Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 1:37/רמב"ן על דברים א׳:ל״ז

אגַּם בִּי הִתְאַנַּף ה' בִּגְלַלְכֶם, יֹאמַר הִנֵּה חַטַּאתְכֶם אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם בָּעֵת הַהִיא בַּמְּרַגְּלִים מָנְעוּ מִכֶּם הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה, וְעוֹד הוֹסַפְתֶּם לַחֲטֹא בְּפַעַם אַחֶרֶת עַד שֶׁמְּנַעְתֶּם גַּם אוֹתִי מִלַּעֲבֹר, כִּי רָצָה לְהַזְכִּיר יַחַד עֹנֶשׁ כָּל הַנִּמְנָעִים מֵעֲבוֹר אֶל הָאָרֶץ, כִּי הַכֹּל בִּגְרָמַת עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם, וּכְדֵי שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר כָּאן עִנְיַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי הוּא יַעֲבֹר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמִּלֵּא אַחֲרֵי ה' כַּחֲבֵרוֹ, וְיִזְכֶּה עוֹד שֶׁיַּנְחִיל הָאָרֶץ לַדּוֹר הַשֵּׁנִי, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁנֶּעֱנַשׁ מֹשֶׁה וְנִגְזַר עָלָיו שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲבֹר. וְהִנֵּה הִזְכִּיר כָּל הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַהוּא זוּלָתִי מַגֵּפַת הַמְרַגְּלִים עַצְמָם, וְגַם לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַדִּבָּה, כִּי לֹא יְדַבֵּר בִּגְנַאי הַיְּחִידִים, אֲבָל יוֹכִיחַ אֶת הָרַבִּים שֶׁכֻּלָּם חָטְאוּ וְכֻלָּם נֶעֶנְשׁוּ. וְטַעַם בִּגְלַלְכֶם, כִּי רָבוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת ה' וְגוֹ' (במדבר כ יג), וְאֵרַע כָּל זֶה בַּעֲבוּר מְרִיבַתְכֶם, אוֹ יִרְמֹז שֶׁהָיָה הַכַּעַס עַל מֹשֶׁה וְעַל אַהֲרֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר הִכּוּ הַסֶּלַע פַּעֲמַיִם לִפְנֵי הָעָם וְלֹא עָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִצְטַוּוּ, וְהָעָם הִרְהֲרוּ בַּדָּבָר. וְהוּא מָה שֶׁאָמַר (דברים לב נא), עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה הָעֹנֶשׁ אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא נִתְקַדֵּשׁ הַכָּבוֹד לְעֵינֵיהֶם. וְכָךְ אָמַר בְּסִפְרֵי (האזינו נ), עַל אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בִּי (שם), אַתֶּם גְּרַמְתֶּם לִמְעוֹל, עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי, אַתֶּם גְּרַמְתֶּם שֶׁלֹּא לְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתִי, כַּאֲשֶׁר מְרִיתֶם פִּי (במדבר כז יד), אַתֶּם גְּרַמְתֶּם לַמְרוֹת אֶת פִּי. עָשׂוּ כָּל הַלְּשׁוֹנוֹת יוֹצְאִים אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי הָעִנְיָן (שם כ ח):

1ALSO THE ETERNAL WAS ANGRY WITH ME, FOR YOUR SAKES. He is stating: “Behold, the sin you committed then in the affair of the spies withheld from you the good Land, and yet you continued to sin another time [i.e., at the waters of Meribah] until you prevented me as well, from crossing [the Jordan].” For Moses wanted to mention simultaneously that the punishment of all who were prevented from passing into the Land, was caused by their sins. Also in order to mention here the matter of Joshua,¹¹² that he would cross over because he followed G-d wholeheartedly as did his colleague [Caleb],¹¹³ and, therefore, he will yet deserve to cause the second generation to inherit the Land, because Moses was punished and it was decreed upon him that he was not to cross [the Jordan]. Thus Moses mentioned the whole affair [of the spies] except for the death by plague of the spies themselves.¹¹⁴, Verse 37. Nor did he mention the slander [of the spies that the Land eateth up the inhabitants thereof],¹⁰⁴ for he would not speak of the shame of individuals. Instead he reproved the multitude all of whom sinned and all of whom were punished.The meaning of the expression for your sakes [Also the Eternal was angry with me, ‘for your sakes’] is that the children of Israel strove with the Eternal etc.¹¹⁵, 20:13. [at the waters of Meribah], and all this happened because of your quarrel. Or [the expression for your sakes] may allude to the fact that the anger [of G-d] with Moses and Aaron was because — when they hit the rock twice¹¹⁶, Verse 11. in front of the people [instead of speaking to it] and did not do as they were commanded — the people were critical of it.¹¹⁷, Verse 1 (towards end). This is the purport of His words, because ye sanctified Me not in the midst of the children of Israel,¹¹⁸ meaning that the punishment came [not because the sin itself was so grievous, but] because it happened in the midst of the children of Israel that the Glory was not sanctified before their eyes. Thus the Rabbis have also said in the Sifre:¹¹⁹ 340. “Because ye trespassed against Me.¹¹⁸ — you caused [the people] to trespass. Because ye sanctified Me not¹¹⁸ — you caused that I not be sanctified. Because ye rebelled against My commandment¹²⁰ — you caused [the people] to rebel against My commandment.” The Rabbis [in the Sifre] thus interpreted all these expressions as transitional to Israel, [meaning, Moses and Aaron had really not sinned in the affair of the rock, but since their action was misconstrued by the people causing the people to sin, Moses and Aaron were punished]. I have already explained the subject.¹¹⁷, Verse 1 (towards end).