Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Torah

AND THOU SHALT KEEP HIS CHARGE — to fear Him, that you be heedful of sinning against Him. For after enjoining them concerning the love of G-d,. He commands them concerning fear [of Him] and He enjoins the observance of the statutes, ordinances, and commandments. Or it may be that the expression and thou shalt keep His charge means that you are to protect what G-d protects, for He preserveth the strangers, is gracious unto the poor and the destitute, and He doth execute justice for the fatherless and the widow. As it is said elsewhere, to keep the charge of the Eternal thy G-d, to walk in His ways, and the Rabbis have said: “Just as He is gracious and merciful, so you also be gracious and merciful, etc.”

HIS GREATNESS, HIS MIGHTY HAND, AND HIS OUTSTRETCHED ARM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “[His greatness etc.] to bring you out from Egypt; and the signs and wonders, which He did to Pharaoh; and what He did unto you in the wilderness, in the matter of the manna.” But in my opinion it is incorrect, for now he [Moses] speaks only of the chastisement with which G-d admonished those who transgressed His will; [instead, the correct interpretation of the verse is as follows:] His greatness in that He exalted and elevated Himself when saying, Have thou this glory over me; By tomorrow shall this sign be;, Verse 19. And I will distinguish [between My people and thy people];, Verse 19. that thou mayest know that the earth is the Eternal’s., 9:29. And His mighty hand [refers to], And I will put forth My hand, and smite Egypt;, 3:20. the great work which the Eternal did [upon the Egyptians]., 14:31. “Work” — literally: “hand.” And His outstretched arm [means] that He did not give the Egyptians relief and deliverance from the moment His hand was stretched out upon them, and He hath not withdrawn His hand from consuming until He destroyed them. And what He did unto you in the wilderness, [means] that He smote you [Israel] in the affair of the calf, in the fire that burned at Taberah, [in the affair of] the fiery serpents,, 21:6. Kibroth-hattaavah,, 11:35. the plague at Shittim,, 25:9. and the decree in the affair of the spies so that the hand of G-d was upon them until they came to this place. He [Moses] shortened, however, the account of the punishments that He inflicted upon them. And if so, Therefore shall ye keep all the commandment etc. that ye may be strong, for His mighty hand strengthens those who keep His commandments, neither will He uphold the evildoers.

HOW HE MADE THE WATER OF THE RED SEA TO OVERFLOW THEM THAT PURSUED AFTER YOU, AND HOW THE ETERNAL HATH DESTROYED THEM UNTO THIS DAY. I have not understood the meaning of the phrase, unto this day, for all who die in the sea are destroyed forever [thus the expression unto this day would appear redundant]! Possibly it refers back to the expression unto their horses, and to their chariots, that for the entire generation [following the exodus] horses and chariots remained [irretrievably] lost, since Pharaoh had taken along with him all the horses, chariots, and horsemen that were in Egypt and they were all destroyed, and henceforth it was a lowly kingdom without the chariot and horse, the army and the power. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that [the expression unto this day] denotes that their children afterwards never rose in their stead to resemble them. Rabbi Abraham’s intent is to state that G-d [not only] destroyed the pursuers in the sea, [but] in Egypt [proper] He destroyed the seed [of the pursuers], not leaving them a name and remnant,, 14:22. since they were the most wicked of all the Egyptians to pursue after the redeemed of the Eternal., 62:12. But this is not mentioned in the Torah!

He mentions and what He did unto Dathan and A biram, but did not mention of Korach and his company that a fire came forth from before the Eternal and consumed them, because it is a prohibition of the Torah for a stranger [non-priest] to approach [the Sanctuary] to burn incense, such a transgressor being punished in all future generations, as happened also to King Uzziah; therefore he did not enumerate it among the signs in the wilderness.

