meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Ramban/Torah/Ramban on Deuteronomy/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Ramban on Deuteronomy
  רמב"ן על דברים
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Ramban on Deuteronomy
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  These are the words which Moshe spoke unto all Israel. On the Mitzvot which he will mention from the beginning of Aseret haDiberot in Parashat Va'etchanan, as he said ״Moshe took upon him to expound this law" (Deuteronomy 1:5)...[needs continuation]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Only take heed to yourself, etc, lest you forget [After citing Rashi's words above,] but it is not correct at all. Rather this verse, in my opinion, is a negative commandment, [which] it warns about very much. As when it stated that we should be careful with all of the commandments and guard the statutes and the judgments to do them, it went back to state, "However I am warning you very much to be on guard and guard yourself very very much to remember from where the commandments came to you, such that you not forget the stand at Mount Sinai with all of the things that your eyes saw there - the voices and the torches, His glory and His greatness, and His words that you heard from the fire. And you shall inform your children and your children's children for all time [about] the thing that your eyes saw at this great stand. And the explanation of the reason is in order that you should learn to fear Him all of the days, and teach your children for all generations. If so, you shall do this and not forget Me." And behold, before it mentions the [Ten Commandments], it warns with a negative commandment, that we should never forget anything from this stand and never remove it from our hearts. And it [also] commanded with a positive commandment that we should inform all of our progeny from one generation to another [about] everything that was [perceived] there through sight and hearing...
  
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  The simple meaning of this repetition in this place is as follows: It is to say that HaShem commanded me at that time to teach you the mitzvot so that you will be able to perform them in the land that you will cross into.  And now, take this teaching from me, for I will die in this land and I will not be able to teach you in the Land.  Do not forget there what I have taught you, nor what you saw at Sinai.  The true interpretation of this is as follows: Moshe says that you must vigorously protect yourself because otherwise you will be destroyed.  Moshe can say this because HaShem was furious with him, and this caused him to be concerned about the possibility that they would forget [and misinterpret] the brit that HaShem made with them when He appeared in consuming fire at the top of the mountain.  They would then make a graven image, and this would be according to the command of HaShem.   Rashi's understanding of this as "against the command of HaShem,"  which is adequate for the simple meaning of the verse.  But the wise person will understand these verses according to their true meaning.  The meaning of "HaShem your Lord is a consuming fire" is based on the consuming fire that they saw at Sinai, and this is an allusion to the HaShem's attribute of strict implementation of the Law, which emerges in opposition to Avoda Zara.  From this verse you can understand the common expression in Devarim of "HaShem your Lord."
  
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  This is also a hint to the redemption from Babylon, that they returned to Hashem, confessed before him and listened to the voice of the prophets that he gave them and therefore he promised them that he would not destroy them and would not forget the covenant with their fathers like you said (Lev. 26:42) And I remembered the covenant with Jacob etc. and the end of the book hints at the future redemption like I explained (Lev 26:16) and I will mention again, with God's help. (Lev. 28:42)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE ETERNAL OUR GOD, THE ETERNAL IS ONE. This too is a commandment that offers explanation. For, already contained in the commandment I am the Eternal thy God, is [the principle of] the Unity of God. As the Rabbis have said: "Rabbi Nathan says: From here there is a refutation to those heretics who say there are two powers governing the universe. For, when the Holy One, blessed be He, stood on Mount Sinai and proclaimed I am the Eternal thy God, who protested against Him?" But here he [Moses] came to explain this commandment [I am the Eternal ... ] and mentioned it after the Ten Commandments because it is the root of faith, and whoever does not acknowledge it denies the essential principle [of the religion] as if he worships idols. “The Eternal our God, the Eternal is One. This means: the Eternal, Who is [now, only] our God and not the God of the [other] nations, will eventually be acknowledged as the One [and only] Eternal, as it is said, In that day shall the Eternal be One, and His Name One.” This is Rashi's language.Now you must contemplate [the fact] that Scripture changed [the normal usage] here by saying the Eternal 'our' God and did not state "thy" God as it says everywhere else: Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over the Jordan this day etc. Know therefore this day, that the Eternal 'thy' God etc.; Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle etc. for the Eternal ‘your' God is He that goeth with you. And so also in all sections where [Moses] spoke to Israel he mentioned "the Eternal your God" or "the Eternal thy God," and even here [in this very section] he said, And thou shalt love the Eternal 'thy' God. However, in this declaration of the Unity [of God] Moses said, the Eternal 'our' God because He had done great and awesome things with Moses to make Himself a glorious Name [therefore Moses said "our God," for had he said 'your God," he might have appeared to exclude himself from this declaration of Unity].Now the letter dalet in the word echad (one) is written [in the Torah] large in order to allude to that which is written, He divided the water before them, to make Himself an everlasting Name. And therefore the Rabbis instituted in the reading of the Sh'ma "Blessed be His Name Whose Glorious Kingdom is for ever and ever" and they further said [there]: "This may be compared to a lord's daughter who smelled the [sweet] odor of some pudding etc.," for Moses stated it in the Torah by an allusion. And then he reverted [to the general usage] and stated, And 'thou' shalt love the Eternal 'thy' God like the expression found in [the other] sections of Deuteronomy. 
  
