Ramban
(Bereishis 46:15) Jochebed was born in Egypt, but she was not
conceived in Egypt. This is the principle of our Rabbis. But Rabbi
Abraham ibn Ezra replied, saying that “this is surprising. For if so, why did
Scripture not mention the wonder that befell her, for she gave birth to Moses
when she was one hundred and thirty years old? And why did it mention the case
of Sarah who gave birth when she was ninety years old? This distress was not
yet sufficient for us so that the poets came and composed liturgic poems for
the day of Simchath Torah, wherein they state, ‘Jochebed, my mother,
will be comforted after me,’ [implying that Jochebed survived her son], and
thus she was two hundred and fifty years old at the death of Moses! Is the
proof of the poets for this longevity of Jochebed because Ahijah the Shilonite lived
a life of great duration?. If so, this is not a proof, for his longevity
is but] an Agadic tradition or the opinion of a single authority.” These are
the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. in contradicting the words of our Rabbis,
I must answer him and say that in any case, there is in the matter of Jochebed
a great wonder of the hidden miracles which constitute the foundation of the
Torah. Jochebed was Levi’s actual daughter, and not merely his offspring, Thus
Amram, Levi’s grandson, married Jochebed, Levi’s daughter. Now if we would say
that Levi begot Jochebed in his younger years, just as he begot all his sons,
this would place her birth soon after his descent into Egypt, and she would
have been very old at the time of Moses’ birth, at or near the age stated by
our Rabbis. And if we would say that he begot her after he resided in Egypt for
many years — say, for a period of fifty-seven years — then Levi would have been
one hundred years old at Jochebed’s birth, for when he went down to Egypt he
was forty-three years. In that case, there were two great wonders! Levi, at the
time he begot Jochebed, was as old as Abraham, concerning whom Scripture
mentions, Shall a child be born to him who is a hundred years old? and
it is further written, And my lord is old also,. while Jochebed
would still have been an elderly woman of seventy-three when Moses was born!
And should we further postpone Jochebed’s birth to the end of Levi’s days, the
wonder of his begetting a child will be greater than that of Abraham! But I
will tell you a true principle, clearly indicated in the Torah. Scripture
mentions miracles performed through a prophet and which he previously
prophesied, or performed by an angel who is revealed in the course of a Divine
mission, but those effected naturally in order to help the righteous or destroy
the wicked are not mentioned in the Torah or in the books of the prophets. May
this be “hot gold poured into the mouth” of this wise man who refuted the words
of our Rabbis in the matter of Phinehas and similar matters in many places. Why
should Scripture mention hidden miracles when all the foundations of the Torah
are hidden miracles. In the entire scope of the Torah there are only miracles,
and no nature or custom. All assurances of the Torah are in the form of signs
and wonders, as it is not natural that he who has connection with one of the
forbidden degrees of marriage or he who eats forbidden fat suffers excision or
death. Nor is it by nature that the heavens become as iron because we have
sowed our fields in the Sabbatical year.
