Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 12:30/רמב"ן על דברים י״ב:ל׳

אהִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תִּנָּקֵשׁ אַחֲרֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵי הִשָּׁמְדָם מִפָּנֶיךָ, אַחַר שֶׁתִּרְאֶה שֶׁאַשְׁמִידֵם מִפָּנֶיךָ יֵשׁ לָתֵת לֵב מִפְּנֵי מָה נִשְׁתַּמְּדוּ אֵלּוּ, מִפְּנֵי מַעֲשִׂים מְקֻלְקָלִים שֶׁבִּידֵיהֶם, אַף אַתָּה לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה כֵן שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹאוּ אֲחֵרִים וְיַשְׁמִידוּךָ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים י"ב:ל'). וְאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה זֶה אַזְהָרָה וְהַתְרָאָה מִלַּעֲבֹד ע"ז, וְכֵן כָּתַב אֵיכָה יַעַבְדוּ, לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא עָנַשׁ עַל ע"ז אֶלָּא עַל זִבּוּחַ וְקִטּוּר וְנִסּוּךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות כב יט) בִּלְתִּי לַה' לְבַדּוֹ, דְּבָרִים הַנַּעֲשִׂים לְגָבוֹהַּ, בָּא וְלִמֶּדְךָ כָּאן שֶׁאִם דַּרְכָּהּ שֶׁל ע"ז לְעָבְדָהּ בְּדָבָר אַחֵר, כְּגוֹן פּוֹעֵר לִפְעוֹר וְזוֹרֵק אֶבֶן לְמַרְקוּלִיס שֶׁהִיא עֲבוֹדָתוֹ, חַיָּב, וְחַיָּב עַל זִבּוּחַ וְקִטּוּר וְנִסּוּךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא כְדַרְכָּהּ, עכ"ל. וְזֶה אֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן, כִּי הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כֵן לַה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אִם כֵּן אֵינָהּ אַזְהָרָה בַּעֲבוֹדָה לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם רַק שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲבֹד הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם, כַּאֲשֶׁר נָתַן הַטַּעַם כִּי כָל תּוֹעֲבַת ה' אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵא עָשׂוּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'. אֲבָל פֵּרוּשׁ הַפָּרָשָׁה כִּי עַד הֵנָּה צִוָּה פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת כִּי בְּבוֹאֵנוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ נַעֲקֹר ע"ז וּמְשַׁמְּשֶׁיהָ וּנְאַבֵּד אֶת שְׁמָם, וְצִוָּה שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה זֶה מִיָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ יוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתָם מִיָּד, וְעַתָּה אָמַר כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יַכְרִית ה' הַגּוֹיִם הָהֵם מִפָּנֵינוּ וְיִשְׁתַּקַּע שָׁם ע"ז מִן הָאָרֶץ וְנֵשֵׁב בְּאַרְצָם לָבֶטַח, לֹא נַחְשֹׁב בְּלִבֵּנוּ הִנֵּה הִכְרִית הַשֵּׁם מִפָּנֵינוּ עוֹבְדֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹשִׂים כָּבוֹד בַּעֲבוֹדָה שְׁלֵמָה לְמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם עֵץ וָאֶבֶן, וְאֵין רָאוּי לָתֵת כְּבוֹדוֹ לְאַחֵר וּתְהִלָּתוֹ לַפְּסִילִים, כִּי כֵן אָסַר זִבּוּחַ וְקִטּוּר וְנִסּוּךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה בִּלְתִּי לְהַשֵּׁם לְבַדּוֹ, וְהַנָּהוּג בַּמְּלָכִים כִּי הַמִּתְהַדֵּר בִּכְבוֹדָם לָתֵת עֲטָרָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ אוֹ לִלְבֹּשׁ לְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת כָּהֶם אַחַת דָּתוֹ לְהָמִית, אִם כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה אֲנִי לַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיוּ עוֹשִׂים הַגּוֹיִם לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וְיִיטַב לְפָנָיו. לָכֵן הִזְהִיר לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כֵן, כִּי הַדְּבָרִים הַמְתֹעָבִים לְפָנָיו הָיוּ עוֹשִׂים לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, וְלֹא אֲסָרָם מִפְּנֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיָה נִכְבָּד וְרָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם לְבַדּוֹ, רַק מִפְּנֵי הַכַּוָּנָה שֶׁהָיְתָה בָּהֶם לַעֲבֹד אֱלֹהוּת, כִּי גַם אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת בְּנֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂרְפוּ בָאֵשׁ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר מְתֹעָב לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם לִשְׁפֹּךְ דָּם נָקִי, וְאַף כִּי לִהְיוֹת אַכְזָרִי עַל פְּרִי בֶּטֶן לֹא יְרַחֵמוּ, וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר (דברים י"ג:א') אֵת כָּל הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם וְגוֹ', לְהַזְהִיר עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת וַעֲבוֹדַת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁלֹּא תֹסֵף עָלָיו וְלֹא תִגְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ, וְזֶה עִנְיָן הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת בֶּאֱמֶת. אֲבָל רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סנהדרין ס) שֶׁלָּמְדוּ מִכָּאן לְעוֹבֵד ע"ז כְּדַרְכָּהּ שֶׁחַיָּב עָלֶיהָ לְעוֹלָם אֲפִלּוּ פּוֹעֵר עַצְמוֹ לִפְעוֹר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב אֵיכָה יַעַבְדוּ, לְלַמֵּד כִּי תִּקָּרֵא עֲבוֹדָה בָּאֵיכוּת הַהוּא וְיִהְיֶה בִּכְלַל וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם (שמות כ ה), אֲבָל אִם יִזְרֹק אֶבֶן לִפְעוֹר, אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד שֶׁיְּחַבֵּק וִינַשֵּׁק, אוֹ שֶׁיְּכַבֵּד וִירַבֵּץ לְפָנָיו, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב מִיתָה. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט הִזְהִיר בְּרֹאשׁ הַסֵּדֶר (דברים י"ב:ד') לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לְעָבְדוֹ כֵּאלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים עַל הֶהָרִים הָרָמִים בְּקָרְבְּנוֹתָיו, וְעַתָּה בַּפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת הִזְהִיר לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כֵן לַה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לְעָבְדוֹ בְּמִקְדָּשׁוֹ בָּעֲבוֹדוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם:

