Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 21:14/רמב"ן על דברים כ״א:י״ד

אוְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ לְנַפְשָׁהּ, אָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (תצא יד), וְלֹא לְבֵית אָבִיהָ. וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי אִם לוֹמַר שֶׁהִיא יְהוּדִית וְאֵין מַנִּיחִין אוֹתָהּ לַעֲזֹב תּוֹרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלָשׁוּב אֶל עַמָּהּ וְאֶל אֱלֹהֶיהָ, אוֹ לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יְשַׁלְּחֶנָּה לְבֵית אָבִיהָ עַל יְדֵי שְׁלוּחִים כִּי יְסַיֵּעַ יְדֵי עוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרָה, אֲבָל הוּא יוֹצִיאֶנָּה מִבֵּיתוֹ לָגוּר בַּאֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא, כִּי אוּלַי תִּשָּׁאֵר בָּאָרֶץ וְתֵלֵךְ אַחֲרֵי הַבַּחוּרִים וְתִנָּשֵׂא לְאֶחָד מֵהֶם. וְהִנֵּה כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר שֶׁיְּשַׁלְּחֶנָּה לְנַפְשָׁהּ וּמַזְהִיר שֶׁלֹּא יִמְכְּרֶנָּה בְּכֶסֶף וְלֹא יִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ כְּשִׁפְחָה, נִלְמוֹד שֶׁאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה מִמֶּנּוּ גֵט, אֲבָל הַכָּתוּב עָשָׂה אוֹתָהּ אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ בִּהְיוֹתָהּ עִמּוֹ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר יִשְׂנָא אוֹתָהּ יְשַׁלְּחֶנָּה כַּאֲנוּסָה. וְיִתָּכֵן כִּי טַעַם הַכָּתוּב לוֹמַר שֶׁאִם יִבְעָלֶנָּה וְיַחְפֹּץ בָּהּ תִּהְיֶה לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה, אֲבָל אִם יִבְעָלֶנָּה וְלֹא תִּהְיֶה עֲרֵבָה עָלָיו וְלֹא יַחְפֹּץ בָּהּ, כְּעִנְיַן אַמְנוֹן עִם תָּמָר (שמואל ב יג טו), יְשַׁלְּחֶנָּה לְנַפְשָׁהּ. וְהַכֹּל תָּלוּי בַּבְּעִילָה הַזֹּאת, כִּי אִם אַחֲרֵי בְּעִילָתָהּ תַּעֲמֹד עִמּוֹ יָמִים וְיָבֹא עָלֶיהָ, אִם יַחְזֹר וְיִשְׂנָא אוֹתָהּ כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִשְׂנָא אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, כְּבָר נַעֲשֵׂית אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהִנֵּה הִיא יְהוּדִית וּמִתְגָּרֶשֶׁת בְּגֵט:

1[AND IT SHALL BE, IF THOU HAVE NO DESIRE FOR HER,] THEN THOU SHALT LET HER GO WHITHER SHE WILL. The Rabbis have said thereon in the Sifre:⁴⁴ 214. “But not to her fathers’ house.” Now, I do not know whether the intent thereof is to state that she is a Jewess and that we do not allow her to leave the law of Israel and go back unto her people, and unto her gods,²¹ or whether it means to state that he is not to send her to her father’s house with attendants, for in that case he would be assisting those who commit a transgression. Instead he is to send her out of his house to sojourn wherever she could find a place,⁴⁵ for perhaps she will remain in the Land and follow the young men⁴⁶ and be married to one of them. Now, since Scripture states that he is to let her go where she pleases, and warns that he not sell her for money and that he not treat her as a slave,⁴⁷ we deduce that she needs no divorce from him. Rather, Scripture considered her to be a married woman as long as she was with him; when he hates her he may send her away like a rape victim.⁴⁸It is possible that the sense of the verse is to state that, if he cohabits with her and desires her, she shall become his wife. If he cohabits with her, however, and she is not enticing to him and he does not desire her, similar to the affair of Amnon with Tamar,⁴⁹ he must let her go where she pleases, everything depending upon this cohabitation. For, if after he cohabited with her [the first time] she tarried with him for days and he cohabited with her, and then changes his attitude and hates her, like a man who hates his wife, she had already become his wife, and thus she is Jewish and can be sent away only with a bill of divorce.⁵⁰

