Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 13:9/רמב"ן על דברים י״ג:ט׳

אלֹא תֹאבֶה לוֹ, לֹא תְהֵא תָאֵב לוֹ וְלֹא תֹּאהֲבֶנּוּ, לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט יח) וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ, אֶת זֶה לֹא תֹּאהַב, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים י"ג:ט') מִסִּפְרֵי (ראה סז). אֲבָל בַּגְּמָרָא (סנהדרין סא) אָמְרוּ, הָא אָבָה וְשָׁמַע חַיָּב. וְכֵן הַדָּבָר, כִּי אָבָה לְשׁוֹן רָצוֹן, וְלֹא אָבָה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל בִּלְעָם (דברים כ"ג:ו'), לֹא רָצָה, לֹא אָבָה יַבְּמִי (דברים כ"ה:ז'), מִמָּה שֶׁאָמַר (שם) וְאִם לֹא יַחְפֹּץ. וְהִנֵּה לֹא תֹאבֶה לוֹ, בַּלֵּב, וְלֹא תִשְׁמַע אֵלָיו, שֶׁתּוֹדֶה לוֹ לוֹמַר כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה, אֵלֵךְ וְאֶעֱבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ, וְהוּא חַיָּב מִיתָה בְּהוֹדָאָתוֹ. וְכֵן דַּעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על דברים י"ג:ט'), לָא תְקַבֵּל מִנֵּהּ. וְאֵלּוּ הַלָּאוִין כְּמוֹ וְלֹא תִתְאַוֶּה וְלֹא תַחְמֹד (דברים ה':י"ח), שֶׁאִם הִתְאַוָּה בַּלֵּב עוֹבֵר בַּלָּאו הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְאִם הוֹסִיף לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר חָשַׁב עוֹבֵר גַּם בַּלָּאו הַשֵּׁנִי:

1THOU SHALT NOT ‘THOVEH LO’ — “you shall not ‘long’ for him, nor shall you love him. Because it is said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself¹⁶² — [it is necessary to caution that] this one [who seeks to mislead you into idolatry] you shall not love.” This is Rashi’s language quoting the Sifre.¹⁶³ 89. But in the Gemara the Rabbis have said [in connection with this verse]:¹⁶⁴ “But [if the one misled] avah (wanted) and consented [to the words of the inciter, although he actually did not worship the idols, the misleader] is guilty” [thus showing that the word thoveh is not an expression of “longing” as Rashi holds, but of “willingness”]. And this is correct, for avah is an expression of “desire,” as it is said, And the Eternal thy G-d was not ‘avah’ (willing) to hearken unto Balaam,¹⁶⁵ meaning “He did not desire.” So also, he is not ‘avah’ (willing) to perform the duty of my husband’s brother,¹⁶⁶, 25:7. [this expression being based upon the statement in the first part of that verse], and if the man ‘desires’ not to take his brother’s wife. Thus, thou shalt not ‘thoveh lo’ means [“thou shalt not be willing] in your heart [to give credence to him”], nor hearken unto him by consenting to him, saying “I will do so; I will go and I will worship the idol you mentioned.” And [the inciter] becomes liable to the death penalty because of his [the victim’s] consent. And such is the opinion of Onkelos [who translated]: “Do not accept [the offer] from him.” Now these two prohibitions [Thou shalt not be willing to give credence to him in your heart, nor shalt thou hearken unto him] are like Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s house¹⁶⁷ [which prohibits us from desiring what belongs to another], and Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house¹⁶⁸ [which prohibits us from scheming to acquire it], so that if he desires it in his heart, he infringes the first prohibition, and if he goes on to do as he thought, he transgresses also the second negative commandment.¹⁶⁹

בוְלֹא תָחוֹס עֵינְךָ עָלָיו, לְרַחֵם עָלָיו שֶׁלֹּא יוּמָת:

2NEITHER SHALL THINE EYE PITY HIM — to show him mercy that he not die.

גוְלֹא תַחְמֹל עַל הַקֻּרְבָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עִמְּךָ, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג יז) כַּאֲשֶׁר יַחְמֹל אִישׁ עַל בְּנוֹ הָעֹבֵד אֹתוֹ:

3NEITHER SHALT THOU SPARE because of the close [family] relationship as mentioned,¹⁷⁰ as it is said, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.¹⁷¹

דוְלֹא תְכַסֶּה עָלָיו, מֵהָעִיד עָלָיו בב"ד. וּבְסִפְרֵי (ראה סח) לֹא תַחְמֹל, לֹא תְּלַמֵּד עָלָיו זְכוּת. וְלֹא תְכַסֶּה, אִם אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ לוֹ חוֹבָה אֵינְךָ רַשַּׁאי לִשְׁתֹּק. וְהַכֹּל טַעַם אֶחָד, כִּי הַכִּסּוּי מִן מְכַסֶּה פְשָׁעָיו (משלי כח יג), וְכוֹסֶה קָלוֹן (שם יב טז), הַשְּׁתִיקָה מֵהַגִּיד. וְאָמַר וְלֹא יוֹסִפוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה, כִּי הוּא דָּבָר מָצוּי יֵעָשֶׂה תָּמִיד לוּלֵי הַמִּשְׁפָּט, אֲבָל עִנְיַן הַנָּבִיא הַנִּזְכָּר אֵינֶנּוּ בִּתְדִירוּת:

4NEITHER SHALT THOU CONCEAL HIM — by not testifying against him in court. And in the Sifre it is written:¹⁶³ 89. “Neither shalt thou spare — you shall not plead in his favor. Neither shalt thou conceal — if you know anything unfavorable to him, you are not permitted to stand mute.” All [these interpretations]¹⁷² by “not testifying” against him, or “withhold” anything unfavorable to him — the purport is the same, since covering up of evidence is a form of silence. convey the same thought, for the term “concealing” is from he that ‘concealeth’ his transgressions;¹⁷³ but a prudent man ‘concealeth’ shame,¹⁷⁴, 12:16. meaning that he refrains from telling it. And he states, and they shall do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of thee,¹⁷⁵ because this matter [of a misleader] is very common, and it would be frequently done were it not for the law [as a deterrent, hence this pronouncement was necessary], but the matter of a false prophet mentioned [above] is not a common occurrence, [therefore, unlike in the verse before us, no admonitions were mentioned in Verse 6].