1TAKE HEED TO THYSELF THAT THOU BE NOT ENSNARED TO FOLLOW THEM, AFTER THEY ARE DESTROYED FROM BEFORE THEE. “After you see that I destroy them from before you, [you should] pay attention as to why these [nations] were destroyed — because of their corrupt practices. So you too, should not do the same so that others should not come and destroy you.” This is Rashi’s language. And if so, this verse becomes an admonition and warning against idol-worship. And Rashi also wrote on the expression [in the verse before us]: “How did these nations serve their gods, even so will I do likewise. Because Scripture has punished idolatry only for sacrificing, burning incense, pouring a libation, and bowing down, as it is written, [He that sacrificeth unto the gods] save unto the Eternal only, [shall be utterly destroyed,⁹³ thus establishing the penalty only for those] acts which are performed in the service of G-d, therefore it comes and teaches you here that if the method of worshipping a [particular] idol was something other [than the four ways specified above,] — for example, excreting to [Baal] Peor or throwing a stone to Merkulis, this being its customary manner of worship — he is liable [to the death penalty]. One is also liable for [worshipping any idol whatever, in any one of the four specified ways] sacrificing, burning incense, pouring a libation, and bowing down even if it is not the customary way.” Thus far Rashi’s language. But this is not correct, for the [following] verse states, Thou shalt not do so unto the Eternal thy G-d.⁹⁴ If so, the verse [before us] is not an admonition against worshipping their gods, [for it would be incongruous to follow this prohibition with an admonition not to worship G-d] but only that we should not worship the Glorious G-d⁹⁵ with their forms of worship, just as he gave the reason, for every abomination to the Eternal, which He hateth, have they done unto their gods etc.⁹⁴Rather, the meaning of this section is as follows: Up to here he has commanded many times that when we come into the Land we are to uproot the idols and their appurtenances, and destroy their names, and he further commanded that we do this immediately upon dispossessing the nations. Now he stated that when the Eternal will cut off these nations from before us, and the names of the idols will be forgotten in the Land, and we shall dwell in their land securely, we should not think in our hearts thus: “Now G-d has cut away from before us the worshippers of other gods because they gave honor and reverential service to [the idols, which are] the work of men’s hands.⁹⁶ And it is not proper to give His glory to another, neither His praise to graven images,⁹⁷ for so He prohibited sacrificing, burning incense, pouring a libation, and bowing down, save unto the Eternal only,⁹³ and it is customary among kings that anyone who glorifies himself with their honor, putting the crown on his own head or wearing the royal raiment like kings there is one law for him, that he be put to death.⁹⁸ If so, I will do unto the Glorious Name⁹⁵ just as the nations did to their gods and it will be pleasing unto Him.” Therefore he warned, Thou shalt not do so,⁹⁴ for they would do to their gods things that are abominable to Him. He did not prohibit them [these ways with which they worshipped the idols] because of those acts that are reputable and appropriate to be done before G-d alone [i.e. sacrificing, burning incense, pouring a libation, and bowing down]; rather, because of the intent they had in performing them to serve idols [they had to be prohibited]. For even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods,⁹⁴ it being an abominable thing before G-d to shed innocent blood,⁹⁹ and all the more to be cruel and have no pity on the fruit of the womb.¹⁰⁰, 13:18. [Hence any form of service instituted by people capable of such cruelty is considered an abomination by G-d and no ceremony of theirs is to be adopted by us.] Therefore, he stated All this word which I command you, that shall ye observe to do,¹⁰¹ the reference being to the performance of the offerings and the Service in the Sanctuary that thou art not to add thereto, nor diminish from it.¹⁰¹ This is in truth the purport of this section.Our Rabbis, however, have deduced¹⁰² from here that for worshipping an idol in its normal manner, one is always guilty even if he excreted to [Baal] Peor, [an act that would be an expression of contempt everywhere except in the temple of Peor]. The principle is derived from the expression, how did these nations serve their gods?,¹⁰³ teaching that if it is considered “worship” in terms of that [idol] it is included in the prohibition nor shalt thou serve them.¹⁰⁴ But if he throws a stone at [Baal] Peor [which is a manner of worship peculiar only to Merkulis] or even if it be some manifestation of respect, such as sweeping or sprinkling [before the idol] he is not guilty of a capital offense [since that is not a mode of “worship”].In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, he warned at the beginning of the section, Ye shall not do so unto the Eternal your G-d¹⁰⁵ meaning that we are not to worship Him like [they worship] the gods of the nations upon the high mountains¹⁰⁶, Verse 2. with offerings to Him, and now in this section he warned, Thou shalt not do so unto the Eternal thy G-d⁹⁴ — to worship Him in His Sanctuary with their manners of worship.