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  "Bechol Levavcha" according to the midrash (Sifri), the heart is mentioned here because it is the force that desires (lit.), as it is written [in Tehillim 21:3], "the desire of his heart You gave to him," [and also is written in Mishlei 6:25], "do not covet her beauty in your heart." If so, "bechol nafshecha" - the "nefesh" is [the organ that] reasons, as it is written [in Shmuel 1 25:29] "the Nefesh of my master shall be bound up in the binding of life." It is also like the words of our sages who expound in the Gemara [in Brachot 54].
  
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  (18) And do right and good in the eyes of the Lord. The contextual meaning of this verse is, keep God's commandments, testimonies, and laws, and prepare them to do what is good and right in God's eyes alone. And for "it may go well with you," (Deuteronomy 6:18b) it is a promise. It says, that by doing what is good in God's eyes it will be good for you, because God brings what is good to those who are good and right in their hearts. And our Rabbis in the beautiful midrash (BK 100a) said: This refers to a compromise, acting beyond the strict demands of the law. And the intention of this is that from the beginning God said to keep God's commandments, testimonies, and laws as God has commanded them. And now, it says: even regarding what God did not command, pay attention to do what is good and right in God's eyes, because God loves goodness and righteousness. And it is important because it is impossible to mention in the Torah (what should be) everyone's conduct; with their neighbors and friends, in any business matter, and regarding ordinances of any town or country, because the Torah already mentions many of these laws, such as: "Do not gossip" (Leviticus 19:16); "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge" (Leviticus 19:18); "You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor" (Leviticus 19:16); "You shall not insult the deaf" (Leviticus 19:14); "You shall rise before the aged" (Leviticus 19:32), etc. Once more for emphasis, generally one should do what is good and right regarding everything, including compromise, acting beyond the strict demands of the law. - (Other examples of that can be found in rabbinic literature) like what was mentioned regarding "the law of one whose field borders the field of his neighbor" (BM 108a); and even what they said, (Regarding the depiction of the worthy prayer leader) “and his youth was becoming and he is humble and accepted by the people,” (Taanit 16a); and "he does not speak pleasantly with other people" (Ioma 86a) - until one reads about all matters of honesty and integrity.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  And it stated, "And you will eat, and be satiated and bless," since you will remember the work of Egypt and the affliction of the wilderness. And when you will eat and be satiated in the good land, you will bless God about it. And our rabbis (Berakhot 48b) received the tradition that this is a positive commandment - and its explanation is that you shall bless the Lord, your God. And so [too], "and you will make a parapet for your roof" (Deuteronomy 22:8); and so [too] "and you will make a Pesach sacrifice to the Lord, your God" Deuteronomy 16:1); [and so too,] "And you will take from the beginning of all the fruit of the land" (Deuteronomy 26:2); and there are many [other examples] like this. And the explanation of "about the good land" is as [if it were written], "and about the good land." He commanded that you should bless Him at every time about the satiation and the land that He gave you - that he gave it as an eternal inheritance to you, and you will be satiated from its goodness. But behold, the obligation of this commandment is in every place. 
  
  
  
  
  
