Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 13:16/רמב"ן על דברים י״ג:ט״ז
אהַחֲרֵם אֹתָהּ וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ, אוֹתָהּ, הֵם אֲנָשִׁים הַנִּדָּחִים. וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ, הַנָּשִׁים הַנִּגְרָרוֹת אַחַר הָאֲנָשִׁים. אֲבָל הַטַּף שֶׁהֵם קְטַנִּים בִּזְכָרִים וּבִנְקֵבוֹת אֵין מְמִיתִין אוֹתָן. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי, חָנָן אוֹמֵר לֹא יוּמְתוּ אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְגוֹ', בְּעִיר הַנִּדַּחַת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר. אֲבָל בַּתּוֹסֶפְתָּא שֶׁל מַסֶּכֶת סַנְהֶדְרִין (פי"ד ה"א) נֶחְלְקוּ בָּהּ, קְטַנֵּי בְּנֵי אַנְשֵׁי עִיר הַנִּדַּחַת שֶׁהֻדְּחוּ עִמָּהּ אֵין נֶהֱרָגִין, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר נֶהֱרָגִין. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם וְנָתַן לְךָ רַחֲמִים וְרִחַמְךָ וְהִרְבֶּךָ (דברים י"ג:י"ח), אִם לְרַחֵם עַל הַגְּדוֹלִים, הֲרֵי כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר הַחֲרֵם אֹתָהּ וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ וְאֶת בְּהֶמְתָּהּ, וּמָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם וְרִחַמְךָ וְהִרְבֶּךָ, אֵלּוּ קְטַנִּים שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ וְכוּ'. וְהִנֵּה כָּל אֵלּוּ הַמִּצְוֹת בֵּאוּר מָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (שמות כב יט) זוֹבֵחַ לָאֱלֹהִים יָחֳרָם, וְעַתָּה בֵּאֵר הַחֵרֶם מַהוּ בַּמְּדִיחִים וּבָעוֹבְדִים:
1DESTROY IT UTTERLY, AND ALL THAT IS THEREIN. [Destroy] ‘it’ [utterly] — the men that have gone astray [after the idols]; and all that is therein — the women who followed after the men. But the children who are minors, among males and females, are not killed. And so the Rabbis said in the Sifre:185 94. “Chanan186: “Abba Chanan.” says: It is written, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers187 — the verse is speaking with reference to an apostate city.” But in the Tosephta188 of Tractate Sanhedrin we find a difference of opinion regarding this matter:189 “Minors, children of people of an apostate city, who have gone astray with [the city] are not killed. Rabbi Eliezer says they are killed. Rabbi Akiba said to him: How do I fulfill then the verse, and He will give thee compassion, and make thee compassionate, and multiply thee etc.?190 If its intent is to show mercy to the adults, it is already stated, destroy it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof etc. And how then do I fulfill and make thee compassionate, and multiply thee? By applying it to the children therein etc.” Thus all these commandments are explanatory of what it says in the Torah, He that sacrificeth unto the gods shall be utterly destroyed,191 and now he explained the nature of this “utter destruction” with reference to inciters and the worshippers [of idols].