Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 12:4/רמב"ן על דברים י״ב:ד׳

אלֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לְהַקְטִיר לַשָּׁמַיִם בְּכָל מָקוֹם, כִּי אִם בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹתָם וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן, אַזְהָרָה לְמוֹחֵק אֶת הַשֵּׁם וּלְנוֹתֵץ אֶבֶן אַחַת מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אוֹ מִן הָעֲזָרָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְכִי תַּעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נוֹתְצִין הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשׂוּ כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְיִגְרְמוּ עֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם לְמִקְדַּשׁ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם לֵחָרֵב, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים י"ב:ד'). וְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל סְמָךְ שֶׁל אַגָּדָה הֵם, אֲבָל הַכָּתוּב כְּדַעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אַזְהָרָה לְמוֹחֵק אֶת הַשֵּׁם, וּמְפֹרָשׁ בְּמַסֶּכֶת מַכּוֹת (מכות כ"ב), וְהָא אִיכָּא מוֹחֵק אֶת הַשֵּׁם דְּלָקֵי, וְאַזְהָרְתֵּהּ מֵהָכָא, לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. וּלְשׁוֹן סִפְרֵי (ראה ז), מִנַּיִן לְנוֹתֵץ אֶבֶן אַחַת וְכוּ', רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר מִנַּיִן לְמוֹחֵק אוֹת אַחַת מִן הַשֵּׁם שֶׁעוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן, רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּרַבִּי אוֹמֵר, וְכִי תַּעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ וְכוּ'. וְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אֵינָם בְּמַחְלֹקֶת, אֲבָל הֵם בֵּאוּר, כִּי מוֹחֵק אֶת הַשֵּׁם כְּנוֹתֵץ אֶבֶן מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ הַכָּתוּב וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹתָם וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת שְׁמָם מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לִנְתֹּץ אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹ וּלְאַבֵּד אֶת שְׁמוֹ, אֲבָל תְּנוּ כָבוֹד לִשְׁמוֹ וּלְמִזְבְּחוֹ, וְאֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר בּוֹ לָשׂוּם שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לִשְׁמוֹ תִּדְרְשׁוּ, וְתָבִיאוּ עוֹלוֹתֵיכֶם לְפָנָיו:

1YE SHALL NOT DO SO UNTO THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D — “to burn offerings to G-d at any place [you choose], but only at the place He shall choose.¹⁵ Another interpretation: And ye shall break down their altars etc., and ye shall destroy their name¹⁶ — ye shall not do so unto the Eternal your G-d, this being an admonition against erasing the Name of G-d, or dismantling any stone of the altar or of the Sanctuary Court. Said Rabbi Yishmael: ‘Could it even occur to you that the Israelites would break down the altars [of G-d]? But the meaning of the verse is that you are not to imitate the deeds [of the idolators] lest your sins cause your ancestors’ Sanctuary to be destroyed.’” This is Rashi’s language. Now the words of Rabbi Yishmael are words of Agadah (homily) based on a Scriptural support [and they are not meant to be taken as the plain meaning of the verse]. However, the verse according to the opinion of our Rabbis, constitutes an admonition against erasing the Divine Name. It is so expressly stated in Tractate Makkoth:¹⁷ “But there is yet the penalty for erasing the Divine Name which is whipping, and the prohibition is to be found in these words, Ye shall not do so unto the Eternal.” And the language of the Sifre is as follows:¹⁸ 61. “Whence do I know that he who dismantles one stone [of the altar] etc.? Rabbi Yishmael says: ‘Whence do I know that he who erases one letter of the Divine Name transgresses a negative commandment? Because it is written, and ye shall destroy their name¹⁶ — Ye shall not do so unto the Eternal your G-d.’ Rabban¹⁹ Gamaliel the son of Rabbi²⁰ says: ‘But how could it occur to you [that the Israelites would dismantle] etc.’” Thus [it is clear that] the words of Rabbi Yishmael [quoted by Rashi] were not meant to dispute [the opinion of the unnamed First Sage];²¹ etc., to be only an admonition against erasing G-d’s Name, and that such is also the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Yishmael’s words quoted by Rashi are a clarification, teaching that “erasing the Divine Name is equivalent to dismantling a stone of the Divine altar.” Furthermore, the text quoted by Rashi in the name of Rabbi Yishmael is attributed by the Sifre to Rabban Gamaliel, which perforce is only a homiletic statement, that sinning is tantamount to destruction of G-d’s altar. Hence the same text in Rashi must also be understood in the same light (Mizrachi). rather, they are a clarification that erasing the Divine Name is equivalent to dismantling a stone of the altar. And if so, the meaning of the verses would be: “And ye shall break down their altars etc. and ye shall destroy their name out of that place — but ye shall not do so unto the Eternal your G-d to break down His altar, nor to destroy His Name. Instead, give glory to His Name²² and His altar, and to the place which He shall choose there to establish His altar; to [the place where] His Name dwells shall you seek, and bring your burnt-offerings before Him.”