Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 11:18/רמב"ן על דברים י״א:י״ח
אוְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה, אַף לְאַחַר שֶׁתִּגְלוּ הֱיוּ מְצֻיָּנִין בַּמִּצְוֹת, הַנִּיחוּ תְּפִלִּין, עֲשׂוּ מְזוּזָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ עֲלֵיכֶם חֲדָשִׁים כְּשֶׁתַּחְזְרוּ, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (שם שם כ) הַצִּיבִי לְךָ צִיּוּנִים, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים י"א:י"ח). וּכְבָר כָּתַבְתִּי פֵּרוּשׁ הָעִנְיָן כִּי הַמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלֶּה חוֹבַת הַגּוּף הֵם וְדִינָם בְּכָל מָקוֹם כְּמוֹ בָּאָרֶץ, אֲבָל יֵשׁ בּוֹ בַּמִּדְרָשׁ הַזֶּה סוֹד עָמֹק וּכְבָר רָמַזְתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ (ויקרא יח כה). וְהִנֵּה הֶחְזִיר בַּמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלֶּה תְּפִלִּין וְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וּמְזוּזָה כָּאן פַּעַם שֵׁנִית, לִרְמֹז בַּהֶקֵּשׁ הַזֶּה שֶׁנִּהְיֶה חַיָּבִים בָּהֶם לְאַחַר הַגָּלוּת בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, וּמֵהֶם נִלְמוֹד לְכָל הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁהֵן חוֹבַת הַגּוּף שֶׁחִיּוּבָן בְּכָל מָקוֹם, וְשֶׁנִּהְיֶה פְּטוּרִין בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ מֵחוֹבַת הַקַּרְקַע, כְּגוֹן תְּרוּמָה וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת, כָּךְ הוּא נִדְרָשׁ בְּסִפְרֵי (עקב יז). וְכַוָּנַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁסָּמַךְ וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶל וַאֲבַדְתֶּם, אֲבָל עִקַּר הַכָּתוּב בָּאָרֶץ, דִּכְתִיב (דברים י"א:כ"א) לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם עַל הָאֲדָמָה. אוֹ יֹאמַר לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם, שֶׁתָּשׁוּבוּ וְתַאֲרִיכוּ בָּהּ יָמִים לְעוֹלָם. וְיִתָּכֵן בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט שֶׁבָּא לְהוֹסִיף בְּכָאן לְדַבֵּר בָּם, כִּי שָׁם (דברים ו':ז') צִוָּה וְדִבַּרְתָּ אַתָּה בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ, וְכָאן אָמַר שֶׁנְּלַמֵּד אוֹתָם אֶת בָּנֵינוּ עַד שֶׁיְּדַבְּרוּ בָּם הַבָּנִים בְּכָל שָׁעָה, וְכֵן הוֹסִיף בְּכָאן וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אוֹתָם, כִּי וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם שֶׁיְּסַפֵּר לָהֶם הַמִּצְוֹת, וְכָאן עַד שֶׁיִּלְמְדוּ אוֹתָם וְיֵדָעוּם וְיָבִינוּ אוֹתָם וְטַעֲמֵיהֶם לְדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ בָּם בְּכָל הָעִתִּים. וְכֵן הוֹסִיף כָּאן כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁהוּא לְדוֹר דּוֹרִים, אוֹ הֵם הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וִימֵי עוֹלָם, וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין:
1THEREFORE 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.”329, 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 written330 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!331 But there is in this Midrash332 43. Hence Ramban refers to it as “this Midrash.” a profound secret, and I have already alluded to it.333 Now he repeated these commandments about the T’fillin, the study of the words of the Torah, and the Mezuzah, a second time334 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.335 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 Land336 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;337 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.”338 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,339.’ 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,340 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,339.’ for the term v’shinantom [mentioned there]340 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 earth337 which means “for all generations,” or it may refer to the first heaven and earth, and the days of old.341 The student learned [in the mysteries of the Cabala] will understand.