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  For I was in dread because of the anger: He said, "I was also in dread now, because of the anger and the wrath with which the Lord had been furious at the beginning against you, to destroy you. As there was still enough of this great fury to destroy you, even though 'the Lord had already repented from the evil that He said to do against His people.' Hence I returned and prostrated myself for you forty days and forty nights, until He listened to me also this time, like He listened to me the first time, before I came down. And I also prayed for the sake of Aaron this time when I returned there" - as before the calf was burned, he only concerned himself with 'turning His wrath away from destroying' the people in an instant.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  You are children to the Lord your God: This commandment has also already been stated regarding the priests in the book of Leviticus (21:5), "do not shave a bald spot on your head and on your flesh do not scratch a mark." And now it can be explained that this commandment was not only given to the priests on account of their elevated status - as it mentioned there that they are holy to their God (Leviticus 21:9) - but rather the entire nation is holy and they are all children of God, just like the priests. If so, you are also obligated in this prohibition like them... [After he brings the words of R. Ibn Ezra from above]... And according to my opinion, that the understanding of "a holy nation,' is that it is a promise of [eternal] life, it is saying, "Since you are a holy nation and special to the Lord, 'and God will not take away the life of one who makes plans, so that no one may be kept banished' (using the expression from II Samuel 14:14); it is not fitting for you to cut yourselves or to make a bald spot for [the death of] a soul, and even if he dies in his youth." But scripture does not prohibit crying, as nature arouses one to cry when friends part and wander [away], even when alive. And from here there is support to that which our Rabbis forbade to mourn more than is appropriate.
  
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  Moshe wanted to add an explanation concerning forbidden foods. Therefore, he said, "You shall not eat anything disgusting" to explain that all forbidden foods disgust your pure soul [...]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  ...because it was the custom of idolaters to plant trees by the entrances of their houses of idolatry....
  
  
  
  
  
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  Right or left: "Even if he tells you about the right that it is left or about the left that it is right" - [that is] the language of Rashi. And its matter is that even if you think in your heart that they are erring, and the thing is simple in your eyes - [just] like you know [the difference] between your right and your left - do like they command. And do not say, "How can I eat this completely forbidden fat" or "How can I kill this innocent man," but rather say, "So did the Master who commands command me to do with the commandments, that I should do His commandments, according to all that those that stand in front of Him - 'in the place that He shall choose' - instruct me; and He gave me the Torah upon the understanding of their minds, even if they err." And this is like the matter of Rabbi Yehoshua with Rabban Gamliel about Yom Kippur that fell out according to the calculation [of Rabbi Yehoshua] (Rosh Hashanah 25a). And the need for this commandment is very great, since the Torah is given to us in writing, and it is known that the opinions are not [all] the same concerning all of its implications. And [otherwise] the disagreements would grow and the Torah would become several Torahs. And the verse set forth that we should listen to the High Court that stands in front of God 'in the place that He shall choose,' about all that they tell us concerning the understanding of the Torah - whether they received its understanding, one witness from the mouth of another, and Moshe from the mouth of the Omnipotent; or they say thus according to the meaning of the Scripture. Or its intention is that in accordance with their opinion does He give them (other [variants of the text]: us) the Torah: even if it is in your eyes like the replacing of the right with the left; and all the more so, when they say about the right that is right - that you must think that the spirit of God is upon the servants of His Temple, 'and He will not leave His pious ones, they will always be protected' from erring and from stumbling. And the language of Sifrei on Shoftim 154 is "Even if they show to your eyes about the right that is the left and the left that it is the right, listen to them."
  
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  And you [shall] say 'I will set a king over me' according to our rabbis (Sifri 67, Sanhedrin 20b) this is a positive commandment which obligates us to say this after inheriting and settling in the land, just as the phrase "And you shall make a parapet on your roof" (Deut. 22:8) and others. And the text uses 'say' because the mitzvah is that they shall come to the Levite priests and the judge and they should say 'it is our will to set a king over ourselves'. And in my humble opinion this is also a hint to the future generations, since it was when they asked for Shaul, they said to Shmuel: 'Appoint a king over us to judge us like all the other nations' (I Samuel 8:5), and so it is also written 'and we will be like the other nations, and our king will judge us' (I Samuel 8:20). And why would the Torah say in this mitzvah "like all the nations around me", and Israel is not permitted to learn from them nor to envy their deeds! But this is a hint of an issue in the future, and this is why this part comes in 'lashon havinoni' [language that implies a Divine assurance about future generations] as I explained elsewhere.
  
  
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  So that his heart not become haughty over his brothers: here is hinted in the Torah the prohibition of arrogance, because the Torah restrains the king from arrogance and haughtiness of heart, and how much more so the others that would not be fitting for this--because for one who would be fitting for raising and aggrandizing, it warns him that his heart must be low and humble like all his lesser brothers. Because arrogance is a character trait which is disgusting and abhorrent by Hashem, even in a king, because to Hashem alone is the greatness and highness, and to Him alone is the praise, and only through Him can a man boast, as the topic is explained by Shlomo Hamelech (Mishlei): The abhorrence of Hashem is all who are haughty of heart, and it is written (Yirmiyahu): but only through this should a man boast: of knowing Me...
  
