Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 23:10/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ג:י׳

אוְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע, שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן מְקַטְרֵג בִּשְׁעַת הַסַּכָּנָה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים כ"ג:י'). וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי בְּעִנְיַן הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, כִּי הַכָּתוּב יַזְהִיר בְּעֵת אֲשֶׁר הַחֵטְא מָצוּי בּוֹ, וְהַיָּדוּעַ בְּמִנְהֲגֵי הַמַּחֲנוֹת הַיּוֹצְאוֹת לַמִּלְחָמָה כִּי יֹאכְלוּ כָּל תּוֹעֵבָה, יִגְזְלוּ וְיַחְמְסוּ, וְלֹא יִתְבּוֹשְׁשׁוּ אֲפִלּוּ בְּנִאוּף וְכָל נְבָלָה, הַיָּשָׁר בִּבְנֵי אָדָם בְּטִבְעוֹ יִתְלַבֵּשׁ אַכְזָרִיּוּת וְחֵמָה כְּצֵאת מַחֲנֶה עַל אוֹיֵב, וְעַל כֵּן הִזְהִיר בּוֹ הַכָּתוּב וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט הִיא אַזְהָרָה מִכָּל הַנֶּאֱסָר. וּבְסִפְרֵי (תצא קיט), וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי בְּטֻמְאוֹת וּבִטְהָרוֹת וּבְמַעַשְׂרוֹת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, ת"ל עֶרְוָה. אֵין לִי אֶלָּא עֶרְוָה, מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים וְקִלְלַת הַשֵּׁם, ת"ל וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע, אוֹ יָכוֹל בְּטֻמְאוֹת וּבִטְהָרוֹת וּבְמַעַשְׂרוֹת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, ת"ל עֶרְוָה, מָה עֶרְוָה מְיֻחֶדֶת מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁגָּלוּ עָלָיו כְּנַעֲנִים וּמְסַלֵּק אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה, אַף כָּל מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁגָּלוּ עָלָיו כְּנַעֲנִים וּמְסַלֵּק אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר דָּבָר, אַף עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע. וְגַם זֶה מִן הַטַּעַם שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ, כִּי מִלְּבַד הָאַזְהָרוֹת שֶׁבָּאוּ בְּאֵלֶּה הָעֲבֵרוֹת הַחֲמוּרוֹת יוֹסִיף לָאו בַּמַּחֲנֶה שֶׁנִּשָּׁמֵר בּוֹ מִכָּל אֵלּוּ הָעֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁלֹּא תִּסְתַּלֵּק הַשְּׁכִינָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שָׁם, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר, כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶךָ. וְהִנֵּה הָעוֹשֶׂה הָעֲבֵרוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת בַּמַּחֲנֶה, כְּאוֹתָם שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶם (ירמיהו ז ל), שָׂמוּ שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם בַּבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר נִקְרָא שְׁמִי עָלָיו לְטַמְּאוֹ, וְעוֹד שֶׁלֹּא יִגְבְּרוּ עָלֵינוּ הָאוֹיְבִים אִם נַעֲשֶׂה כַּמַּעֲשִׂים הַגּוֹרְמִים לָהֶם שֶׁיִּגְלוּ מִפָּנֵינוּ, וְזֶהוּ וְלָתֵת אוֹיְבֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ (שם). וְהוֹסִיפוּ בּוֹ לָשׁוֹן הָרַע כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַרְבּוּ בֵּינֵיהֶם מַחְלוֹקוֹת, וְיַכּוּ בֵּינֵיהֶם מַכָּה רַבָּה מְאֹד יוֹתֵר מִן הָאוֹיְבִים:

1WHEN THOU GOEST FORTH IN CAMP AGAINST THINE ENEMIES, THEN THOU SHALT KEEP THEE FROM EVERY EVIL — “because Satan indicts [people] in the hour of danger.” This is Rashi’s language.The correct interpretation regarding this commandment appears to me that Scripture is warning of a time when sin is rampant. The well-known custom of forces going to war is that they eat all abominable things, rob and plunder, and are not ashamed even of lewdness and all vileness. The fairest of man by nature comes to be possessed of cruelty and fury when the army advances against the enemy. Therefore, Scripture warned, then thou shalt keep thee from every evil. And by way of the simple meaning of Scripture this is an admonition against doing anything forbidden. And in the Sifre it is stated:²⁷¹ 254. “I might think that Scripture is speaking of the laws of defilements and purities and tithes. It therefore says ‘ervah’ [an unseemly thing, which refers to unchastity].²⁷². Whence do I know to include idolatry, lewdness,²⁷³ bloodshed, and blasphemy? Scripture therefore says, then thou shalt keep thee from every evil. Or perhaps the verse is speaking of defilements and purities, and tithes? It says ervah (an unseemly thing):²⁷². just as ervah uniquely represents a deed for which the Canaanites were driven from the Land²⁷⁴ and which removes the Divine Presence [from Israel], so all deeds for which the Canaanites were driven from the Land and which remove the Divine Presence [from Israel] are included in the admonition of this verse. When Scripture states davar [thing, but literally ‘word’ — then thou shalt keep thee from every evil ‘davar’] it includes also ‘evil talk.’” This also is included in the purport of the verse we have explained, that besides the [specific] admonitions which are stated concerning these stringent sins, he added yet a [special] prohibition to an army that we guard against any of these sins so that the Divine Presence withdraw not from the Israelites who are there, just as he said, For the Eternal thy G-d walketh in the midst of thy camp²⁷⁵ Thus he who commits any of the great sins while in the army, those about which it is written, they have set their detestable things in the house whereon My Name is called to defile it,²⁷⁶ [he causes the Divine Presence to withdraw from Israel]. Moreover, [we are to avoid these sins] in order that the enemy should not overpower us because of our committing the very deeds that cause them to be driven from before us, this being the sense of the expression, and to give up thine enemies before thee.²⁷⁵ The Sages [in the Sifre] added evil talk [as derived from this admonition] in order that contention should not increase among them and smite them with a very great plague, [even] more than the enemy [will inflict upon them].