[FOR THE LAND, WHITHER THOU GOEST IN TO POSSESS IT, IS] NOT AS THE LAND OF EGYPT — “but better than it. This assurance was given to Israel upon their departure from Egypt, for they said, ‘Perhaps we will not come to a Land as good and beautiful as this’ [hence they were assured that the Land whither they were going was far better than Egypt]. One might, however, think that Scripture speaks in disdain of the Land, and Moses said thus to them: ‘It is not as the land of Egypt — but worse than it!’ Scripture states, therefore, Behold, Hebron ‘nivnethah’ (was built) seven years before Zoan in Egypt. One person [Ham] built [both] of them. Usually, a person builds the better city first and afterwards the inferior one etc.” This is Rashi’s language from the Sifre. 37. And he further quoted what the Rabbis have interpreted in the Gemara of Tractate Kethuboth with a different point of view: “Is it possible that a man would build a house for his younger son first and afterwards for his elder son? But the meaning of the expression, Behold, Hebron ‘nivnethah’ seven years is that it was ‘built up’ superior to Zoan sevenfold.” In line with the plain meaning of Scripture the verse here is said by way of the warnings [with which Moses has been admonishing the Israelites]. For he said to them, “Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments etc. that you may possess the Land etc. a Land flowing with milk and honey, since G-d will give the rain of your Land in its season and the Land shall yield her produce. But know you that it is not like the land of Egypt [where one can find sufficient water] to irrigate it with his feet from the streams and the pools as a garden of herbs. Instead, it is a Land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water as, the rain of heaven cometh down, not in any other way. Therefore it requires that G-d care for it always by giving it rain because it is a very thirsty Land and needs rain all year. If you transgress G-d’s Will and He does not care for it [the Land] with ‘rains of benevolence’ it is a very bad one, it cannot be sown, nor beareth, nor any herb groweth on its mountains.” All this he reviews and explains in the following section, that if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments, then I shall give the rain of your Land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain always, and if you will not listen He shall shut up the heaven etc. and ye shall perish by famine from off the good Land, since you will not be able to live therein without rain. Thus this section warns in terms of the laws of nature. From it we learn that although everything is within His authority and it was but a light thing in the sight of the Eternal, blessed be He, to destroy the inhabitants of the land of Egypt and to dry up their rivers and streams, the land of Canaan, however, could be destroyed more quickly, by His not providing the showers of His mighty rain., it is more vulnerable to destruction by lack of rain (Bachya). The sick person needs merits and prayer in order that G-d heal him more than the healthy one who is not struck by illness, and such is also the way with the poor and the rich, [although] the Eternal giveth light to the eyes of them both. And because he said, a Land which the Eternal thy G-d careth for, when he should have said, “and it drinketh water as the rain of heaven cometh down ‘whenever’ the Eternal thy G-d careth for it,” the following interpretation of our Rabbis 40. is alluded to in the text: “But does He not care for all lands, as it is said, to cause it to rain on a land where no man is? [The answer is that the verse tells us] as it were, He exercises care for that Land alone, but through the particular care that He bestows on it, He cares also for all lands. The eyes of the Eternal thy G-d are always upon it to see what it requires and to enact new decrees for it, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad etc.” as it is written in Tractate Rosh Hashanah. There is also in this verse a profound secret, being that this Land is cared for “in all things” which is [called] Kol (All), and all lands are sustained from it in truth.

[AND TO SERVE HIM] WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL. “Has he not already mentioned with all thy heart and with all thy soul? But that warning was addressed to the individual, and this is a warning to the community.” This is Rashi’s language quoting the Sifre. 41. The explanation of the matter is as follows: G-d does not always perform miracles — every time giving the rain of the Land [in its proper season], the former rain and the latter rain, increasing the corn, wine, and oil, and providing also abundant grass in the fields for the cattle, or, on the contrary, shutting up the heaven and drying up the Land — except according to the deeds of the majority of the people. The individual, however, lives by his own merits, and he dies in his iniquity. Thus he is saying that upon their performance of all the commandments out of perfect love, He will do all these miracles with them for the good. And he further says that when they worship idols He will perform with them a sign for bad [to indicate to them the need to repent]. Know further that miracles for good or bad are performed only for perfectly righteous or utterly wicked people. For average people, however, He visits good or bad upon them in a natural manner according to their way and by their doings., 36:17.

AND THOU SHALT EAT AND BE SATISFIED. “This is another blessing, meaning that there will be a blessing on the bread within your stomach, and you eat and be satisfied.” This is Rashi’s language and Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “And thou shalt eat and be satisfied. This refers back to thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil [mentioned in the preceding verse], not to the grass in thy fields which is near [in the same verse].” The correct interpretation in my opinion is that it refers to everything: “and thou shalt eat and be satisfied with the corn, wine, and oil, and also the sheep and cattle [will eat and be satisfied with the grass in the field].” And in the Sifre we find: 43. “And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, when your cattle eats and is satisfied, it works the ground [with strength], and so it is said, and much increase is by the strength of the ox. Another interpretation: [And thou shalt eat and be satisfied] from the young [of the cattle]. Although there is no proof of this, yet there is an indication, for it says, And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow unto the goodness of the Eternal, to the corn, and to the wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd etc.” This is the correct interpretation.

