Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 27:26/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ז:כ״ו

אאֲשֶׁר לֹא יָקִים אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת, כָּאן כָּלַל אֶת כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ וְקִבְּלוּהָ עֲלֵיהֶם בְּאָלָה וּבִשְׁבוּעָה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים כ"ז:כ"ו). וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי כִּי הַקַּבָּלָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁיּוֹדֶה בַּמִּצְוֹת בְּלִבּוֹ וְיִהְיוּ בְּעֵינָיו אֱמֶת, וְיַאֲמִין שֶׁהָעוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָן יִהְיֶה לוֹ שָׂכָר וְטוֹבָה, וְהָעוֹבֵר עֲלֵיהֶן יֵעָנֵשׁ, וְאִם יִכְפֹּר בְּאַחַת מֵהֶן אוֹ תִּהְיֶה בְּעֵינָיו בְּטֵלָה לְעוֹלָם, הִנֵּה הוּא אָרוּר. אֲבָל אִם עָבַר עַל אַחַת מֵהֶן, כְּגוֹן שֶׁאָכַל הַחֲזִיר וְהַשֶּׁקֶץ לְתַאֲוָתוֹ אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה סֻכָּה וְלוּלָב לְעַצְלָה, אֵינֶנּוּ בַּחֵרֶם הַזֶּה, כִּי לֹא אָמַר הַכָּתוּב אֲשֶׁר לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת, אֶלָּא אָמַר אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָקִים אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת לַעֲשׂוֹת, כְּטַעַם קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ הַיְּהוּדִים (אסתר ט כז). וְהִנֵּה הוּא חֵרֶם הַמּוֹרְדִים וְהַכּוֹפְרִים. וּבַיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי בְּסוֹטָה (פ"ז ה"ד) רָאִיתִי, אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָקִים, וְכִי יֵשׁ תּוֹרָה נוֹפֶלֶת, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יָקִים אוֹמֵר, זֶה הַחַזָּן. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא אוֹמֵר, זֶה בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל מַטָּן, דְּמַר רַב יְהוּדָה וְרַב הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם שְׁמוּאֵל, עַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה קָרַע יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וְאָמַר עָלַי לְהָקִים. אָמַר רַבִּי אָסֵי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בַּר חִיָּא, לָמַד וְלִמֵּד וְשָׁמַר וְעָשָׂה, וְהָיָה סִפֵּק בְּיָדוֹ לְהַחְזִיק וְלֹא הֶחְזִיק, הֲרֵי זֶה בִּכְלַל אָרוּר. יִדְרְשׁוּ בַּהֲקָמָה הַזֹּאת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַנְּשִׂיאוּת, שֶׁבְּיָדָם לְהָקִים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בְּיַד הַמְּבַטְּלִים אוֹתָהּ, וַאֲפִלּוּ הָיָה הוּא צַדִּיק גָּמוּר בְּמַעֲשָׂיו וְהָיָה יָכוֹל לְהַחְזִיק הַתּוֹרָה בְּיַד הָרְשָׁעִים הַמְּבַטְּלִים אוֹתָהּ, הֲרֵי זֶה אָרוּר. וְזֶה קָרוֹב לָעִנְיָן שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ. וְאָמְרוּ עַל דֶּרֶךְ אַגָּדָה, זֶה הַחַזָּן שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֵקִים סִפְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה לְהַעֲמִידָן כְּתִקְנָן שֶׁלֹּא יִפְּלוּ. וְלִי נִרְאֶה עַל הַחַזָּן שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֵקִים סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עַל הַצִּבּוּר לְהַרְאוֹת פְּנֵי כְּתִיבָתוֹ לַכֹּל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּמַסֶּכֶת סוֹפְרִים (יד יד), שֶׁמַּגְבִּיהִין אוֹתוֹ וּמַרְאֶה פְּנֵי כְּתִיבָתוֹ לָעָם הָעוֹמְדִים לִימִינוֹ וְלִשְׂמֹאלוֹ, וּמַחְזִירוֹ לְפָנָיו וּלְאַחֲרָיו, שֶׁמִּצְוָה לַכֹּל, אֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים, לִרְאוֹת הַכָּתוּב וְלִכְרֹעַ וְלוֹמַר, וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ' (דברים ד':מ"ד), וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין:

1CURSED BE HE THAT CONFIRMETH NOT THE WORDS OF THIS LAW. “Here [in these words] he included the entire Torah and they took it upon themselves with an imprecation and an oath [to observe all the commandments thereof].” This is Rashi’s language. In my opinion this “acceptance” requires that one avow the commandments in his heart and consider them as the truth, believe that he who observes them will be requited with the best of rewards and he who transgresses them will be punished, and if someone denies any of them, or considers it annulled forever he will be cursed. However, if one transgressed any commandment, such as eating swine or some abominable thing because of his desire, or he did not make a Booth or take the palm-branch [on the Festival of Tabernacles] because of laziness, he is not included within this ban, for Scripture did not say “who does not perform the words of this Law” but it states that ‘confirmeth’ not the words of this Law to do them, similar to the expression the Jews ordained, and took upon them [and upon their seed … so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days — of Purim — according to the writing thereof].⁷³ Thus the verse [before us] is the ban on those who rebel [against the authority of the Torah] and who deny [its validity].Now, I have seen the following text in Yerushalmi Sotah:⁷⁴ “Asher lo yakim [literally: ‘that does not stand up’ — the words of this Law]. But is there ‘a falling Law?’ Rabbi Shimon ben Yakim says, This refers to the officer [of the Synagogue, as explained further on]. Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta says, This is the court on earth, because Rav⁷⁵ Yehudah and Rav Hunah in the name of Shmuel said: Due to this verse [asher lo yakim (that confirmeth not)] King Josiah rent his clothes,⁷⁶ (ibid). The question now arises as to which particular verse affected the king to rend his clothes? Rav Hunah in the name of Shmuel said that it was the verse before us, asher lo yakim — ‘that confirmeth not’ the words of this Law, and since he was king, he felt it his responsibility to re-institute the authority of the Law. saying, ‘The duty is upon me to stand up [the Law].’ Rabbi Asi in the name of Rabbi Tanchum the son of Chiya said, [Even if a person] learned and taught [Torah], observed and fulfilled [its commandments], but had the means to enable [others to study the Torah] and did not do so — he is included within the curse” [mentioned in the verse before us]. Thus the Rabbis [in the above Yerushalmi] interpretated this “standing up” [of the Torah] as referring to the royal house and that of the Nasi [the Prince of the Sanhedrin] who have the power to uphold [the authority of] the Torah over those who annul it. And even if he was a perfectly righteous man in his own deeds, but he could have strengthened the Torah against the power of the wicked ones who annul it [but failed to do so], he is accursed. This is close to the subject that we have explained.And by way of a homily the Rabbis [in the above Yerushalmi] said: “This refers to the sexton of the Synagogue who does not stand up the Scroll of the Law to set it up properly so that it should not fall.”⁷⁷ It appears to me that it [the Yerushalmi] refers to the sexton who does not stand up the Scroll of the Law before the public to show the face of its writing to all people as it is explained in Tractate Sofrim⁷⁸ that “they lift the Torah high and show the face of its writing to the people who stand there to the right and left thereof and turns it frontwise and backwards, for it is incumbent upon all men and women to see the written words and bend the knee and say And this is the Law which Moses set before the children of Israel,”⁷⁹ and such is the custom.