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Ramban on Deuteronomy 23:7/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ג:ז׳

אלֹא תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם, מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כ"ג:י"ז) עִמְּךָ יֵשֵׁב בְּקִרְבְּךָ, יָכוֹל אַף זֶה כֵּן, ת"ל לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים כ"ג:ז'). וְהַמִּדְרָשׁ הַזֶּה בְּסִפְרֵי (תצא רנא) מִטּוֹבָתָם, מִכְּלַל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁם בַּטּוֹב לוֹ לֹא תּוֹנֶנּוּ, הוֹצִיא אֶת אֵלּוּ מֵאוֹתָהּ טוֹבָה, אֲבָל לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם נִדְרָשׁ בְּסִפְרֵי לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כ':י') כִּי תִקְרַב אֶל עִיר וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם, יָכוֹל אַף עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב כֵּן, ת"ל לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם. וְכֵן בְּתַנְחוּמָא. וְהַנִּרְאֶה אֵלַי כִּי מִלְחֶמֶת עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב אֲסָרָהּ הַכָּתוּב עָלֵינוּ לְדוֹרוֹת, וְהַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר (לעיל ב ט יט) אַל תִּתְגָּר בָּם, אֵינָהּ מִצְוָה לְשָׁעָה בִּלְבַד, אֲבָל הִיא מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְדוֹרוֹת, זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר (שם) כִּי לִבְנֵי לוֹט נְתַתִּיהָ יְרֻשָּׁה. וְהִנֵּה אַרְצָם לָהֶם לְעוֹלָם, כִּי הִיא נַחֲלָה שֶׁהִנְחִילָם הַשֵּׁם. אִם כֵּן הַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ יְצַוֶּה אִם נִלָּחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם בְּעִיר שֶׁכָּבְשׁוּ הֵם מִן הָעַמִּים, שֶׁלֹּא נִקְרָא לָהֶם לְשָׁלוֹם. וְכֵן אִם יָבוֹאוּ הֵם לְהִלָּחֵם בְּאַרְצֵנוּ, מֻתָּר לָנוּ לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְלִכְבֹּשׁ מֵהֶם הַמְּדִינוֹת לְהַכּוֹת יוֹשְׁבֵי הֶעָרִים שֶׁעָשׂוּ עִמָּנוּ הָרָעָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה יִפְתָּח (שופטים יא לג), וַיַּכֵּם מֵעֲרוֹעֵר וְעַד בּוֹאֲךָ מִנִּית עֶשְׂרִים עִיר, וְכֵן עָשָׂה דָּוִד לְכֹל עָרֵי בְנֵי עַמּוֹן (שמואל ב יב לא), בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהֵם פָּרְצוּ הַגָּדֵר תְּחִלָּה וְנִלְחֲמוּ בּוֹ, וְאָז לֹא נִצְטָרֵךְ לִקְרֹא בִּשְׁלוֹמָם וְנַכֶּה בַּנִּלְחָמִים בָּנוּ כָּל עִיר מְתִם הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטָּף אִם נִרְצֶה. וְאָמְרוּ בְּמִדְרַשׁ רַבָּה (במדב"ר כא ו), וְהִכִּיתֶם כָּל עִיר מִבְצָר וְכָל עִיר מִבְחוֹר וְכָל עֵץ טוֹב תַּפִּילוּ וְכָל מַעְיְנֵי מַיִם תִּסְתֹּמוּ (מלכים ב ג יט), אָמְרוּ לוֹ, הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר (דברים כ':י"ט) לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ, וְאַתָּה אוֹמֵר כֵּן, אָמַר לָהֶם, עַל כָּל הָאֻמּוֹת צִוָּה, וְזוֹ קַלָּה וּבְזוּיָה הִיא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב ג יח) וְנָקַל זֹאת בְּעֵינֵי ה' וְנָתַן אֶת מוֹאָב בְּיֶדְכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם וְטֹבָתָם, אֵלּוּ אִילָנוֹת טוֹבִים. וְכָל זֶה לְהַזִּיקָם וּלְצַעֲרָם, אֲבָל הָאָרֶץ תִּשָּׁאֵר לַמִּשְׁפָּחָה הַהִיא, שֶׁהִיא נַחֲלָה שֶׁהִנְחִילָם הַשֵּׁם. וְזֶה הָעִנְיָן מֻזְכָּר בְּאַגָּדוֹת בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (עד יג) וּבְמִדְרַשׁ תִּלִּים (ס א). וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט טַעַם לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם וְטֹבָתָם, כְּאוֹמֵר אע"פ שֶׁהֵם בְּנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתְּכֶם וְאַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם אָהַב אֶת אֲבִיהֶם כְּאָח לוֹ יוֹנֵק שְׁדֵי אִמּוֹ, לֹא תִּהְיוּ אַתֶּם לוֹ כְּאַחִים דּוֹרְשֵׁי שָׁלוֹם וְטוֹבָה, כִּי הֵם הֵפֵרוּ בְּרִית אַחְוָה וְתִהְיֶה מוּפֶרֶת לְעוֹלָם. וְהִנֵּה הַשֵּׁם שָׁמַר לִבְנֵי לוֹט זְכוּת אֲבִיהֶם שֶׁלִּוָּה אֶת נְבִיאוֹ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ ה', וּלְכָךְ הִנְחִילָם מִנַּחֲלַת אַבְרָהָם, וְהֶעֱנִישׁ אֶת בָּנָיו בְּחֶטְאָם שֶׁלֹּא יִדְבְּקוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכֵן הַמִּצְרִים הִרְחִיקָם שְׁלֹשָׁה דּוֹרוֹת מִפְּנֵי רִשְׁעָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ עִמָּנוּ רָעוֹת רַבּוֹת וְצָרוֹת, אֲבָל לֹא יְתַעֵב אוֹתָם לְעוֹלָם בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהָיִינוּ גֵּרִים בְּאַרְצָם וְנִמְלַטְנוּ עִמָּהֶם בִּימֵי הָרָעָב בַּכָּבוֹד שֶׁעָשׂוּ לְאָבִינוּ, וְהִמְלִיכוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מִמֶּנּוּ קָצִין וּמוֹשֵׁל. וְכֵן עָשָׂה עִם אֱדוֹם, שָׁמַר לָהֶם זְכוּת אָבוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ מִזֶּרַע קֹדֶשׁ, וְהִרְחִיקָם שְׁלֹשָׁה דּוֹרוֹת בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיָּצְאוּ לִקְרָאתֵנוּ בַּחֶרֶב וְלֹא זָכְרוּ בְּרִית אַחִים. וְהַקַּבָּלָה מִן רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (יבמות עח) כִּי אֵין דּוֹר שְׁלִישִׁי מִימֵי מֹשֶׁה, אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְגַּיֵּר אֶחָד מֵהֶם יָבֹא הַדּוֹר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי שֶׁלּוֹ בִּקְהַל ה':