  
  
  
  
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  a prophet from among you, from your own people, like myself – The reason that the verse states ‘from among you’ is to hint that there is only prophecy in the land of Israel. This is why scripture says “The “Valley of Vision” Pronouncement…” as our Sages recalled in the Mechilta, beginning of Parshat Bo (12:4). The reasoning is same for the phrase ‘from your own people,’ the Lord placed you on a level higher than all the nations and will only place his spirit upon you. ‘Like myself,’ one who is like I am, from among your brethren. ‘Will raise up for you’ in place of me and so from prophet to prophet through the generations. This is the explanation of Rashi. And R’ Avraham Ibn Ezra says ‘like me,’ meaning just as I am a prophet of the Lord and not a magician or soothsayer. It could be that the phrase ‘from among you’ is to say that you can trust his words because he is your brother from among you. And so it appears to me that ‘like myself’ means that he will be trustworthy to speak as a prophet of the Lord so that you can believe him just as you believe me. I will explain this more further on. 
  
  
  
  
  
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  As he conspired, but not as he did. From here the sages said : If [the court] executed him [by the testimony of the false witnesses] they are not executed. This is is quoted from Rashi who quotes the sages (Mokkos 5b) ... Additionally, God would not allow the righteous judges that stand before him to shed innocent blood "for the judgement is God's" and, "in the midst of the judges He judges." This is the tremendous eminence of the judges of Israel and the guarantee that the Holy One, blessed be He, agrees with them and is "with them, in matters of judgement".
  
  
  
  
  