בלֹא תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ, כְּמוֹ וְהִתְעַמֶּר בּוֹ וּמְכָרוֹ (דברים כ"ד:ז'). וַעֲשָׂאוֹ אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על דברים כ"א:י"ד) לְשׁוֹן סְחוֹרָה, וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (תצא טז) וּבַגְּמָרָא (סנהדרין פה) יַעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָם לְשׁוֹן שִׁמּוּשׁ. וְהִנֵּה הוּא לְשׁוֹן אַזְהָרָה, שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ כְּשִׁפְחָה כְּלָל, וְאִם נִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ לוֹקֶה. וְהַנִּרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי לְפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ כִּי לֹא תִתְעַמֵּר הוּא כְּמוֹ לֹא תִתְאַמֵּר, מִלְּשׁוֹן יִתְאַמְּרוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן (תהלים צד ד), וְכֵן אֶת ה' הֶאֱמַרְתָּ הַיּוֹם (דברים כ"ו:י"ז), וְכֵן וּבִכְבוֹדָם תִּתְיַמָּרוּ (ישעיהו סא ו) בְּחִלּוּף הָאָלֶ"ף בְּיוֹ"ד, וְכֻלָּם רוֹמְמוּת וּגְדֻלָּה: הֶאֱמַרְתָּ הַיּוֹם, רוֹמַמְתָּ וְגִדַּלְתָּ אוֹתוֹ לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים; הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם (דברים כ"ו:י"ח), רוֹמֵם וְגִדֵּל אוֹתְךָ עַל כָּל הָעַמִּים לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה; וְכֻלָּם נִגְזְרוּ מִן בְּרֹאשׁ אָמִיר (ישעיהו יז ו). יֹאמַר לֹא תִּתְרוֹמֵם וְתִתְגַּדֵּל בָּהּ לִהְיוֹת אַתָּה אֲדוֹנֶיהָ לְמָכְרָהּ וּלְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ כְּשִׁפְחָה. וְכֵן יִקְרְאוּ בְּעַרְבִי הָאָדוֹן אֲמִיר, וְשִׁמּוּשׁ הָעַיִ"ן וְהָאָלֶ"ף כְּאֶחָד מֻרְגָּל בַּלָּשׁוֹן, פְּדָעֵהוּ מֵרֶדֶת שָׁחַת (איוב לג כד), פְּדָאֵהוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי (במדבר יב ד) בְּמִלַּת פֶּתַע, וְכֵן מַעֲשֵׂה צַעֲצוּעִים (דהי"ב ג י), כְּמוֹ בְּאָלֶ"ף, מִן הַצֶּאֱצָאִים וְהַצְּפִעוֹת (ישעיהו כב כד), הַבָּנִים וְהַבָּנוֹת, כִּי תַּרְגּוּם כְּרוּבִים כְּרָבְיָא, וּבִלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים עוֹמְדוֹת אוֹמְדוֹת, בְּקִיאִין בְּקִיעִין, עֲדַיִן אֱדַיִן, עוֹרְכֵי הַדַּיָּנִין אָרְכִי, עָרִיס אָרִיס, וְשָׁנִינוּ (שבת עו) חָלָב כְּדֵי גְּמִיעָה, וְשָׁאֲלוּ בַּגְּמָרָא (שם עז) גְּמִיעָה אוֹ גְּמִיאָה, וְתֵרְצוּ הַגְמִיאִינִי נָא מְעַט מַיִם (בראשית כד יז), ואעפ"כ אוֹמְרִים מִמֶּנּוּ מְגַמֵּעַ, לֹא יְגַמֵּעַ וּפוֹלֵט אֲבָל מְגַמֵּעַ וּבוֹלֵעַ (שם קיא), וּבַמִּשְׁנָה בְּמַסֶּכֶת כֵּלִים בַּתּוֹסֶפְתָּא שָׁנִינוּ מַרְדָּא בִּמְקוֹם מַרְדֵּעַ, וְאֵין מַקְפִּידִין כְּלָל בְּחִלּוּף שְׁתֵּי אוֹתִיּוֹת הַלָּלוּ, וְכֵן בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים. וְרַשִׁ"י כָּתַב (רש"י על דברים כ"א:י"ד) לֹא תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ, לֹא תִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ, בִּלְשׁוֹן פַּרְסִי קוֹרִין לַעֲבוֹדָה וְשִׁמּוּשׁ עֲמִירָה, מִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לָמַדְתִּי זֹאת. וְזֶה אֱמֶת, שֶׁכֵּן רָאִיתִי בַּיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי, תַּמָּן צָוְחִין לְפָעֲלָא טָבָא עֲמִירָא, בְּפֶרֶק אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא (שבת פ"ט ה"א) וּבְפֶרֶק כָּל הַצְּלָמִים (ע"ז פ"ג ה"ו), וּמֻרְגָּל הוּא אַף בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בִּמְגִלַּת שׁוֹשָׁן, וְשַׁדַּר מַלְכָּא דְּאַתּוּר עַל כֻּלְּהוֹן עֲמִירָה דְּנִינְוֵה, וְעַל כָּל דְּעָמְרִין עַל יַד יַמָּא, וְעַל עֲמוּר דְּכַרְמְלָא וּדְגִלְעָד, וְאַהְפִּיכוּ פִּתְגָמָא דִּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר