Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 2:25/רמב"ן על דברים ב׳:כ״ה
אוְטַעַם אָחֵל תֵּת פַּחְדְּךָ, כְּנֶגֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁיִּירָאוּם כָּל הָעַמִּים וְאַנְשֵׁי כְּנַעַן בְּלֵב נָמֵס יֵצְאוּ לִקְרָאתָם, אֲבָל הִקְשָׁה הַשֵּׁם אֶת רוּחָם לֵאמֹר טוֹב מוּתֵנוּ בְּחַרְבָּם מִלִּהְיוֹת לָהֶם עֲבָדִים. כִּי מָה טַעַם לוֹמַר בְּמֹשֶׁה אָחֵל תֵּת פַּחְדְּךָ וְיִרְאָתְךָ עַל פְּנֵי הָעַמִּים תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמָיִם, וְהוּא לֹא יִלָּחֵם רַק בִּשְׁנֵי הַמְּלָכִים הָאֵלֶּה. אֲבָל הִיא הַבְטָחָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ (דברים ג':כ"א) עֵינֶיךָ הָרֹאֹת וְגוֹ'. וְזֶה טַעַם הָחֵל רָשׁ לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת אַרְצוֹ (דברים ב':ל"א):
1THIS DAY WILL I BEGIN TO PUT THE DREAD OF THEE. This refers to Israel, meaning that all the peoples should fear them, and that the men of Canaan should go out [in battle] against them with melted hearts. G-d hardened their spirits, however, and they said, “Our death through their sword is preferable to being slaves to them.” For what sense is there to say of Moses, This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the peoples that are under the whole heaven, [meaning that the nations would fear Moses personally] when Moses would fight only with these two kings [Sihon and Og]? Rather, this is a promise to Israel and Joshua, as he said to Joshua, Thine eyes have seen.255 This then is the purport of the expression ‘Begin’ to possess his land256 [meaning that Moses was to make the beginning of the conquest — but the task is to be finished by Joshua and Israel].