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  "When you approach a city to wage war upon it etc.": The verse speaks of an optional war, as explained in the topic (Deut. 20:15): "thus shall you do to all the cities that are very distant from you" - thus says Rashi. The Rabbi (Rashi) wrote this from the Sifrei (Shoftim 199), which teaches there in accordance with [Rashi's] expression, "the verse speaks of an optional war." But the intention of our Rabbis in this sentence [in the Sifrei] was only to say that the end of the portion distinguishes between the two [types of] wars. But [as far as] the calling out for peace [is concerned]: even in an obligatory war they are obligated to call out for peace, even for the seven [Canaanite] nations. Since, behold, Moses called out for peace to Sihon king of the Amorites, and he violated neither positive nor negative commandment that is in the portion: "since you shall surely condemn them [...]" (Deut. 20:17) and "[...] you shall not leave any soul alive" (Deut. 20:16). But the distinction between them is when they do not accept peace and make war, since Scripture commanded regarding distant places to strike all the [adult] males and to leave alive for them the women and the and the young children [even] among the males; and in the cities of these people [i.e., the Canaanites], it commanded to condemn even the women and the young children. And thus do our Rabbis say in the Midrash Devarim Rabbah (5:14) and also in the Tanchuma and in the Jerusalem Talmud (Sh'vi'it 6:1): "Rabbi Shmuel son of Rabbi Nachmani said: "Yehoshua son of Nun fulfilled this portion. What did Yehoshua do? He would send a letter to each place that he would go to conquer, and he would write in it: "Whomever wishes to sue for peace, come and make peace; whomever wishes to leave, leave; whomever wishes to make war, make war." The Girgashites fled. The Gibeonites, who sued for peace, Yehoshua made peace with them. The thirty one kings who came to make war, The Holy One Blessed is He caused them to fall [...]."" And thus says the Scripture regarding all of them (Joshua 11:19-20): "There was no city that made peace with the Children of Israel other than the Hivvites who lived in Gibeon; everyone [else] they took through war, since it was from Hashem to strengthen their hearts to call out for war with Israel in order to condemn them." By implication, if they wanted to make peace, they would have made peace with them! And it appears that there is a further distinction in the requesting for peace since, with the distant cities, peace would be requested of them, and they would be for us as a levy and they would serve us; however, with the cities of these people, there will be requested of them peace, and levies, and servitude, on the condition that they accept upon themselves to not serve idol worship. And this verse does not mention it in this portion since those who serve idol worship were already forbidden to us (Exodus  23:33): "They shall not live in your land lest they cause you to sin against Me, since you will serve their gods." And perhaps it was only needed to to inform them of the peace, the levies, and the subjugation, and after they are subjugated to us we would tell them that we carry out judgments against idol worship and those who serve them, whether individually or collectively. And thus it is said here (Deut. 20:18): "so that they will not teach you to do according to all of their abominations [...]". And they said in the Sifrei (Parshat Shoftim 202): "Behold, if they repented, they are not killed" - this is regarding the seven (Canaanite) nations; and the repentance that they accept upon themselves is the seven commandments which the Children of Noah were commanded, not that they would convert to become righteous converts. And in Tractate Sotah they say (Sotah 35) that "they wrote the Torah on stones in seventy languages, and they wrote below it, "so that they will not teach you to do [...]" (Deut. 20:18). Behold, if they repented, we receive them." And Rashi commented there, "to inform the nations that live outside the borders of the Land of Israel that they were not commanded to condemn them but rather those that are within the borders, so that they will not teach them their corrupted acts; but those those that live outside of it, they said to them, "if you return in repentance, we will receive you; and those that are inside it, we do not receive them, because they are doing so out of fear"" - thus says the Rabbi [Rashi]. But this is not correct, since in the cities of these nations "which Hashem your G-d gives to you as an inheritance," regarding them it says "in order so that they will not teach you," (Exodus 23:33); that is, if they repent, they are not killed. And thus [scripture] said regarding them (Exodus 23:33): "they shall not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me, since you will serve their gods [...]." That is, if they abandon their gods, they are allowed to remain there. And this is the idea behind what King Solomon did, since it is written therein (Kings I 9:15-22): "And this is the matter of the levy that King Solomon raised to build the House of Hashem, his [own] house, the Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem [...]; all the people that were remaining from the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizites, the Hivvites, and the Jebusites - their descendants that remained after them in the land that the Children of Israel were not able to annihilate; and Solomon raised them as a labor tax, until this very day. And Solomon did not conscript [any] slave from the Children of Israel [...]." And he performed this matter in accordance with the Torah, since they accepted upon themselves the Seven [Noahide] Commandments. And the matter is clear because, since Solomon placed them as laborers, the power of his hand was upon them and he had the ability to annihilate them. Rather, [it must be] that it was permitted to allow them to live as we have written [above]. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  If the nest of a bird chances to be in front of you: Also this commandment is explained by "it and its son do not slaughter on one day" (Leviticus 22:28); since the reason in both of them is that we should not have a cruel heart and [then] not have mercy, or that the verse should not permit us to be destructive to destroy the species, even though it allowed slaughter within that species. And behold, one who kills the mother and the children on one day or takes them when they are 'free to fly' is as if he cuts off that species. And the teacher (Rambam) in the Guide for the Perplexed 3:48 wrote that the reason of sending [the mother away from] the nest and the reason of  "it and its son do not slaughter on one day" is to prohibit killing the child in the eyes of the mother, as animals have great concern about this. And there is no difference between the concern of a person and the concern of animals for their children, since the love of a mother and 'the appeal of the children of its belly' does not stem from the intellect and the [faculty of] speech, but rather it is from the effects of the faculty of thought that is found in animals just as it is found in man. And if [it is as Rambam claims], the main prohibition of 'it and its son' is only [in the sequence] of its son and it, but [in other circumstances] it is all a distancing [from that main prohibition]. And more correct is [that the reason for the commandment is] so that we will not become cruel. And the teacher said: And don't answer me from the statement of the sages [that comes to explain] (Berakhot 33b), "We silence the one who says, 'Your mercy reaches the nest of the bird.' [is because this commandment is a decree that has nothing to do with mercy]," as this is one of two explanations - the explanation of the one to whom it appears that there is no reason for the commandments except for the will of the Creator - but we hold of the second explanation, [according to which] there should be an explanation for all of the commandments. And a further challenge to him is that which he found in Bereshit Rabbah 44:1, "And so what does the Holy One, blessed be He, care whether he slaughters from [the front of] the neck or slaughters from the back - behold, the commandments were only given to purify the creations through them, as it is stated (Proverbs 30:5), 'Every word of the Lord is purified.'" And this matter that the teacher asserted is very lucid regarding commandments that have a reason, as there is in each one a reason and a purpose and a refinement for the person, besides their reward from their Commander, may He be blessed. And the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, have already said (Sanhedrin 21b), "For what were the reasons of the Torah not revealed, etc." and they expounded (Pesachim 119a), "'Ancient covering' (Isaiah 23:18) - this is the one who reveals things that were covered by the One of ancient days; and what are they? The reasons of the Torah." And they already expounded about the red heifer (Bemidbar Rabbah 19:3-4), that Shlomo said, "I have mastered it all, but about the topic of the red heifer, I have