Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 23:19/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ג:י״ט

אלֹא תָבִיא אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה, הַזּוֹנוֹת יַעֲשׂוּ בָּאֶתְנָן שֶׁלָּהֶם מִצְוֹת, חוֹשְׁבוֹת לְכַפֵּר עַל חַטָּאתָן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיַּזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ויק"ר ג א) בַּמָּשָׁל שֶׁלָּהֶן, גַּיְפָא בְּתַפּוּחַיָּא וּמַפְלְגָא לִבְאִישַׁיָּא. וּלְכָךְ אָסְרָה תּוֹרָה אֶתְנָן לְכָל נֶדֶר, כִּי עַתָּה יוֹסִיפוּ לַחֲטֹא בָּהֶן. וְכֵן עִנְיַן מְחִיר כֶּלֶב, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי הַצָּדִים בִּכְלָבִים וְשׁוֹמְרֵי הַחוֹמוֹת יְגַדְּלוּ כְּלָבִים עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ מַזִּיקִים אֶת הָרַבִּים, וְיַדִּירוּ בִּמְחִירֵיהֶם לִהְיוֹת כֹּפֶר לְנַפְשָׁם, וְכֵן הַמִּנְהָג עַד הַיּוֹם בַּפָּרָשִׁים אַנְשֵׁי הַצַּיִד, שֶׁיַּעֲמִידוּ צוּרַת כַּלְבֵיהֶם בְּשַׁעֲוָה לִפְנֵי ע"ז שֶׁיַּצְלִיחוּ בָּהֶם. וְהַמְּפָרְשִׁים אָמְרוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא דֶּרֶךְ בִּזָּיוֹן. וְאָמַר (דברים כג יט):

1THOU SHALT NOT BRING THE HIRE OF A HARLOT, [OR THE PRICE OF A DOG, INTO THE HOUSE OF THE ETERNAL THY G-D FOR ANY VOW]. Harlots are wont to do good deeds with their hire, thinking thereby to atone for their sins, as our Rabbis mentioned in their proverb,³⁰⁴ “She commits illicit sexual intercourse for apples and she divides them among the sick.” Therefore the Torah prohibited a harlot’s gift to be brought for any vow, for now they sin more and more.³⁰⁵ Similarly the matter of the price of the dog is that hunters using dogs and watchmen of walls raise brazen dogs that harm the public, and the owners vow [to contribute] their value [to a cause which they consider sacred], as an atonement for their soul. Such is still the custom among men who ride to the hunts that they place the waxen image of their dogs before an idol that they may be successful with them. And the commentators [as mentioned by Ibn Ezra] have said [that the reason for the prohibition is] because they [i.e., these payments] came about in a contemptible manner.

בגַּם שְׁנֵיהֶם, לְרַבּוֹת שִׁנּוּיֵיהֶם, כְּגוֹן חִטִּין וַעֲשָׂאָן סֹלֶת, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים כ"ג:י"ט). אֲבָל בַּגְּמָרָא (בבא קמא סה ב) אָמְרוּ, שֶׁבֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹסְרִין וּבֵית הִלֵּל מַתִּירִין, אֶלָּא הֵם וְלֹא וַלְדוֹתֵיהֶם הֵם וְלֹא שִׁנּוּיֵיהֶם. וְטַעַם גַּם שְׁנֵיהֶם, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהָאֶחָד בֶּאֱמֶת תּוֹעֵבָה גְּדוֹלָה וְהוּא הָאֶתְנָן כִּי בּוֹ נֶעֶשְׂתָה תּוֹעֲבַת הַזִּמָּה, אָמַר שֶׁגַּם שְׁנֵיהֶם יְתָעֵב ה'. וְכָמוֹהוּ (משלי יז טו), מַצְדִּיק רָשָׁע וּמַרְשִׁיעַ צַדִּיק תּוֹעֲבַת ה' גַּם שְׁנֵיהֶם, יִתְלֶה הַקָּטָן בַּגָּדוֹל. וְכֵן (דברים כב כב) וּמֵתוּ גַּם שְׁנֵיהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי. אוֹ טַעְמוֹ שֶׁהִזְהִיר כְּבָר עַל פְּסוּלֵי הַקָּרְבָּן בְּמוּמִין וְאָמַר בָּהֶם (דברים יז א), לֹא תִזְבַּח לַה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ שׁוֹר וָשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם כֹּל דָּבָר רָע כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא, הוֹסִיף בְּכָאן לוֹמַר כִּי גַּם הָאֶתְנָן וְהַמְּחִיר, שֶׁגּוּפָם תָּמִים, גַּם הֵם תּוֹעֲבַת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ כְּמוֹתָם, וְהוּא הַנָּכוֹן. וְכֵן (משלי כ יב) אֹזֶן שֹׁמַעַת וְעַיִן רֹאָה ה' עָשָׂה גַם שְׁנֵיהֶם, יִרְמֹז לָאָדָם בִּכְלָלוֹ, יֹאמַר שֶׁה' יָצַר אֶת הָאָדָם וְעָשָׂה גַּם אֵלּוּ בּוֹ. וְכֵן (משלי כ י) אֶבֶן וָאֶבֶן אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה תּוֹעֲבַת ה' גַּם שְׁנֵיהֶם, יִרְמֹז לְגוֹזֵל וְחוֹמֵס וְכָל עוֹשֵׁק, שֶׁהֵם תּוֹעֵבוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת מֵאֵלּוּ וְלֹא יַזְכִּירֵם.

2GAM SHNEIHEM’ (‘EVEN THEY BOTH’) [ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE ETERNAL THY G-D]. “Even they both — this includes the products into which they have been processed, such as wheat which she made into flour.” This is Rashi’s language. But in the Gemara³⁰⁶ the Rabbis have said that the School of Shammai forbid it and the School of Hillel permit it.³⁰⁷ Instead, the verse [in accordance with the teaching of the School of Hillel] is to be interpreted as follows: “They [are forbidden] but not their young; they [are forbidden] but not the products into which they have been processed.” And the purport of the expression gam shneihem is that since one of them is indeed a great abomination — namely, the hire of a harlot, since the harlotry was committed for it — [while the price of a dog might be considered less of an abomination] the verse states that “even both of these” [including the price of a dog] G-d will reject. Similarly, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous, ‘even they both’ are an abomination to the Eternal;³⁰⁸ the verse attaches the smaller offense [i.e., he that justifies the wicked] to the bigger one [he that condemns the righteous]. So also, then they shall both of them die,³⁰⁹ as I have explained [there, that the man is the greater sinner of the two, and therefore the verse states that even she is also to die].Or it may be that the purport [of the expression gam shneihem] is that since he had already warned against the disqualifications of the offering through blemishes, and stated concerning them, Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the Eternal thy G-d an ox, or a sheep, wherein is a blemish, even any evil thing; for that is an abomination unto the Eternal thy G-d,³¹⁰ he supplemented here saying that the hire of the harlot and the price of the dog — although in themselves perfect — that they too are the abomination of the Eternal like those [blemished offerings]. This is the correct interpretation. So also, The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Eternal hath made even both of them,³¹¹ the verse alludes to man in general and states that G-d created man and also made these characteristics in him. Similarly, Diverse weights, and diverse measures, both of them alike are an abomination to the Eternal,³¹², Verse 10. the verse intimates to whoever robs, extorts, and exploits in any manner which are greater abominations than these [false weights and measures], although it does not mention them, [and declares that even diverse weights and diverse measures are an abomination to G-d].