Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 24:4/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ד:ד׳

אאַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר הֻטַּמָּאָה, לְרַבּוֹת סוֹטָה הַנִּסְתֶּרֶת, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים כ"ד:ד'). וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ אִשָּׁה שֶׁזָּנְתָה תַּחַת בַּעְלָהּ. אֲבָל הַסּוֹטָה הַנִּסְתֶּרֶת בִּלְבַד, לֹא נוֹדַע שֶׁהִיא טְמֵאָה וְאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ בַּלָּאו הַזֶּה. וְכָךְ מְפֹרָשׁ בְּפֶרֶק רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל יְבָמוֹת (יא), מַאי וְנִסְתְּרָה, נִבְעֲלָה, וְאַמַּאי קָרֵי לֵהּ נִסְתְּרָה, לִשָּׁנָא מְעַלְּיָא נְקַט. וְשָׁאֲלוּ, נִבְעֲלָה בְּהֶדְיָא כְּתִיב בָּהּ טֻמְאָה (במדבר ה יג), וְנִסְתְּרָה וְהִיא נִטְמָאָה, לְמֵקַם עֲלָהּ בְּלָאו. וְאִם כֵּן יֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב לֹא יוּכַל בַּעְלָהּ הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר שִׁלְּחָהּ לָשׁוּב לְקַחְתָּהּ, וְאַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר הֻטַּמָּאָה. וְהִנֵּה הֵם שְׁנֵי לָאוִין, יַזְהִיר בְּמַחְזִיר גְּרוּשָׁתוֹ מִשֶּׁנִּשֵּׂאת, וְיַזְהִיר בְּמַחְזִיר אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁנִּטְמְאָה בִּזְנוּת. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר הֻטַּמָּאָה לַבַּעַל הָרִאשׁוֹן, יִרְמֹז כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדָעָהּ אִישׁ אַחֵר תֵּחָשֵׁב לוֹ טְמֵאָה. וְאֵלּוּ מִצְוֹת מְחֻדָּשׁוֹת בַּגֵּט וּבַחֲזִירָה. וְטַעַם הַלָּאו הַזֶּה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַחְלִיפוּ נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן זֶה לָזֶה, יִכְתֹּב לָהּ גֵּט בָּעֶרֶב וּבַבֹּקֶר הִיא שָׁבָה אֵלָיו, וְזֶה טַעַם וְלֹא תַחֲטִיא אֶת הָאָרֶץ, כִּי זֶה סִבָּה לַחֲטָאִים גְּדוֹלִים. וּבְסִפְרֵי (תצא קלו), וְלֹא תַחֲטִיא אֶת הָאָרֶץ, לְהַזְהִיר ב"ד עַל כָּךְ:

1[HER FORMER HUSBAND, WHO SENT HER AWAY, MAY NOT TAKE HER AGAIN TO BE HIS WIFE] AFTER THAT SHE IS DEFILED — “this includes a sotah (a suspected adulteress) who had been in seclusion [with a man against whom her husband had warned her not to seclude herself].” This is Rashi’s language. But the meaning thereof is that she had committed adultery while she was a married person, but in the case of a sotah who had merely been secluded and it is not known whether she was defiled — he [her husband] does not transgress this prohibition [if he continues to live with her]. It is so clearly explained in the first chapter of Tractate Yebamoth:³³⁵ “What is the meaning of v’nisterah?³³⁶. She committed adultery. And why does Scripture refer to it as v’nisterah [which means, ‘but she was secluded’]? It is a more seemly expression.” On this answer the Gemara asked: “If she committed adultery — that [aspect] is clearly stated, and she hid and she be defiled,³³⁶. [and therefore v’nisterah in the verse before us must have another meaning]! It is to declare that the husband [whose wife committed adultery and, as a result was divorced] transgresses a negative commandment [if he remarries her].”³³⁷ And if so, Scripture states here: “Her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife ‘and’ after that she is defiled [he may also not take her again].” Thus, these are two negative commandment: he warns against remarrying his own divorcee after she had married [someone else and was divorced or widowed], and he warns against remarrying his [former] wife who had been defiled by adultery [and divorced]. And in line with the plain meaning of Scripture the expression after that she is defiled refers to the first husband, the verse suggesting that because she “knew” [i.e., married] another man she is accounted to him [i.e., the first husband] as “defiled.”Now these are newly-declared commandments both with respect to divorce and remarriage. And the reason for this prohibition is so that people should not exchange their wives with one another: he would be able to write her a bill of divorce at night, and in the morning she will return to him. This is the sense of the expression, and thou shalt not cause the Land to sin,³³⁸ for this is a cause of great sins. And in the Sifre it is stated:³³⁹ 270. “And thou shalt not cause the Land to sin³³⁸ — this is intended to admonish the court concerning this.”