Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 10:16/רמב"ן על דברים י׳:ט״ז

אוּמַלְתֶּם אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְבַבְכֶם פָּתוּחַ לָדַעַת הָאֱמֶת, לֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם עַד הַיּוֹם שֶׁלֹּא נָתַן ה' לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת וְעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת וְאָזְנַיִם לִשְׁמֹעַ:

1CIRCUMCISE THEREFORE THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART — that your heart be open to know the truth, not as you have done to this day, for the Eternal hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear [unto this day].²⁵²

בוְעָרְפְּכֶם לֹא תַקְשׁוּ עוֹד, שֶׁלֹּא תִּהְיוּ כַּאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם דּוֹר סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ עִם הַמִּצְרִים וַיִּלְמְדוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, וְהֵם קָשִׁים לַעֲזֹב דַּרְכָּם כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשׂוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל וּקְרָאָם שָׁם (שמות לב ט) עַם קְשֵׁי עֹרֶף, שֶׁלֹּא יָשׁוּבוּ מִן הַטָּעוּת שֶׁנִּכְנַס בְּלִבָּם לַחְשֹׁב שֶׁיֵּשׁ תּוֹעֶלֶת בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַמַּלְאָכִים אוֹ צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם. אֲבָל אַתֶּם תֵּדְעוּ וְתַשְׂכִּילוּ וְתַאֲמִינוּ כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים, אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים הֵם מַלְאֲכֵי מַעְלָה, וַאֲדוֹנֵי הָאֲדוֹנִים כָּל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם מֶמְשָׁלָה בַּשְּׁפָלִים, כִּי הוּא הָאָדוֹן אֲשֶׁר שָׂם לָהֶם מִשְׁטָרָם בָּאָרֶץ, וְלוֹ הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה, וְהוּא נוֹרָא בְּתִפְאֶרֶת עֻזּוֹ, אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשָּׂא פָנִים לְאֶחָד מִן הָאֱלֹהִים וְהָאֲדוֹנִים לְהָגֵן עַל עוֹבְדֵיהֶם, וְלֹא יִקַּח שֹׁחַד מִיַּד אָדָם. וּפֵרְשׁוּ בַּשֹּׁחַד, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ חָסִיד גָּמוּר שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר עֲבֵרָה לֹא יִקַּח מִמֶּנּוּ מִצְוָה מִמִּצְוֹתָיו בְּשֹׁחַד לְכַפֵּר לוֹ, אֲבָל יַעֲנִישֵׁהוּ עַל חֲטָאָיו וְיִגְמֹל לוֹ כְּכָל טוֹבוֹתָיו. וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם דְּלֵית קָדָמוֹהִי מִסַּב אַפִּין וְאַף לָא לְקַבָּלָא שֻׁחְדָּא, יִתְכַּוֵּן לְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא מִשִּׁבְחֵי הַשְּׁלִילוֹת בַּבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ, יֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב שֶׁאֵין הַשֵּׁם בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁיִּשָּׂא פָּנִים, כִּי לֹא יִרְאֶנּוּ הָאָדָם וָחַי, וְהַכֹּל כְּאַיִן נֶגְדּוֹ וּמֵאֶפֶס וָתֹהוּ נֶחְשְׁבוּ לוֹ, וְלֹא בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁיִּקַּח שֹׁחַד וּמָמוֹן מֵאָדָם כַּמְּלָכִים וְשׁוֹפְטֵי הָאָרֶץ. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי שֶׁיֹּאמַר אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשָּׂא פָנִים, לִגְדוֹלֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם בְּרִבָם עִם קְטַנֵּיהֶם. וְלֹא יִקַּח שֹׁחַד, מֵעֲשִׁירֵיהֶם בְּרִיבָם עִם דַּל, כִּי הוּא עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה מִן הַגְּדוֹלִים וְקָבַע אֶת קֹבְעֵיהֶם נָפֶשׁ. וְאֹהֵב גֵּר לָתֶת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה, וְהֵם כָּל צָרְכֵי הָאָדָם, וְהִנֵּה הוּא יְפַרְנֵס הָעֲנִיִּים אֲשֶׁר אֵין לָהֶם אוֹהֵב וָרֵעַ:

2AND BE NO MORE STIFFNECKED — that you be not as your fathers,²⁵³ a stubborn and rebellious generation,²⁵⁴ because they dwelled with the Egyptians and learned their works,²⁵⁵, 106:35. and were obdurate about discarding their ways as [shown by the fact] they made the [golden] calf, and He called them there it is a stiffnecked people,²⁵⁶ meaning that they will not disavow the mistake that had entered their hearts to think that there is some benefit in worshipping the angels or the host of heaven. But you are to know, to be wise and to believe For the Eternal your G-d, He is G-d of gods, and Lord of lords.²⁵⁷ G-d of ‘gods’ is a reference to the angels above, and the Lord of ‘lords’ is an allusion to all the host of heaven to whom dominion over the lower creatures belongs, for He is the Lord Who established their authority on earth, and His is the greatness and the power,²⁵⁸ and He is to be feared in the beauty of His strength,²⁵⁹ Who regarded not any one²⁵⁷ of the angels or the lords to protect their worshippers, nor taketh bribery²⁵⁷ from the hand of a person. Now on this matter of bribery [to G-d] they²⁶⁰ have explained its meaning to be that even if a perfectly pious person should commit a sin, He will not accept from him any of his meritious deeds, as a bribe in atonement for him. And Onkelos translated: “[He is the great G-d] before Whom there is no regard for persons, nor the acceptance of a bribe.” Onkelos thus meant to explain that the verse is in praise of negative attributes of the Creator, blessed be He.²⁶¹ The verse is thus stating that G-d is not of the category [of beings] that regards persons, for men shall not see Him and live,²⁶² and everything is as nothing before Him; they are accounted by Him as things of nought, and vanity;²⁶³ nor is He of the category of beings that take a bribe or reward from man like kings and judges of a land.The correct interpretation in my opinion is that he is stating that G-d is not partial to powerful persons in their quarrel with their inferiors, nor does He take a bribe from the rich when they strive with the poor, for He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow²⁶⁴ from the powerful, and despoileth life of those that despoil them.²⁶⁵ And He loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment,²⁶⁴ these being all the essential needs of man. Thus He supports the poor who have no friend and companion.