Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 22:4/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ב:ד׳
אוְהוֹסִיף בְּמִצְוַת הַטְּעִינָה לְהַזְהִיר עָלֶיהָ בְּמִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, כִּי בַּתּוֹרָה אָמַר (שמות כג ה) עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב עִמּוֹ, מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. וְעוֹד הוֹסִיף נוֹפְלִים בַּדֶּרֶךְ, כִּי שָׁם אָמַר רוֹבֵץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ, וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר שָׁם רַק הַחֲמוֹר שֶׁדַּרְכּוֹ לִטְעוֹן מַשּׂוֹי גָּדוֹל וְיִרְבַּץ תַּחְתָּיו. וְאָמַר בְּכָאן אָחִיךָ וְשָׁם אוֹיִבְךָ וְשׂוֹנַאֲךָ, לֵאמֹר תַּעֲשֶׂה עִמּוֹ כֵן, וּזְכֹר הָאַחְוָה וְתִשְׁכַּח הַשִּׂנְאָה:
1In the commandment on assisting someone to lift up his burden, he added a warning thereon constituting a negative commandment [Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fallen down by the way etc.],126 for in the Torah He stated Thou shalt surely release it with him131 [i.e., by helping to unload the burden] which is a positive commandment [and thus we learn that in failing to render assistance one violates both a positive and a negative commandment].132 He also adds [here the expression] fallen down by the way,126 for there He stated, lying under its burden,131 and He mentioned there only the ass131 because it commonly carries a great burden and, therefore, is liable to crouch under it. Also, here it says thy brother’s126 and there it states thy enemy’s,133 and of him that hateth thee,131 meaning [here] to say, “Do thus to him [in assisting him], and remember the brotherhood between you and forget the hatred.”