כֻּלְּהוֹן עֲמוּרַיָּא דְּאַרְעָא וְלָא תִּדְחֲלוּן מִנֵּהּ. וְכֵן בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים בַּסֵּפֶר הַהוּא יִקָּרְאוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ עֲמוּרֵי אַרְעָא, כְּלוֹמַר הַנֶּעֱבָדִים לָאָרֶץ וְהַמִּשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בָּהּ, אוֹ שֶׁצִּוָּה מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר עַל אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְהֵם הַנִּקְרָאִים עַבְדֵי הָאָרֶץ, כִּי הֵם הַנֶּעֱבָדִים לַמֶּלֶךְ בְּמִלְחֲמוֹתָיו, הֵם אַנְשֵׁי מִלְחַמְתּוֹ וּפָרָשָׁיו, כִּלְשׁוֹן עָבְדוּ אֶת כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר (בראשית יד ד), וְעָבְדוּ בוֹ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים (ירמיהו כז ז):

2THOU SHALT NOT ‘THITH’AMEIR’ (DEAL AS A SLAVE) WITH HER. This is like the expression ‘v’hith’amer’ (and he deal with him as a slave), and sell him.⁵¹, Verse 7. Onkelos in both cases rendered it as an expression of “trading,” and our Rabbis in the Sifre⁴⁴ 214. and in the Gemara⁵² explained it as a term of “serving.” Thus it is an express negative commandment⁵³ against making any use of her as a bondmaid, and if he did put her to such service he is to be scourged.It appears to me in line with the simple meaning of Scripture that thou shalt not ‘thith’ameir’ [spelled with an a’yin] is like “thou shalt not thith’ameir” [spelled with an aleph], as in the expression, all the workers of iniquity ‘yith’amru’ (bear themselves loftily).⁵⁴ is spelled with an aleph. So also, Thou hast ‘he’emarta’ (acknowledged) the Eternal this day;⁵⁵ is written with an aleph. and in their splendor ‘thith’yamaru’ (you shall gain grandeur)⁵⁶ — exchanging the aleph for a yod — are all expressions of exaltedness and greatness. ‘He’emarta’ the Eternal this day⁵⁵ is written with an aleph. means that “you have exalted and magnified Him to be thy G-d.”⁵⁵ is written with an aleph. And the Eternal ‘he’emircha’ this day⁵⁷ is written with an aleph. means that “He exalted and magnified you above all peoples to be His own treasure.”⁵⁷ is written with an aleph. All of these expressions are derived from the phrase in the top ‘amir’ (of the uppermost bough).⁵⁸ is written with an aleph. Thus the verse here states, Do not exalt yourself nor magnify yourself, by acting as her master to sell her or to use her as a bondmaid. Similarly in Arabic they call a master amir. And the usage of the a’yin and the aleph is often identical in the [Sacred] Language. ‘Peda’eihu’ (deliver him) from going down the pit⁵⁹ [the word peda’eihu spelled with an a’yin] is like peda’eihu [spelled with an aleph — “deliver him”], as I have explained with reference to the word petha (suddenly).⁶⁰ So also, cherubim of ‘tza’atzuim’ work⁶¹ [written with an a’yin] is like [the same word spelled] with an aleph, from the word ‘hatze’etzaim v’hatzfioth’⁶² meaning “the sons and the daughters,” for [Onkelos] translated the Hebrew word keruvim (cherubim) as k’ruvaya⁶³ [“like children” — and hence cherubim of ‘tza’atzuim’ work⁶¹ written with an a’yin is identical to the same word written with an aleph, thus meaning “work in the image of children”]. And in the language of the Sages [the a’yin and aleph] are used interchangeably, such as: omdoth (appraised) written with an a’yin, and omdoth written with an aleph;⁶⁴ beki’in (experts) written with an aleph, and beki’in written with an a’yin;⁶⁵ adin (yet) written with an a’yin and adin written with an aleph;⁶⁶, Note 67. orchei (advocates) who advise their clients on how to plead before the