THEREFORE SHALL YE PUT THESE MY WORDS IN YOUR HEART. “Even after you have been exiled, be distinguished by the commandments. Put on the T’fillin, attach a Mezuzah [to the doorpost of your home], so that they will not be novelties to you when you return to the Land. And so Scripture states, Set thee up waymarks.”, Verse 21. Jeremiah lived in the time when the people were about to go into the Babylonian exile. His prophecy was thus a warning that they were to retain their distinctiveness through the commandments. This is Rashi’s language. Now I have already written on the meaning of this matter, that these commandments [the T’fillin and the Mezuzah mentioned by Rashi] are personal obligations and, as such, their laws apply in all places just as in the Land! But there is in this Midrash 43. Hence Ramban refers to it as “this Midrash.” a profound secret, and I have already alluded to it. Now he repeated these commandments about the T’fillin, the study of the words of the Torah, and the Mezuzah, a second time in order to allude to this analogy, that we shall be obligated to observe them after being exiled from the Land of Israel. From these [texts] we learn that all commandments that are personal obligations are binding in all places and that, outside the Land of Israel, we are exempt from duties which apply to ground, such as heave-offering and tithes. So it is interpreted in the Sifre. 44. And the intent of this interpretation is suggested by the fact that he placed the expression therefore shall ye put [these my words in your heart] next to [the verse], and ye shall perish [quickly from off the good Land thus clearly intimating that even after ye shall perish from off the good Land you shall still put these My words in your heart]. But the main reference of the verse [even regarding personal obligations] applies to the Land, as it is written, that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the Land; or it may be that the verse is stating: “that your days may be multiplied, so that you will return [to the Land] and you will prolong your days on it forever.” is to the Land of Israel; this is evidenced by the concluding verse, that your days may be multiplied …upon the Land. According to the second interpretation the former verse has reference to the exile, while the second verse states the reward, that your days may be multiplied, so that you return and live upon the Land. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, it is possible that he comes to add here the expression to speak of them,.’ for there [in the first charge to the individual] he commanded and ‘thou’ shalt speak — you yourself — of them when ‘thou’ sittest in thy house, and here [in the charge to the community he stated that we are to teach the words of Torah to our children until they speak of them always. So also he added here and ye shall ‘teach’ them,.’ for the term v’shinantom [mentioned there] means only that he shall “tell” them the commandments, and here [he added that the obligation extends] until they teach the words of Torah [to their children] and they understand them and their reasons [well enough] to discuss them with you at all times. So also he added here as the days of the heavens above the earth which means “for all generations,” or it may refer to the first heaven and earth, and the days of old. The student learned [in the mysteries of the Cabala] will understand.

AND TO CLEAVE UNTO HIM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “[You are to walk in His ways so that you will merit to cleave unto Him] ultimately, this being a great secret.” But the secret is not by reason of this reference [here in the verse before us]. Perhaps he is stating: “to love the Eternal, to walk in all His ways until you become worthy to cleave unto Him in the end” [as Ibn Ezra wrote]. But in the Book of Joshua it is stated, Neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor worship them; but cleave unto the Eternal your G-d, as ye have done unto this day [thus indicating that “cleaving to G-d” was not an ultimate goal, but something they had been experiencing all along]. If so, the verse [before us] is one of the admonitions against idolatry, meaning that one’s thought should not part from G-d [and transfer] to other gods, that one should not think that there is any substance to idolatry but instead it is all nought and worthless. Thus this verse is similar to what he said, and Him shall ye serve, and unto Him shall ye cleave, the intent being to warn that one is not to worship G-d [in combination] with anything besides Him, but to worship [only] G-d alone, with one’s heart and deeds. It is possible that the term “cleaving” includes the obligation that you remember G-d and His love always, that your thought should never be separated from Him when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up to such a degree that [a person] during his conversation with people by mouth and tongue, his [entire] heart will not be with them, but instead be directed towards G-d. With men of such excellence it is possible that even in their lifetime, their souls shall be bound in the bundle of life, since their very being is a “residence” for the Divine Glory, as the author of the Book of the Kuzari alludes. I have already mentioned this matter in the section on forbidden relations. And when Joshua said as ye have done unto this day he meant, that when they were in the wilderness and the cloud of the Eternal was over them, and the manna would descend from heaven, and the quail would come up and the well was always before them, and all their requirements were provided by Heaven in miraculous ways — then their thoughts and deeds were [perforce] always with G-d. Therefore Joshua warned them that even now in the Land, when these wonderful deeds would be removed from them, their thoughts should always be with them [i.e., the wonders that G-d had done for them], to cleave unto the glorious and fearful Name and their attention should not be withdrawn from Him.

