Ramban on Genesis 35:18

בֶּן אוֹנִי בֶּן צַעֲרִי. "בִּנְיָמִין", נִרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי לְפִי שֶׁהוּא לְבַדּוֹ נוֹלַד בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שֶׁהוּא בַּנֶּגֶב כְּשֶׁאָדָם בָּא מֵאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "בַּנֶּגֶב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן" (במדבר לג מ), "הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה" (בראשית י"ב:ט'), בִּנְיָמִין – בֶּן יָמִין, לְשׁוֹן "צָפוֹן וְיָמִין אַתָּה בְרָאתָם" (תהלים פט יג) וּלְפִיכָךְ הוּא מָלֵא, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"ה:י"ח). וְלֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי זֶה שֶׁתְּהֵא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּרוֹמִית לַאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֲרָם מִזְרָחִית לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדִכְתִיב (בראשית כ"ט:א') "וַיֵּלֶךְ אַרְצָה בְּנֵי קֶדֶם", וּכְתִיב (במדבר כג ז) "מִן אֲרָם יַנְחֵנִי בָלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב מֵהַרְרֵי קֶדֶם", וְיַעֲקֹב עָבַר הַיַּרְדֵּן שֶׁהוּא לְמִזְרָחָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיָה חוֹזֵר דֶּרֶךְ אֱדוֹם שֶׁהוּא בִּדְרוֹם אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, נִמְצָא אֲרָם מִזְרָחִית דְּרוֹמִית לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִצְפוֹנָהּ. אֲבָל אִם נוֹלַד בִּתְחוּם בֵּית לֶחֶם אֶפְרָתָה שֶׁהוּא בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה, כְּדִכְתִיב (שופטים יט ב) "בֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה", וּכְתִיב (מיכה ה א) "וְאַתָּה בֵּית לֶחֶם אֶפְרָתָה צָעִיר לִהְיוֹת בְּאַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה" הִנֵּה הוּא בִּדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהִנֵּה בֵּין בֵּית אֵל וּבֵין בֵּית לֶחֶם אֶפְרָת נוֹלַד. וְאִם הַמָּקוֹם בְּהַר אֶפְרַיִם, הֲרֵי הוּא בִּצְפוֹנָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדִכְתִיב (יהושע יח ה) "יְהוּדָה יַעֲמֹד עַל גְּבוּלוֹ מִנֶּגֶב וּבֵית יוֹסֵף יַעַמְדוּ עַל גְּבוּלָם מִצָּפוֹן". וְאִם בְּחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל בִּנְיָמִין גַּם כֵּן אֵינָהּ בַּדָּרוֹם, דִּכְתִיב "וַיְהִי לָהֶם גְּבוּל לִפְאַת צָפוֹנָה". וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אֵין טַעַם לִקְרוֹתוֹ בֶּן דָּרוֹם. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי אִמּוֹ קְרָאַתּוּ בֶּן אוֹנִי, וְרָצְתָה לוֹמַר בֶּן אֶבְלִי, מִ"לֶּחֶם אוֹנִים" (הושע ט ד), "לֹא אָכַלְתִּי בְאוֹנִי" (דברים כו יד), וְאָבִיו עָשָׂה מִן אוֹנִי – כֹּחִי, מִלְּשׁוֹן "רֵאשִׁית אוֹנִי" (בראשית מ"ט:ג'), "וּלְאֵין אוֹנִים" (ישעיהו מ כט), וְלָכֵן קָרָא אוֹתוֹ בִּנְיָמִין – בֶּן הַכֹּחַ אוֹ בֶּן הַחֹזֶק, כִּי הַיָּמִין בּוֹ הַגְּבוּרָה וְהַהַצְלָחָה, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (קהלת י ב) "לֵב חָכָם לִימִינוֹ", "יְמִינְךָ תִּמְצָא שֹׂנְאֶיךָ" (תהלים כא ט) "יְמִין ה' רוֹמֵמָה" (שם קיח טז), רָצָה לִהְיוֹת קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ בַּשֵּׁם שֶׁקְּרָאַתּוּ אִמּוֹ, כִּי כֵן כָּל בָּנָיו בַּשֵּׁם שֶׁקָּרְאוּ אוֹתָם אִמּוֹתָם יִקָּרְאוּ, וְהִנֵּה תִּרְגֵּם אוֹתוֹ לְטוֹבָה וְלִגְבוּרָה. וְרָאִיתִי בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה פ"ב:ט'), "בֶּן אוֹנִי" – בֶּן צַעֲרִי, "וְאָבִיו קָרָא לוֹ בִנְיָמִין" – בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ. וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מַהוּ, כִּי הַכֹּל לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וְכֵן שֵׁם כָּל בָּנָיו לְשׁוֹן קֹדֶשׁ הוּא. אֲבָל רָמְזוּ לְמָה שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם הַלָּשׁוֹן לְטוֹבָה: ‘BEN ONI’ (THE SON OF MY SORROW). I am of the opinion that he was so called because he alone was born in the land of Canaan which lies to the south (yamin) as one comes from Aram-naharaim, just as it is said: In the south, in the land of Canaan;²²⁰Numbers 33:40. Going on still toward the south.