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Ramban on Deuteronomy 17:2/רמב"ן על דברים י״ז:ב׳

אכִּי יִמָּצֵא בְקִרְבְּךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ, כְּבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב"ן על דברים י"א:ל"ב) כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר בְּמִשְׁפָּטִים יַזְכִּיר תְּחִלָּה הַמִּשְׁפָּט בע"ז אוֹ בְּעוֹבְדֶיהָ. וְאָמַר בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְגוֹ', וְלֹא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה זֶה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְבַד, שֶׁאַף הָעוֹבֵד בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ בִּסְקִילָה, אֲבָל עִנְיַן הַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר כִּי יִמָּצֵא הַדָּבָר בְּאַחַת מִן הֶעָרִים הָרְחוֹקוֹת שֶׁיִּתֵּן לְךָ הַשֵּׁם כַּאֲשֶׁר יַרְחִיב אֶת גְּבוּלְךָ, וְהֻגַּד לְךָ וְשָׁמָעְתָּ בְּאֵיזֶה עִיר שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אַתָּה שָׁם, תִּדְרֹשׁ הַדָּבָר הֵיטֵב, וְכַאֲשֶׁר תֵּדַע שֶׁהוּא אֱמֶת וְהוֹצֵאתָ אוֹתָם אֶל הַשַּׁעַר הַהוּא שֶׁעָבַד בּוֹ וּסְקַלְתָּם. וְאָמַר (דברים י"ז:ד') נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְחַיֵּב אֲפִלּוּ בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, כִּי בְּעִיר הַנִּדַּחַת אָמַר (דברים י"ג:ט"ו) נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת בְּקִרְבֶּךָ, אֲבָל כָּאן הִזְכִּיר בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, שֶׁדִּבֵּר בַּהוֹוֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁנוּ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הִזְכִּיר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְלַמֵּד שֶׁנּוֹהֵג זֶה בְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְעוֹד הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, לְלַמֵּד שֶׁיִּסָּקֵל עַל שַׁעַר שֶׁעָבַד בּוֹ, וְזֶה בָּאָרֶץ, כִּי בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ נִסְקָל עַל פֶּתַח בֵּית דִּין שֶׁנִּדּוֹן בּוֹ. וְהַמִּצְוָה הַזּוֹ מְבֹאֶרֶת, שֶׁכְּבָר אָמַר (שמות כב יט) זוֹבֵחַ לָאֱלֹהִים יָחֳרָם, וְהוּא בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן, וּלְכָךְ יִשְׁנֶה אוֹתָהּ לְבָאֵר מָה שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לְהוֹסִיף בַּמִּצְוָה וִיקַצֵּר בַּדָּבָר הַנִּזְכָּר. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת יִתָּכֵן כִּי הִזְכִּיר בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר לַעֲבֹר בְּרִיתוֹ, וְהִיא הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַנַּעֲשֵׂית בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, יוֹדִיעַ הַכָּתוּב הַבְּרִית בְּאֶרֶץ הַבְּרִית, אֲבָל הַדָּר בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ כְּאִלּוּ עוֹבֵד ע"ז. וּכְבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה (ויקרא יח כה). וְהִזְכִּיר אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר קַלּוּת דַּעַת הָאִשָּׁה תִּתְפַּתֶּה לַעֲבֹד ע"ז בְּאוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה לְפָנֶיהָ, וְהָעֵד נְשֵׁי יִרְמְיָהוּ (ירמיהו מד). וְכֵן הִזְכִּיר בְּאוֹב וְיִדְּעוֹנִי (ויקרא כ כז) אוֹ אִשָּׁה, לִרְגִילוּת הַנָּשִׁים בָּהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שמות כב יז) מְכַשֵּׁפָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה. וּבְסִפְרֵי (שופטים קמח) דָּרְשׁוּ כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר בְּמַדִּיחַ (דברים י"ג:י"ד) יָצְאוּ אֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל, וְאֵין הַדִּין הַהוּא כָּכָה בְּנָשִׁים, הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ בְּעוֹבֵד שֶׁהוּא שָׁוֶה בְּאִישׁ וּבְאִשָּׁה. וְטַעַם אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוִּיתִי, מְפֹרָשׁ:

1IF THERE BE FOUND IN THE MIDST OF THEE WITHIN ANY OF THY GATES WHICH THE ETERNAL THY G-D GIVETH THEE. I have already explained⁵⁶ that when he speaks of the ordinances he mentions first the judgment to be executed upon the idols or their worshippers. He states [here] within any of thy gates which the Eternal thy G-d giveth thee, not to imply that this law applies only in the Land of Israel, since one who worships idols outside the Land is also liable to stoning. The purport thereof is rather to state, “if the matter be found in one of the distant cities which G-d will give you when He will enlarge thy border⁵⁷ — and it be told thee, and thou hear it,⁵⁸ in whatever city you may be, you are to investigate the matter diligently and if you discover that the charge is true, you shall bring them forth to that city wherein they worshipped, and stone them.”⁵⁹ He states that such abomination was done in Israel⁵⁸ [implying that it is done within the nation rather than within the Land] in order to hold the worshipper [of the idols] culpable even outside the Land, for in the case of the apostate city he said, that such abomination is done ‘in thy midst,’⁶⁰ [within the Land], but here he mentioned within any of thy gates [a term generally limited to the Land] for it refers to common events as we have explained, and then he states in Israel⁵⁸ in order to teach that it is binding upon the entire [nation of] Israel [even outside the Land]. It was also necessary to state within any of thy gates in order to teach that the worshipper be stoned at the gates [of the city] in which he worshipped the idols.⁶¹ This is [the law] in the Land, for outside the Land he is stoned at the entrance of the court where he was judged.Now, this commandment is explanatory, since He already stated He that sacrificeth unto the gods shall be utterly destroyed,⁶² this applying in every place and at every time. Therefore he repeated it in order to explain what must be added to the commandment, but he abbreviated regarding matters previously mentioned.And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], it is possible that he mentioned within any of thy gates because he stated in transgressing His covenant,⁶³ this [transgression] being the abomination done in [the Land of] Israel.⁵⁸ Scripture made it known that the covenant is in the Land of the covenant,⁶⁴ whereas he who lives outside the Land is as if he worshipped idols.⁶⁵ I have already mentioned this subject.⁶⁶He mentioned man or woman,⁶³ because, due to a woman’s frivolity, she can be enticed into idol-worship through a sign or wonder done before her, the proof being the case of the women before Jeremiah.⁶⁷ Similarly, with reference to [the witchcraft of] the ov (ghost) or yide’oni (familiar spirit), Scripture mentioned or a woman⁶⁸ because these forms of sorcery were customarily practiced by women, as He said, Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live⁶⁹ [even though both male and female sorcerers are equally liable].⁷⁰ And in the Sifre⁷¹ 148. the Rabbis interpret that [the reason for the expression or a woman is] because, having said in the case of an inciter Certain base ‘men’ are gone out from the midst of thee,⁷² implying that this law [of the apostate city] is not the same for [the inciters if they were] women,⁷³ 93. it was necessary to explain that regarding an idol-worshipper the law is the same for man and woman.The meaning of the expression which I have commanded not⁷⁴ is already explained.⁷⁵