Reasons for Shabbos

Explanation of Ramban - 1) 5:15, 16:12 - debate between Rashi/Ibn Ezra versus Rambam/Ramban regarding the two different reasons for Shabbos in the Ten Commandments. 2) 4:

Ramban #47 - Devarim: The Introduction to Devarim

Explanation of Ramban - 1:1, 1:2 - debate between Rashi versus Ibn Ezra/Ramban how to read the first four verses in Devarim and what they are trying to accomplish and set

Ramban #46: Masei - Why List the Stops?

Explanation of Ramban - 33:1 - who cites Rashi and Rambam's explanations for why the Torah lists the locations where the Jewish people stopped in the desert.

Ramban #45: Matot - Half of Menashe

Explanation of Ramban - 32:33, 32:40 - debate between Ramban versus Ibn Ezra over the role of the half tribe of Menashe in the story in ch. 32, including the debate betwe

Ramban #44: Pinchas - Serach bat Asher's Lifespan

Explantion of Ramban - 1) 26:46 - what made Serach bat Asher so unique? Three approaches of Rashi, Onkelos and Ramban. 2) 26:13 - discussion of Rashi (and R. Moshe Hadars

Ramban #43: Balak - Was Bilam a Prophet or Magician?

Explanation of Ramban - 22:5, 22:31, 23:4, 23:16, 23:23, 24:1 - debate over what Bilam's abilities were: Rashi (prophet) vs. Ibn Ezra (astrologer) vs. Ramban (magician),

Ramban #42: Chukat - Does the Torah Quote Another Book?

Explanation of Ramban - 22:13, 19 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban about the book cited in 21:14, and the meaning of the two poems recorded in the Sixth Aliyah

Ramban #41: Korach - When and Why Did Korach Rebel?

Explanation of Ramban - 16:1, 4, 5 - 1) Debate between Ibn Ezra versus Ramban whether Korach's rebellion was before or after the spies, 2) Who joined Korach's rebellion a

Ramban #40: Shlach - Did the Spies Lie?

Explantion of Ramban - 1) 13:2 debate between Rashi vs. Ramban about what the mission of the spies was, and whether sending spies was a mistake to begin with, 2) 13:27, 1