Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 14:1/רמב"ן על דברים י״ד:א׳

אבָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, גַּם זוֹ מִצְוָה מְבֹאֶרֶת, שֶׁאָמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (ויקרא כא ה) בַּכֹּהֲנִים, לֹא יִקְרְחוּ קָרְחָה בְּרֹאשָׁם וּבִבְשָׂרָם לֹא יִשְׂרְטוּ שָׂרָטֶת, וְעַתָּה יְבָאֵר כִּי לֹא בַּעֲבוּר מַעֲלַת הַכֹּהֲנִים בִּלְבַד שֶׁהִזְכִּיר שָׁם שֶׁהֵם קְדוֹשִׁים לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם צִוָּה בָּהֶם זֶה, אֲבָל כָל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים וְכֻלְּכֶם בָּנִים לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כְּמוֹ הַכֹּהֲנִים, אִם כֵּן הִשָּׁמְרוּ גַּם אַתֶּם בַּמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת כְּמוֹתָם. וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא עַל הַמֵּת. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיְתָה הַמִּצְוָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה בַּכֹּהֲנִים, לֵאמֹר שֶׁאִם הָיָה הַכֹּהֵן מְקֹרָח וּמְגֻדָּד אֵינֶנּוּ רָאוּי לַעֲבוֹדָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שם פסוק ו) וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ שֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, וְהִנֵּה עֲבוֹדָתָם מְחֻלֶּלֶת, וְכָאן בֵּאֵר כִּי הַמִּצְוָה גַּם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהֻצְרְכוּ לִשְׁתֵּיהֶם. וְרַשִׁ"י כָּתַב (רש"י על דברים י"ד:א'), לְפִי שֶׁאַתֶּם בָּנָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם אַתֶּם רְאוּיִים לִהְיוֹת נָאִים וְלֹא גְּדוּדִים וּמְקֹרָחִים. וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן, שֶׁאִם כֵּן תִּהְיֶה הַמִּצְוָה גַּם שֶׁלֹּא עַל הַמֵּת. ור"א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על דברים י"ד:א') אַחַר שֶׁתֵּדְעוּ שֶׁאַתֶּם בָּנִים לַה' וְהוּא אוֹהֵב אֶתְכֶם יוֹתֵר מִן הָאָב לִבְנוֹ לֹא תִּתְגֹּדְדוּ עַל כָּל מָה שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה, כִּי כָל מָה שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה לְטוֹב הוּא וְאִם לֹא תְּבִינוּהוּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא יָבִינוּ הַבָּנִים הַקְּטַנִּים מַעֲשֵׂה אֲבִיהֶם רַק יִסְמְכוּ עָלָיו. כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה, וְאֵינְךָ כִּשְׁאָר כָּל הַגּוֹיִם, עַל כֵּן לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי כִּי טַעַם עַם קָדוֹשׁ, הַבְטָחָה בְּקִיּוּם הַנְּפָשׁוֹת לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, יֹאמַר אַחֲרֵי שֶׁאַתָּה עַם קָדוֹשׁ וּסְגֻלַּת ה' וְלֹא יִשָּׂא אֱלֹהִים נֶפֶשׁ וְחָשַׁב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת לְבִלְתִּי יִדַּח מִמֶּנּוּ נִדָּח, אֵין רָאוּי לָכֶם לְהִתְגּוֹדֵד וּלְהִקָּרֵחַ עַל נֶפֶשׁ וַאֲפִלּוּ יָמוּת בַּנֹּעַר. וְלֹא יֶאֱסֹר הַכָּתוּב הַבֶּכִי, כִּי הַטֶּבַע יִתְעוֹרֵר לִבְכּוֹת בְּפֵרוּד הָאוֹהֲבִים וּנְדוּדָם אַף בַּחַיִּים. וּמִכָּאן סֶמֶךְ לְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ (מו"ק כז) בְּאָסְרָם לְהִתְאַבֵּל עַל נֶפֶשׁ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי:

1YE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D: YE SHALL NOT CUT YOURSELVES, NOR MAKE ANY BALDNESS BETWEEN YOUR EYES FOR THE DEAD. This also is an explanatory commandment of what He said in the Torah with reference to the priests, They shall not make baldness upon their head etc., nor make any cuttings in their flesh,¹⁹² and now he [Moses] will explain that it is not merely because of the distinction of the priests which He mentioned there, They shall be holy unto their G-d,¹⁹³, Verse 6. that they were thus commanded. Rather, all the congregation are holy, every one of them,¹⁹⁴ and all of you are the children of the Eternal your G-d like the priests; if so, you too, take heed to yourselves regarding this commandment like them. This explanation is in accordance with the opinion of our Rabbis¹⁹⁵ that both verses [the one here and the one in Leviticus] relate only to the practice [of cutting and making baldness as signs of mourning] for the dead, [although “the dead” is not mentioned in the priestly injunction in Leviticus]. But it is possible that the first commandment [in Leviticus was stated] in relation to priests to state that if the priest had his hair torn out and his flesh cut, he was not fit for the Divine Service, just as He said, and they shall not profane the Name of their G-d,¹⁹³, Verse 6. and their Service is thus profaned [i.e., invalidated]. Here he explained that the commandment applies also to the Israelites, both prohibitions being necessary.¹⁹⁶And Rashi wrote: “Because you are the children of the Eternal it is becoming for you to be comely and not be cut about and bald [due to the tearing out of hair].” But it is not correct, for if so this commandment should be binding even [if the deeds were done] not for the dead! And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “Once you realize that you are the children of the Eternal and that He loves you more than a father loves his child, you should not cut yourselves [in bereavement] for anything that He does, because whatever He has done is for your good although you may not understand it, just as little children do not understand their father, yet rely on him. For thou art a holy people,¹⁹⁷ and you are not like all the other nations; therefore you shall not do as they do.”In my opinion the purport of the expression for thou art a holy people¹⁹⁷ [is to state] an assurance of the eternal existence of the souls before Him, blessed be He. The verse declares: “Since you are a holy people and the treasure of G-d — neither doth G-d respect any person, but He deviseth means that he that is banished be not an outcast from Him¹⁹⁸ — therefore it is improper for you to make incisions in your flesh and tear your hair for the dead even if he perisheth in youth.¹⁹⁹ Scripture, however, did not prohibit weeping for the dead since it is natural to cry when parting from beloved ones, and when they go on a journey even in life. From this verse, there is support for our Rabbis in prohibiting excessive mourning for the dead.²⁰⁰