Page 137 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ םנועמו ,ףשכמ ,שחנמ תוכלה · 135

According to Tosafot, Eliezer did not truly rely on his divination, as he waited to give Rivka the rings and
request that she marry Yitzchak until he discovered that she was, in fact, a member of Avraham’s family. With
regard to Yonatan as well, Tosafot claim that he did not truly rely on his divination. It is evident from Tosafot
that one limitation of the prohibition is that it applies only when it is relied upon entirely. But if one performs
the actions for a different reason, one does not violate the prohibition.
The Ran offers a different interpretation to explain Eliezer’s actions based on the fact that the condition was
a logical one.

r Chidushei HaRan, ibid. םש | ן"רה ישודיח . 10

Nevertheless, the matter requires a resolution, as it is impossible רשפא יאש ץורית ךירצ רבדה םוקמ לכמו
that these [two] righteous people would [transgress the הארנ ךכו ןישחנמ ווה וללה םיקידצהש
prohibition] of divining. And this seems to me the answer: The הרסאש שחנהש םירבד לש ןצוריתב יל
nichush that the Torah prohibited was referring to where one ןיאש ןמיסב וירבד תא הלותה אוה הרות
bases his actions on an omen that has no logical connection to 'לעות םרוג םהב אהיש תנתונ ארבסה
the matter, for the good or bad. For example, if one’s bread fell יבצו ודימ לפנ ותפ ןוגכ קזנ וא רבדל
from one’s mouth or a deer crossed one’s path, as is stated in the
chapter Arba Mitot (Sanhedrin 65b) that these and similar ones are תותימ 'ד 'פב אתיאדכ ךרדב ול קיספה
the ways of the Amorites. However, if one uses a sign that has ירומאה יכרדמ םה םהב אצויכו ולאש
a logical connection to the matter, whether in a positive or ארבסהש רבדב ןינמיס חקולה לבא
negative manner, this is not considered nichush, but how the וקזנ וא רבדה תלעות ןירומ ןהש תעדונ
world runs. For if one says, “if it rains I will not travel, but if not I םה ךכ םלועה יקסע לכש שחנ הז ןיא
will travel,” this is not nichush but the way in which the world runs. אל םימשג ודרי םאש רמואה ירהש
Now Eliezer, servant of Avraham and Yonatan, son of Shaul הז ןיא ךרדל אצא ואל םאו ךרדל אצא
and their like made their actions dependent [based on logic], דבע רזעילאו םלוע לש וגהנמ אלא שחנ
for Eliezer knew that only a suitable partner would be chosen for ולת הזמ אצויכו לואש ןב ןתנויו םהרבא
Yitzchak. Therefore, he made a sign for himself that if she would ויה אלש היה עדוי רזעילאש םהישעמ
be so beautiful in her actions and complete in her character traits,
to the point that where if he asked for a little drink of water she תנגוה אלא וניבא קחציל השא ןיגווזמ
would answer in such a magnanimous way, [saying] “you drink אהת םאש ומצעל ןמיס חקל ךכיפלו ול
and I will water your camels as well,” [I will know that] she is the דע היתודמב המלשו 'ישעמב האנ ךכ לכ
one that was sent by Heaven to Yitzchak. Similarly Yonatan, son of ונבישת םימ טעמ ינאימגה הל רמאישכש
Shaul, who wanted to smite the camp wanted to smite the camp הקשא ךילמג םגו התש 'בידנ חורב
himself with his armor bearer, used this as a sign: If they would .קחציל 'ימשה ןמ ונימזהש איה התוא
have said: Ascend to us, it would be apparent that they feared an הנחמב תוכהל שקבש לואש ןב ןתנוי ןכו
ambush… And when the Gemara mentioned [these cases] in הז חקל דבלב וילכ אשונו אוה םיתשלפ
terms of the prohibition, this is what it was saying: Any nichush of אהי ונילא ולע ורמאי םאש ומצעל ןמיס
the matters that the Torah forbade, [i.e.,] where there is no logic ןניתיימ יכו …בראממ םיארי םהש הארנ
behind it, if one didn’t rely on it completely similar to those two,
[even though their actions had logic and were permitted in any לכש ןנירמאק יכה רוסיא ןינעל 'רמגב הל
case] it would be permitted and not considered nichush, and is not הרות הרסאש 'ירבדה ןמ אוהש שחנ
prohibited even though it is within the omens that are prohibited. ךמוס וניאש לכ ןהב תערכמ ארבסה ןיאש
םינשה ולא ושעש ומכ שממ וישעמ לע
ףא רוסא וניאו שחנ וניא רתומ רבדב
.םירוסאה םישחנה יכרדמ אוהש יפ לע

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