Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 19:19/רמב"ן על דברים י״ט:י״ט

אכַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם, וְלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ הָרְגוּ אֵין נֶהֱרָגִין, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים י"ט:י"ט) מִדִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (מכות ה). וְהַטַּעַם בָּזֶה בַּעֲבוּר כִּי מִשְׁפַּט הָעֵדִים הַזּוֹמְמִין בִּגְזֵרַת הַשַּׁלִּיט, שֶׁהֵם שְׁנַיִם וּשְׁנַיִם, וְהִנֵּה כַּאֲשֶׁר יָבוֹאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְיָעִידוּ עַל רְאוּבֵן שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, וְיָבוֹאוּ שְׁנַיִם אֲחֵרִים וְיָזֵמּוּ אוֹתָם מֵעֵדוּתָם, צִוָּה הַכָּתוּב שֶׁיֵּהָרְגוּ, כִּי בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל רְאוּבֵן שֶׁהָיָה נָקִי וְצַדִּיק בָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֶּה, אִלּוּ הָיָה רָשָׁע בֶּן מָוֶת לֹא הִצִּילוֹ הַשֵּׁם מִיַּד ב"ד, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר (שמות כג ז) כִּי לֹא אַצְדִּיק רָשָׁע. אֲבָל אִם נֶהֱרַג רְאוּבֵן, נַחְשֹׁב שֶׁהָיָה אֱמֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר הֵעִידוּ עָלָיו הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, כִּי הוּא בַּעֲוֹנוֹ מֵת, וְאִלּוּ הָיָה צַדִּיק לֹא יַעַזְבֶנּוּ ה' בְּיָדָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים לז לג), ה' לֹא יַעַזְבֶנּוּ בְיָדוֹ וְלֹא יַרְשִׁיעֶנּוּ בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ. וְעוֹד שֶׁלֹּא יִתֵּן ה' הַשּׁוֹפְטִים הַצַּדִּיקִים הָעוֹמְדִים לְפָנָיו לִשְׁפֹּךְ דַּם נָקִי, כִּי הַמִּשְׁפָּט לֵאלֹהִים הוּא וּבְקֶרֶב אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁפֹּט. וְהִנֵּה כָּל זֶה מַעֲלָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּשׁוֹפְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהַהַבְטָחָה שהקב"ה מַסְכִּים עַל יָדָם וְעִמָּהֶם בִּדְבַר הַמִּשְׁפָּט. וְזֶה טַעַם וְעָמְדוּ שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם הָרִיב לִפְנֵי ה' (דברים י"ט:י"ז), כִּי לִפְנֵי ה' הֵם עוֹמְדִים בְּבוֹאָם לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַשּׁוֹפְטִים, וְהוּא יַנְחֵם בְּדֶרֶךְ אֱמֶת. וּכְבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי מִזֶּה בְּסֵדֶר וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים (שמות כא ו):

1THEN SHALL YE DO UNTO HIM [the refuted witness], AS HE HAD PURPOSED TO DO — “but not as he has done! Deriving from this, the Rabbis have said: If they [the refuted witnesses] have already killed [i.e., if the judgment based on their testimony was executed prior to the refutation] they are not put to death.” This is Rashi’s language quoting from the words of our Rabbis.²⁸³ The reason for this is that the law of punishment of plotting witnesses is by the decree of the Ruler, for they are two witnesses against two [even in the case of “refutation” and, logically, we should not believe the second more than the first, were it not that such is the decree of the King]! Now, when two witnesses come and testify against Reuben that he killed a person and then another two come and “refute” [their claim of] having been witnesses, Scripture commanded that [the first pair] be killed for it was due to the merit of Reuben who was innocent and righteous that this affair [of “the refutation”] came to pass. Had Reuben been wicked, liable to a death-penalty, G-d would not have saved him from the hand of the court, as He said, for I will not justify the wicked.²⁸⁴ But if Reuben had already been killed we are to consider that whatever the first witnesses testified against him was true, for he died due to his iniquity.²⁸⁵ If he were righteous, G-d would not have left him in their hand, just as Scripture says, The Eternal will not leave him in his hand, nor suffer him to be condemned when he is judged.²⁸⁶ Moreover, G-d would not allow the righteous judges who stand before Him to spill innocent blood for the judgment is G-d’s,²⁸⁷ and in the midst of ‘elohim’ (the judges) He judgeth.²⁸⁸ Now all this indicates the high degree of the judges in Israel and is a promise that the Holy One, blessed be He, agrees with them and He is with them pronouncing judgment.²⁸⁹ This is the sense of the verse, And both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Eternal,²⁹⁰ for it is before G-d that they stand when coming before the priests and the judges and He will lead them in the right way.²⁹¹ I have already mentioned this in the section And these are the ordinances.²⁹²