Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 16:11/רמב"ן על דברים ט״ז:י״א
אוְהִזְכִּיר כָּאן בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם, וְכֵן אָמַר (דברים ט"ז:ט"ז) שָׁלוֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כָל זְכוּרְךָ וְגוֹ' בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחָר, וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי אִם לוֹמַר כִּי לְאַחַר שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לֹא נֵאָסֵף לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבְּנוֹת הָרְגָלִים אֶלָּא בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה', כַּטַּעַם שֶׁיֹּאמַר (דברים ט"ז:ה') לֹא תוּכַל לִזְבֹּחַ אֶת הַפָּסַח בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, אוֹ שֶׁיְּבָאֵר כָּאן שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַיְּבוּ לַעֲלוֹת לָרֶגֶל עַד אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר הַשֵּׁם מָקוֹם לְשִׁכְנוֹ שָׁם:
1He mentions here [that you are to rejoice] in the place which the Eternal thy G-d shall choose to cause His Name to dwell there,359 and likewise he said, Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Eternal thy G-d in the place which He shall choose.360 Now, I do not know whether this is to state that after the Sanctuary will be built we should not assemble to bring the festival-offerings except in that place which G-d has chosen, similar to what he said, Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passover-offering within any of thy gates,361 etc. or that he is explaining here that they are not obligated to go up in pilgrimage on the festivals until such time as G-d will have chosen the place to dwell there.362