Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 22:13/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ב:י״ג
אכִּי יִקַּח אִישׁ אִשָּׁה וּבָא אֵלֶיהָ וּשְׂנֵאָהּ, טַעְמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִקַּח הָאִישׁ אִשָּׁה בְּלִקּוּחֵי הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהֵם הַקִּדּוּשִׁין בְּכֶסֶף, וְהִיא הַמְאֹרָסָה אֲשֶׁר יַזְכִּיר (דברים כ"ב:כ"ג), וְאַחֲרֵי יָמִים בָּא אֵלֶיהָ וּשְׂנֵאָהּ, שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה עֲרֵבָה אֵלָיו בְּבִיאָתָהּ, וְהִשְׁכִּים בַּבֹּקֶר וּבָא לְבֵית דִּין וְטָעַן שֶׁלֹּא מְצָאָהּ בְּתוּלָה. וְהִנֵּה זֶה מִתְכַּוֵּן לְהוֹצִיאָהּ בְּלֹא מֹהַר הַבְּתוּלוֹת, שֶׁהִיא הַכְּתֻבָּה שֶׁכָּתַב לָהּ, וּמִפְּנֵי כִּי בְּחֶזְקַת בְּתוּלָה נִתְקַדְּשָׁה אֵלָיו הוּא טוֹעֵן עָלֶיהָ שֶׁזִּנְּתָה תַּחְתָּיו. וּלְפִיכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (דברים כב כ), וְאִם אֱמֶת הָיָה הַדָּבָר כְּדִבְרֵי הַבַּעַל, וּסְקָלוּהָ. וְהָאֱמֶת לֹא יִוָּדַע רַק עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים. וּלְפִי שֶׁהַכָּתוּב יְפָרֵשׁ בִּזְנוּנֵי הַבְּתוּלוֹת כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה מְאֹרָסָה תִּסָּקֵל וְכַאֲשֶׁר לֹא אֹרָסָה הִיא פְּטוּרָה, לֹא הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ כָּאן וְאִם אֱמֶת הָיָה שֶׁזִּנְּתָה בְּאֵרוּסֶיהָ וְשֶׁזִּנְּתָה בִּרְצוֹנָהּ, וּסְקָלוּהָ, וְאָמַר בְּרֶמֶז (דברים כב יא), כִּי עָשְׂתָה נְבָלָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לִזְנוֹת בֵּית אָבִיהָ. וְהַנְּבָלָה הִיא בַּעֲשׂוֹתָהּ כֵן לִרְצוֹנָהּ.
1IF ANY MAN ‘YIKACH’ (TAKE) A WIFE, AND COME UNTO HER. The meaning thereof is as follows: When a man will take a wife through the means sanctioned by the Torah which is betrothal with money — this being “the betrothed” he [Moses] mentions [further in Verse 23] — and after some time he came unto her, and hate her because she was not pleasant to him in conjugal relation, and so he arose early in the morning and came before the court claiming that he did not find her to be a virgin. Now this person intends to divorce her without the dowry of virgins,191 which is the kethubah (marriage contract) that he wrote her. And because she became betrothed to him under the presumption of virginity, he accuses her of having committed adultery after her betrothal to him. Therefore Scripture states, But if this thing be true192 as the husband said, they shall stone her.193, Verse 21. The truth cannot be known except by the testimony of two witnesses. And because, concerning the illicit relations of virgins, Scripture will clarify194, Verses 23-24; 28-29. that if she were betrothed she is stoned, and if she were not betrothed she is absolved from punishment, it was unnecessary to explain here “But if this thing be true that she was unchaste while betrothed, and [what is more] she so acted willingly [with anyone other than her lawful spouse] they shall stone her.” And instead it says by allusion because she has done a base deed in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house,193, Verse 21. the base deed being that she did so voluntarily.
בוְלִזְנוֹת, הוּא כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּשְׂטֶה אִשָּׁה תַּחַת אִישָׁהּ, כִּי הַנַּעֲרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא אֹרָשָׂה לֹא תִקָּרֵא זוֹנָה בְּשָׁכְבָהּ עִם אַחַד הָעָם, אֲבָל הִיא מְיֹעֶדֶת לוֹ (שמות כב טו).
2The expression to play the harlot signifies when a wife being under husband, goeth aside,195 for an unbetrothed maiden is not termed “a harlot” if she lies with one of the people, but the betrothed one is espoused to him [her future husband and therefore she is termed “a harlot” if she commits adultery with another man].