1THOU SHALT NOT SEEK THEIR PEACE. “Since it is written [with respect to a fugitive slave], He shall dwell with thee, in the midst of thee [where it liketh him best; thou shalt not wrong him],²⁴⁶ I might think that the rule also applies to this one [an Ammonite or Moabite fugitive slave]. Scripture, therefore, says, Thou shalt not seek their peace.” This is Rashi’s language. Now, this interpretation in the Sifre²⁴⁷ 251. is deduced from the expression [here] nor their prosperity [Thou shalt not seek their peace ‘nor their prosperity,’ and not as it might appear from the heading in our text of Rashi that it is derived from the expression their peace, for thus is the language of the Sifre]: “Since it is stated there [with respect to the fugitive slave] ‘batov lo’ (where it liketh him best); thou shalt not wrong him²⁴⁶ — exclude these [the Ammonite and Moabite fugitive slaves] from this tovah (good).”²⁴⁸ (nor their ‘good’). But the expression Thou shalt not seek their peace is interpreted in the Sifre as follows: “Since it is stated, When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it,²⁴⁹ I might think that the same rule applies to Ammon and Moab. Scripture therefore says, Thou shalt not seek their peace. ” It is also so stated in Tanchuma.²⁵⁰. On “Tanchuma” see Vol. IV, p. 158, Note 1.It appears to me that Scripture has forever forbidden war against Ammon and Moab, and the verse stating, neither contend with them²⁵¹ was not only a temporary command, but a negative commandment for the generations. It is for this [reason] that He said, because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.²⁵², Verse 19. Thus their land belongs to them forever because it is the possession that G-d gave them. If so, the verse here stating, Thou shalt not seek their peace commands that if we wage war against them over a city which they captured from other peoples, that we are not to proclaim peace to them. Similarly, if they invaded our Land we are permitted to pursue them and capture cities from them, to smite the inhabitants of those cities who harmed us, as Jephtah did [of whom it is said], And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities.²⁵³ David also did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon²⁵⁴ because they “breached the fence” first and warred against him. In that event we need not to proclaim peace to them and we may smite those fighting us in every city, the men, and the women, and the little ones²⁵⁵ if we wish. Thus the Rabbis have said in Midrash Rabbah:²⁵⁶ “And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water.²⁵⁷ They [i.e., Jehoshaphat king of Judah and Jehoram king of Israel] said to him [Elisha]. ‘Scripture states, Thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof,²⁵⁸ and you say thus [destroy them]!’ He [Elisha] said to them: ‘Scripture commanded this with respect to all peoples, but this one is minor and despised,’ as it is said, And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Eternal, and He will deliver the Moabites into your hand,²⁵⁹ for it is said, Thou shalt not seek their peace ‘v’tovatham’ (nor their good), this alluding to the ‘good trees.’” Now, all this is to harm them and to vex them, but the land is to remain that family’s for it is the possession which G-d gave them. This subject is mentioned in Agadoth [homilies],²⁶⁰ Bereshith Rabbah,²⁶¹ and in Midrash Tehilim.²⁶²In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the purport of the verse Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity is as if to say, “Although they are members of your family, and your father Abraham loved their father as his brother, that sucked the breasts of his mother,²⁶³ yet you should not act towards them like brothers seeking their peace and prosperity, for it is they who have broken the covenant of brotherhood;²⁶⁴ let it remain broken forever.” Thus G-d guarded for Lot’s children the merit of their father who accompanied His prophet [Abraham] on the path where G-d sent him. Therefore He gave them an inheritance from Abraham’s possession²⁶⁵ and He punished his children for their sin that they could not become attached to Israel. Similarly He banned the Egyptians for three generations²⁶⁶ because of their wickedness in bringing upon us many evils and troubles,²⁶⁷ but He did not abhor them forever because we were strangers in their land where we found refuge with them in days of famine through the honor they showed our father [Jacob], and they appointed over themselves a chief and ruler from among us. So also did He do with the Edomites. He preserved the merit of the ancestors for them since they were of holy seed,²⁶⁸ but he banned them for three generations²⁶⁶ because they came forth against us with the sword and they remembered not the brotherly covenant.²⁶⁹ Now, the tradition of our Rabbis²⁷⁰ is that the third generation does not mean “the third generation from the days of Moses” but when one of them [Edomites or Egyptians] becomes a proselyte his third generation [i.e., his grandchild] may enter into the assembly of the Eternal.