investigated, I have asked, I have searched - 'I said I will become wise, but it is far from me' (Ecclesiastes 7:23)." And Rabbi Yose beRebbe Chanina said, "The Holy One, blessed be He said to Moshe, 'To you  do I reveal the reason of the red heifer, but to others it is a statute (without explanation),' as it is written (Zechariah 14:6), 'And it shall be on that day there will be no light, but heaviness and solidity' - it is written 'will solidify' (even though it is read 'and solidity,' such that the verse expresses a secondary meaning which is now elucidated): That which is covered from you in this world, will be visible in the world to come, like that blind man that [finally] sees, as it is written (Isaiah 42:16), 'And I will guide the blind ones in the path they did not know.' And it is written (there), 'I have done these things and not forsaken them' - as I have already done them for Rabbi Akiva." Behold, they elucidated that the impediment to the reasons for the commandments is not from Him abut rather [from] the blindness of our intellects and that the reason of the most difficult one was already reveled to the sages of Israel. And there are many [statements] like this and many things in Torah and Scripture that indicate [it]. [And] those homiletical statements that were challenging to [Rambam], are about a different matter, according to my opinion. As they wanted to say that there is no gain in the commandment for the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, may He be elevated; but [rather] the gain is for man himself - to prevent him from damage or a bad belief or a disgusting character trait, or to remember the miracles and wonders of the Creator, may He be blessed, and to know God. And this is [the meaning of] "to purify them" - that they should be like purified silver; as the action of a smelter is not without a reason, but [rather] to extract all the dross from it. And so [too] are the commandments to extract from our hearts every bad belief and to inform us of the truth and to always remind us of it. And this [idea] is mentioned by the homiletical statement itself in [Midrash] 'Yilamdenu' (Midrash Tanchuma, Shmini 8 on Parshat Shmini) on the section, 'This is the animal,' "And so what does it matter to the Holy One, blessed be He, whether one slaughters an animal and eats or stabs [it] and eats - do you benefit Him at all or damage Him at all; or what does He care whether one eats pure things or eats impure things. 'If you have become wise, you have become wise for yourself' (Proverbs 9:12) - behold, the commandments were only given to purify the creations through them, as it is stated (Psalms 12:7), 'The words of the Lord are pure words' and it is stated (Proverbs 30:5), 'Every word of the Lord is purified.' Why? So that it protect you" Behold, it is explicit in here that they only came to say that the gain is not for Him, may He be elevated; that He should require the light - as might be thought - from the menorah (the candelabra in the Temple) or that he should require the sacrifices for food and the smell of the incense as it would appear from the simple meaning of [the verses]; and even the memory of His wonders that He did, that He commanded to do [things] in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt and the story of Creation, there is no gain for Him - just that we know the truth and merit through it, until we become fit that He should protect us. As our speech and memory of His wonders are considered nothing and void for Him. And he brought a proof from one that slaughters from the [front] of the neck and [its] back, to say that they are all for us and not for the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is not likely to say about slaughter that there should be gain and honor to the Creator, may He be blessed, from the neck more than from the back or [from] stabbing; but rather they are for us to guide us in the paths of mercy, even at the time of slaughtering. And they brought another proof, "Or what does He care whether one eats pure things" - and these are the permitted foods - "or eats impure things" - and these are forbidden foods, that the Torah stated about them (Leviticus 11:28), "they are impure for you." And through this, he hinted that it is so that we be of clean souls, wise ones, that contemplate the truth. And their saying, "If you have become wise, you have become wise for yourself," they mentioned, because the active commandments - for example, slaughtering of the neck - are to teach us good character traits; and the commandments that are decrees that differentiate species are to purify our souls, as the Torah stated (Leviticus 20:25), "and you shall not make your souls disgusting with the animal and with the bird and with all that crawls on the ground, which I have separated for you as impure." If so, all of them are for our benefit alone. And this is like Elihu said (Job 35:6), "If you sin, how will you effect Him; and your transgressions are numerous, what will you do to Him?" and said (verse 7), "or what will He take from your hand?" And this is something that is unanimous in all of the words of our teachers. And they asked in the Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:1, whether we can open [an avenue of regret] for [vows] that are between him and the Omnipresent, with the [damage done to the] honor of the Omnipresent; and they responded to this question, "which is [the damage done] to the honor of the Omnipresent - for example, the sukkah that I am not doing, the lulav that I am not holding, the tefillin that I am not laying?" And it is implied that it is [only the person] that [a commandment] helps, like the [verses], "If you are righteous, what do you give to Him,  or what will He take from your hand?" [and] "If you sin, how will you effect Him; and your transgressions are numerous, what will you do to Him?" Behold, they elucidated that even the lulav and the sukkah and the tefillin - that He commanded that they be 'a sign upon your arm and a memory device between your eyes, that the Lord took you out of Egypt with a strong hand' - are not for the honor of the Lord, may He be blessed, but [rather] to have mercy on our souls. And they already set this into the prayer of Yom Kippur, "You have separated man from the start and recognized him to stand in front of You, as who will say to You what to do, and if he is righteous, what will he give to You?" And so [too], it stated in the Torah (Deuteronomy 10:13), "for your good," as I have explained (Ramban on Deuteronomy 10:13); and so [too] (Deuteronomy 6:24), "And He commanded us to do all of these statutes to fear the Lord, our God, for our good all of the days." And the intention in all of them is that it be good for us and not for Him, may He blessed and elevated; but all that we are commanded is [so that] His creatures be purified and cleansed without the dross of evil thoughts and disgusting character traits. And so that which they said (Berakhot 33a), "[It is because] he makes the traits of the Holy One, blessed be He into mercy and they are only decrees," is to say that God did not worry about the nest of the bird and His 'mercy did not reach' it and its child; as His mercy does not extend to creatures with an animal soul, to prevent us from doing what we need to them. As were it so, slaughtering would be forbidden. But [rather], the reason for the proscription is to teach us the trait of mercy and that we not become cruel. Since cruelty spreads in the soul of a man, as it is known with butchers that slaughter large oxen and donkeys, that they are 'people of blood,' 'slaughterers of men' [and] very cruel. And because of this they said (Kiddushin 82a), "The best of butchers are the partners of Amalek." And behold, these commandments with animals and birds are not mercy upon them, but [rather] decrees upon us, to guide us and to teach us the good character traits. And so [too] all of the commandments - positive and negative - are called decrees; as they said (Mekhilta, Bechodesh 6) about a parable of a king that entered into a country: "His servants said to him, 'Make decrees upon them.' He said [back] to them, 'When they accept My kingship, I will make decrees upon them.' So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say; 'You accepted My Kingship - "I am the Lord, your God" (Exodus 20:2) - [now,] accept My decrees - "there shall be for you no, etc."' (Exodus 20:3)." But in the Midrash of Rabbi Nechunia ben HaKaneh, there is a midrash [that explains] that there is a secret in the commandment: "Rabbi Rechumai said, 'Why is it written, "Surely send away the mother" and it did not say, "the father?" But rather, "Surely send the mother" is in honor of that Discernment (<i>Binah</i>), the Mother of the world, as it is written (Proverbs 2:3), "But you will call discernment, Mother."' What is 'and the children take for yourself?' Rabbi Rechumai said, 'Those children that she grew.' And what are they? The seven days of the sukkah and the laws of the seven days of the week, etc." And behold, this commandment hints to a great matter, and therefore its reward is very large - "so that it will be good for you and you will lengthen your days."
  
