Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 18:15/רמב"ן על דברים י״ח:ט״ו

אנָבִיא מִקִּרְבְּךָ מֵאַחֶיךָ כָּמֹנִי, טַעַם מִקִּרְבְּךָ, לִרְמֹז שֶׁאֵין נְבוּאָה אֶלָּא בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְכָךְ יֹאמַר בָּהּ הַכָּתוּב (ישעיהו כב א) מַשָּׂא גֵּיא חִזָּיוֹן, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (מכילתא ריש בא). וְכֵן טַעַם מֵאַחֶיךָ, כִּי הַשֵּׁם נָתַן לְךָ מַעֲלָה עַל כָּל הָעַמִּים, וְלֹא יִתֵּן רוּחוֹ רַק עֲלֵיכֶם, כָּמוֹנִי שֶׁאֲנִי מִקֶּרֶב אַחֶיךָ יָקִים לְךָ תַּחְתַּי, וְכֵן מִנָּבִיא לְנָבִיא, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים י"ח:ט"ו). וְאָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על דברים י"ח:ט"ו), כָּמוֹנִי, שֶׁאֲנִי נְבִיא הַשֵּׁם, לֹא מְעוֹנֵן וְקוֹסֵם. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִקִּרְבְּךָ לוֹמַר שֶׁתּוּכַל לִבְטֹחַ בִּדְבָרָיו שֶׁהוּא מֵאַחֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ. וְכֵן עַל דַּעְתִּי כָּמוֹנִי, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נֶאֱמָן לְנָבִיא לַה', וְתַאֲמִין בּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מַאֲמִין בִּי, וְעוֹד אֲבָאֵר זֶה:

1PROPHET WILL THE ETERNAL THY G-D RAISE UP UNTO THEE, FROM THE MIDST OF THEE, OF THY BRETHREN, LIKE UNTO ME. The purport of the expression from the midst of thee is to allude that prophecy is present only in the Land of Israel.²⁰¹. It is for this reason that Scripture speaks with reference to the Land in this term — The burden concerning the valley of ‘chizayon’ (vision),²⁰² and as our Rabbis have mentioned.²⁰³ A similar meaning is conveyed by the expression of thy brethren, that G-d has granted you eminence over all peoples and He will put His spirit only upon you. “Like unto me, for I am from the midst of thy brethren.²⁰⁴ in the same degree of prophecy, for the Torah has already testified, And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses (further, 34:10). The comparison means, therefore, “just as I am an Israelite etc.” (Mizrachi). — He will raise up unto thee in my stead, and so likewise from prophet to prophet.” And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “Like unto me, who am a prophet of G-d, and not a diviner [by clouds], nor any [other] diviner.”It is possible that the expression from the midst of thee means that you can trust his words since he is from your brethren, from the midst of thee. Similarly, in my opinion, like unto me means that he will be established to be a prophet of the Eternal²⁰⁵ and you will believe in him just as you believe in me. I will yet explain this.²⁰⁶