judges,⁶⁷ written with an a’yin and archi (a court)⁶⁸ written with an aleph; aris⁶⁹ (a share cropper) written with an a’yin and aris written with an aleph. And we are taught [in the Mishnah]:⁷⁰ “Milk enough for gmiah [“a gulp” — if enough milk for one gulp was taken from one domain to another on the Sabbath, whoever took it is culpable]. And in the Gemara⁷¹, 77a. they asked: “Is the word gmiah written with an a’yin or an aleph, and the Rabbis resolved it by quoting the verse, ‘hagmi’ini’ (give me to drink), I pray thee, a little water⁷² [the word hagmi’ini written with an aleph] and yet they use the same term m’gama (taking a drought) written with an a’yin, such as: “[If his teeth pain him he should not] quaff vinegar through his teeth and spit it out but m’gameia (he may take a quaff) and swallow it” [the word m’gameia written with an a’yin]. And in the Mishnah of Tractate Keilim in the Tosephta⁷³ thereof we are taught⁷⁴ concerning a mardeia (the handle of the plough) written with an aleph⁷⁵. in place of mardeia written with an a’yin. Thus the Rabbis were not at all concerned about interchanging these two letters [the aleph and the a’yin], and so also in many places.Now, Rashi wrote: “Thou shalt not ‘thith’ameir’ with her — you shall not use her as a slave. In the Persian language, work and service are termed amirah. I have learned this from the work of Rabbi Moshe the Preacher.”⁷⁶ This is true, for I have seen in the Yerushalmi in [Tractate Shabbath] Chapter “Rabbi Akiba said”⁷⁷ and in [Tractate Abodah Zarah] Chapter “All Images”⁷⁸ the following text: “There [in Babylon] they call a good worker amira.” It is also commonly used in the Aramaic language, as is written in the Scroll of Susanna:⁷⁹, another of the books of the Apocrypha. In our version of the Apocrypha the text referred to here by Ramban is found, with changes, in Judith 1:8. “And the king of Assyria sent to all amira (servants) of Nineveh and to all d’amrin (who serve) on the sea coast, and to the servant of Carmel and Gilead [to come with him to the war], but all the servants of the land disregarded the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar and they were not afraid of him.” So also in many places of that book the inhabitants of a land are called “amurei of the land,” meaning those who are servants to the land and make use thereof. Or it may mean that the king of Assyria commanded the soldiers, these being called “the servants of the land,” for they are subject to the king to go with him in his wars, and they are his soldiers and his horsemen, similar to the expressions: they ‘served’ Chedorlaomer;⁸⁰ and many nations shall ‘serve’ him.⁸¹

גתַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עִנִּיתָהּ, אָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (תצא טז) אֲפִלּוּ לְאַחַר מַעֲשֶׂה יְחִידִי. וְהוּא מָה שֶׁהִזְכַּרְנוּ (רמב"ן על דברים כ"א:י"ג), שֶׁהֵם סְבוּרִים שֶׁמֻּתָּר לָבֹא עָלֶיהָ בִּיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה מִיָּד שֶׁהֱבִיאָהּ אֶל תּוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ, וּמֵאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הוּא מֻזְהָר עָלֶיהָ בְּעִמּוּר וּבִמְכִירָה:

3BECAUSE THOU HAST HUMBLED HER. The Rabbis interpreted it in the Sifre:⁴⁴ 214. “Even after a single act.” This coincides with what we have mentioned that the Rabbis are of the opinion that he is permitted to engage in the first cohabitation with her as soon as he brings her to his home. From that moment on he is admonished against using her [as a slave] and against selling her.