  
  
  
  
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  Because they met you not with bread and with water we find (Deut. 2:28-29) "Thou shalt sell me food for money that I might eat and give me water for money that I might drink ... as the children of Esau who dwell in Se'ir and the Moabites who dwell in Ar" and many say that they did not go forth to them, but Israel bought from them, and this is foolishness, because it is sufficient for the camp that they are sold food when they want to buy it, and also because Israel did enter the border of Moab and the Moabites took out bread and water for them in exchange for money, and the text will tell that the Moabites did as the sons of Esau did, and why should the Moabite be forever banished for this and the Edomite not be so despised, and Rabbi Avraham says (Deut. 2:29) that the reason it says "as the children of Esau that dwell in Seir, and the Moabites that dwell in Ar, did unto me" on the passage through their country on the way (Deut. 2:27) but did not sell them bread and water since they passed Har Seir and Ar, only the king of Edom did not allow them to pass through the land in which he dwells, and this is what it says (Num. 20:18) "you will not pass through me" and this too is foolishness because they said to the king of Edom  We will pass through your land and Edom refused to let Israel pass through their borders (Num. 20:21) thus they did not at all enter the border of Edom, and thus it says (Num. 21:4) "They travelled from Hor Hahar through the Red Sea to circle the land of Edom" because they needed to return through the Red Sea from Hor Hahar which is on the border of the land of Edom and they did not enter the land of Edom at all, and Yiftach said in his explanation (Judges 11:16-18) "But when they came up from Egypt, and Israel walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh; then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying: Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land; but the king of Edom hearkened not. And in like manner he sent unto the king of Moab; but he would not; and Israel abode in Kadesh; Then he walked through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they pitched on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab." Here it is explicit that they did not enter at all into the land of Edom nor into the land of Moab and if they had entered there they would have been sold bread and water since it is not the custom to allow a people's army to pass through the land and not have bread and water sold to them, and it seems to me that the pasuk distanced these two brothers who recieved kindness from Avraham who saved their father and mother from the sword and cativity (Gen. 14:16) and in whose merit God sent them from the destruction (Gen. 19:29) and they owed kindness to Israel, but they did them an ill turn, the one by hiring Bilam ben Be'or, and those are the Moabites, and the other who did not recieve them with bread and water when Israel approached them, as it says (Deut. 2:18-19) you are passing today the border of Moav, Ar, and approaching Bnei Ammon, and here the verse warns them (Deut. 2:19) Don't harass them and don't contend with them and they didn't welcome them at all, since then the verse would have said "as the sons of Esau, the Moabites and the Ammonites did", but the Ammonites are not mentioned since they did not welcome them, and thus Ammon was more wicked than the others, since the sons of Esau and the Moabites, when they knew that Israel would not contend with them, brought out bread and water outside their borders, and Ammon did not deign to do so, and this is the reason for |"who did not welcome them", that they did not go forth towards them with bread and water as the others did, and therefore the verse mentioned the "Ammonite" first, and mentioned his crime first, that they didn't welcome them, and only then mentioned the "Moabite" and their sin. Chazal learned (Yebamot 76) an Ammonite male, and not an Ammonite femal, a Moabite male and not a Moabite female since the way of the man is to go forth, and the way of the woman is not to go forth to bring food outside the borders of the country, and it is also written in the Yerushalmi ( Yebamot perek 8 halacha 3) and in Rut Rabati (4:8) since the way  of the man is to hire, and it is not the way of the woman to hire.
  