EVERY PLACE WHEREON THE SOLE OF YOUR FOOT SHALL TREAD SHALL BE YOURS: FROM THE WILDERNESS etc. In the opinion of our Rabbis 51. they constitute two assurances: [First,] that whatever place in the land of Shinar and the land of Assyria and elsewhere they want to conquer, shall be theirs; and that all the commandments are applicable there, because they all are [part of] the Land of Israel [as Scripture says], from the wilderness and Lebanon etc. even unto the Back Sea shall be your border, meaning that you are obligated to conquer it and to extirpate the peoples from it, just as he said here, and ye shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves, and to uproot the idols and their appurtenance, as he mentioned above. And [secondly] he assured them that there shall no man be able to stand against you whether in the land mentioned or in every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread. It is from here that there originated a division of opinion among our Rabbis regarding Syria which they called “the conquest of an individual” [and not a national conquest]. The reason is that David conquered it of his own will, not asking [authorization] of the Urim and Thummim and not consulting the Sanhedrin. For he was obligated to dispossess all the seven nations first, and afterwards if he wished, he could go to another land as G-d promised here. And because that conquest [of Syria] was not done in accordance with the commandment of the Torah, some of the Rabbis said that it is not considered “a [legal] conquest” [in the sense that it is annexed to the Land], and regarding the commandments [applicable exclusively to the Land], it has the legal status of outside of the Land of Israel. So it is taught in the Sifre. 51. But some Rabbis say in the Talmud that it is termed “a [legal] conquest,” because, although it was not carried out properly, since David went there and conquered it, the Divine assurance it shall be yours was fulfilled and it is [part of] the Land of Israel. R’eih

AND THOU SHALT PUT ‘ETH HABRACHAH’ UPON MOUNT GERIZIM. “This is to be understood as the Targum [Onkelos] rendered it: yath m’vorchaya — ‘the blessers’ [i.e., those who will pronounce the blessings]. Upon Mount Gerizim — toward Mount Gerizim.” This is Rashi’s language, but it is not correct according to the plain meaning of Scripture, for he has not yet instructed concerning [the identity of] those who were to pronounce the blessing [which is only mentioned further on, in Chapter 27:11-14; hence the verse here could not refer to them with the definite article — habrachah which implies that their identity was already known]. Rather, the meaning of the verses is as follows: “I have set ‘before you’ a way [to attain] blessing and a way [to attain] curse. And the expression before you signifies that you are to choose for yourselves what you desire, and I inform you that the blessing will be yours when you perform the commandments, and the curse if you do not fulfill them.” This is similar to what he further said. See, I have set before thee this day the life and the good, the death and the evil etc. [This verse clearly does not pertain to the setting at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, thus disproving Rashi’s interpretation that the blessing refers to “those who will pronounce the blessings.”] Then he stated here [in the verse before us], that they were to bestow this blessing of which he speaks, upon them [i.e., the tribes] on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal, this [“bestowal”] being by word of mouth [rather than by some physical act of placing the blessers there, as Rashi rendered it]. In a similar way is the interpretation of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, on this verse, and he shall ‘put’ them upon the head of the goat. “Putting” refers to the confession of sins. This coincides with the interpretation of Ramban that the “bestowal” does not refer to the blessers, but to the recitation of the blessing. [meaning that the High Priest, by confessing the sins of the people, “puts” them upon the head of the goat that was to be sent to Azazel]. Thus he is saying here by way of admonition that they are to “put” [or pronounce] the blessing on Mount Gerizim, blessing the people if they will hearken to the commandments of G-d; and the curse on Mount Ebal, saying, “Cursed be he that will not hearken to the commandments and will turn aside from the way which G-d has commanded.” Now it would have been possible [in accordance with the plain meaning of this verse] that all the tribes utter the blessing and all of them [utter] the curse, or that the Levites pronounce them all, or that one individual proclaim them all. Hence he later reverted to explain there, These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people, And these shall stand for the curse,, Verse 13. and he further declared, And the Levites shall speak,, Verse 14. and he explained the whole subject., Verses 15-26. For here, because of his admonition which he stated, Behold, I set before you etc., he mentioned part of the commandment and then he reverted to explain it [fully] in its proper place. It is possible that Mount Gerizim is to the south which is “the right” [side of a person who turns eastward facing the sunrise, in which case his right hand is to the south], and Mount Ebal is to the north, as it is said, Out of the north the evil shall break forth.

AND YE SHALL OBSERVE TO DO ALL THE STATUTES AND THE ORDINANCES. Here, also, he admonishes concerning the statutes and ordinances before mentioning the rest of the commandments, and he cites first the ordinance concerning idolatry and its appurtenances as I have explained in the section of Va’ethchanan. Afterwards he mentions many ordinances concerning a false prophet, a beguiler,, Verses 7-12. and an apostate city., Verses 13-19. And he mentions among the statutes first, the offerings in the Sanctuary, and afterwards, the prohibition of eating anything abominable, and the rest of the commandments.