Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 21:18/רמב"ן על דברים כ״א:י״ח

אבֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה, עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סנהדרין סח) אֵינוֹ קָטָן, שֶׁהַקָּטָן פָּטוּר מִכָּל עֳנָשִׁין שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה וּמִכָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, אֲבָל הוּא הַמֵּבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת. וְהִנֵּה יֵשׁ עָלָיו שְׁנֵי עֳנָשִׁין, הָאֶחָד שֶׁהוּא מַקְלֶה אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וּמַמְרֶה בָּהֶם, וְהַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁהוּא זוֹלֵל וְסוֹבֵא, עוֹבֵר עַל מָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ (ויקרא יט ב) קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ, וְנֶאֱמַר עוֹד (דברים י"ג:ה') וְאֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹדוּ וּבוֹ תִדְבָּקוּן, כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב"ן על דברים ו':י"ג) שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ לָדַעַת הַשֵּׁם בְּכָל דְּרָכֵינוּ, וְזוֹלֵל וְסוֹבֵא לֹא יֵדַע דֶּרֶךְ ה'. וְעַל הַכְּלָל אֵין בּוֹ עַתָּה חֵטְא מָוֶת, וְעַל שֵׁם סוֹפוֹ הוּא נִדּוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סנהדרין עא). וְזֶה טַעַם וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ, כִּי לֹא הוּמַת בְּגֹדֶל חֶטְאוֹ אֶלָּא לְיַסֵּר בּוֹ אֶת הָרַבִּים וְשֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה תַּקָּלָה לַאֲחֵרִים. וְכֵן דֶּרֶךְ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁיַּזְהִיר כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר יָמִיתוּ, לְגָדֵר כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בְּמִיתָתָם תַּקָּנָה לַאֲחֵרִים, כִּי הִזְכִּיר כֵּן בְּזָקֵן מַמְרֵא (דברים י"ז:י"ג), לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בְּהוֹרָאָתוֹ חֵטְא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רָאוּי לָמוּת בּוֹ, רַק הוּא לְהָסִיר הַמַּחְלֹקֶת מִן הַתּוֹרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי שָׁם (רמב"ן על דברים כ"א:י"א), וְכֵן בְּעֵדִים זוֹמְמִין (דברים י"ט:כ'), שֶׁנֶּהֱרָגִין וְלֹא הָרְגוּ, וְכֵן הִזְכִּיר בְּמֵסִית (דברים י"ג:י"ב), לְפִי שֶׁהוּא נֶהֱרָג בְּדִבּוּרוֹ הָרַע בִּלְבַד אע"פ שֶׁלֹּא עָבַד הַנִּיסָּת ע"ז וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלָיו, אֲבָל מִיתָתוֹ לְיַסֵּר הַנִּשְׁאָרִים. וְגַם זוֹ מִצְוָה מְחֻדֶּשֶׁת אוֹ מְבֹאֶרֶת מִן כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ (שמות כ יב) וְאִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ (ויקרא יט ג):

1A STUBBORN AND REBELLIOUS SON. In the opinion of our Rabbis⁸⁸ he is not a minor, for a minor is not subject to any punishments ordained by the Torah or to [the observance of] any commandments. Rather, this verse applies to a boy who has grown two hairs [signifying puberty, and, therefore making the child subject to all the laws prescribed by the Torah]. Now, he is liable to two punishments: the first, because he dishonors his father and his mother⁸⁹ and rebels against them, and the second, because he is a glutton, and a drunkard,⁹⁰ transgressing that which we have been commanded, Ye shall be holy,⁹¹ and it is further stated, and Him shall ye serve, and unto Him shall ye cleave⁹² — as I have explained,⁹³, 6:12. we are commanded to know G-d in all our ways, and a glutton, and a drunkard⁹⁰ does not know the way of G-d. In general, then, as of now he [this stubborn and rebellious son] has not committed a sin punishable by death, but is judged because of [what he is destined to become in] the end, just as our Rabbis have mentioned.⁹⁴ This is the sense of the expression, and all Israel shall hear, and fear,⁹⁵ for he was not executed due to the greatness of his sin, but in order to discipline the public, and so that he not become a menace to others. It is the manner of Scripture so to warn that when the death-penalty is imposed as a deterrent, the execution should serve as a benefit to others. Thus it mentioned the same in the case of the rebellious elder [who defies the decision of the Great Sanhedrin — And all the people shall hear, and fear]⁹⁶ because, in his decision [contradicting that of the court] there is no sin deserving of death, but [the death sentence being imposed only to] deter dissension from the Torah, as I have explained there.⁹⁷, Verse 11. Similar is the case of plotting witnesses⁹⁸, 19:20: And those that remain shall hear, and fear. who are executed [for scheming to condemn someone to death] although they have not caused his execution.⁹⁹, Verse 19. Scripture also mentions it in the case of the beguiler¹⁰⁰, 13:12: And all Israel shall hear, and fear. because he is executed merely for his evil speech even though the beguiled has not worshipped the idols, nor hearkened to him; his [the beguiler’s] death is rather to chasten the survivors. This, too, is a newly-declared commandment — or it may be explanatory of the commandments, Honor thy father and thy mother,¹⁰¹ and Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father.¹⁰²