  
  
  
  
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  1 After she was defiled.  "This includes a sotah (suspected adultress) who secluded herself (with another man)," says Rashi.  But this means a woman who slept around on her husband (had sexual relations with other men while married to her husband) - but regarding the sotah (suspected adultress) who only secluded herself (with another man), it is not know whether she is defiled, and thus [if her current husband welcomes her back after only secluding herself with another man] he does not transgress this negative commandment.  And it is explained thus in the first chapter of Yevamot (11)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  This day, the Lord your God commands you to do: Behold Moses finished explaining the Torah and presenting new laws that God had commanded him to present. Hence, he said, "This day, the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and judgments" - as I have already completed it all for you...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  The meaning of "because this commandment".  Refers to the whole torah. And this is correct because of the whole torah it says (Deuteronomy 8:1) "All the commandment which I [God] command you today". But "this commandment" refers to repentance. Because [the verses] "you will return in your hearts" (Deuteronomy 30:1) and "you will return to the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 30:2) [prove that] the commandment (to return) that He commanded us to do [is a commandment].  And it was said indirectly to hint at the promise because it will be this way in the future. And the reason to say this is because if your wanderers be in the edges of the heaven and you are in the hands of the nations you will be able to return to God and to do all I [God] command to you today. Because this thing is not  too esoteric or distant for you, but rather is very close to you to do it in every time and in every place. And this is the meaning of "in your mouth and in your heart to do it": That they should confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors with their mouths and return in their hearts to God and welcome onto themselves today the torah to do it the generations as it is mentioned (Deuteronomy 30:2) "you and your children with all of your heart" as I have explained there.   
  
  
  
  
  
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  That they may hear, and that they may learn: [refers to] the men and the women, since [the women] also hear and learn to fear God. And their children, who have not known, will hear, and learn (verse 13): Those are the <i>taf</i> ("the little ones" referred to in verse 12), as they will hear and inquire and the fathers will [help them understand] and teach them. Since these <i>taf</i> are not suckling babes, but [rather] they are those of few years, that are close to being [old enough to be] educated. And this is the explanation of "and learn to fear" (verse 13) - that it is in the future, since above [concerning the men and the women], it states, "and they will learn and fear" [immediately as they learn]. But our rabbis said (Chagigah 3), "'the men' to learn 'and the women' to listen 'and the <i>taf</i>,' why should he come? To give reward to those that bring them." 
  
  
  
  
  
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  And this song is to be a reliable witness, which will describe in great detail all that will happen to us. It opens with the Chessed that God Almighty did with us since he took us as His portion. It mentions the good He did for us in the desert.
  
  
  
  
  
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  A man of God- To say that his blessings were always fulfilled, because he was a man of God. And the prayers of the righteous are God's desire. 
  
  
  
  
  
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  And in all the strong hand: The splitting of the Red Sea, as it is stated about it (Exodus 14:31), "And Israel saw the great hand." the great dread: The stand at Mount Sinai, as it is stated about it (Exodus 20:17), "so that His dread will be upon your faces."