²²¹Above, 12:9. Binyamin thus means a son of the south, just as in the verse: The north ‘v’yamin’ (and the south) Thou hast created them.²²²Psalms 89:13. For this reason the name Binyamin is here written “full” [with a yud after the mem to indicate that the name is derived from the word yamin (south)]. This is Rashi’s language.
But I do not understand this claim that the Land of Israel lies to the south of Aram-naharaim for Aram is eastward of the Land of Israel, as it is written, And he came to the land of the children of the east,²²³Above, 29:1. and it is further written, From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East,²²⁴Numbers 23:7. and Jacob crossed the Jordan which is to the east of the Land of Israel, and he returned by way of Edom which is south of the Land of Israel. Thus you find that Aram is south-east of the Land of Israel, and the Land of Israel is to its north. However, if Benjamin was born within the border of Bethlehem Ephrathah which is in the land of Judah — as it is written, Bethlehem in Judah,²²⁵Judges 19:2. and it is further written, But thou, Bethlehem Ephratha, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah²¹⁷Micah 5:1. — this was in the south of the Land of Israel, and he was thus born between Beth-el and Bethlehem Ephrath. And if the place was in the hill country of Ephraim, then it is in the north of the Land of Israel, as it is written, Judah shall abide in his border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their border on the north.²²⁶Joshua 18:5. And if it was in the portion of Benjamin, it was also not in the south, for it is written, And their border was on the north side.²²⁷Ibid., Verse 12. Thus in any case there was no reason to call Benjamin “a son of the south.”
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that his mother called him ben oni, and she meant to say, “the son of my mourning, similar in expression to: bread of ‘onim’ (mourners);²²⁸Hosea 9:4. I have not eaten thereof ‘b’oni’ (in my mourning).²²⁹Deuteronomy 26:14. And his father understood the word oni in the sense of “my strength,” similar in expression to: the first-fruits of ‘oni’ (my strength);²³⁰Genesis 49:29. And to those who have no ‘onim’ (power).²³¹Isaiah 40:29. And therefore he called him Binyamin, “the son of power” or “the son of strength,” for in the right hand (yamin) there is strength and success, just as it is written: A wise man’s understanding is at his right hand;²³²Ecclesiastes 10:2. Thy right hand shall overtake all those that hate thee;²³³Psalms 21:9. The right hand of the Eternal is exalted.²³⁴Ibid., 118:16. Jacob wanted to call him by the name his mother had called him, for all his children were called by the names their mothers had called them, and he thus rendered it to good and to strength.
Now I have seen in Bereshith Rabbah:²³⁵82:10. “Ben oni, ‘the son of my sorrow.’ And his father called him Benjamin, i.e., in the Sacred Language.” I do not know what this means for it is all the Sacred Language, and so are the names of all his sons in the Sacred Language. However, the Rabbis have alluded to that which I have said, namely, that Jacob rendered the expression so that it signified good.