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Ramban on Deuteronomy 29:28/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ט:כ״ח

אהַנִּסְתָּרוֹת לַה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ, עַל דַּעַת הַמְּפָרְשִׁים יֹאמַר כִּי הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹהֵינוּ לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט בְּעוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בַּסֵּתֶר, כִּי כָל הַתַּעֲלוּמוֹת גְּלוּיוֹת לְפָנָיו, וְהַנִּגְלוֹת עָלֵינוּ וְעַל בָּנֵינוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת, לְהַכּוֹת עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה כְּדִין הַתּוֹרָה. וְגַם כְּפִי הַמִּדְרָשׁ (סנהדרין מג) כֵּן הוּא. וְדַעְתִּי בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, כִּי הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת הֵם הַחֲטָאִים הַנִּסְתָּרִים מִן הָעוֹשִׂים אוֹתָם, כְּמוֹ שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי יָבִין מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי (תהלים יט יג), יֹאמַר הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת לַשֵּׁם לְבַדּוֹ הֵם, אֵין לָנוּ בָּהֶן עָוֹן אֲשֶׁר חֵטְא, אֲבָל הַנִּגְלוֹת, שֶׁהֵם הַזְּדוֹנוֹת, לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ עַד עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת חֻקַּת עוֹלָם, שֶׁכָּךְ קִבַּלְנוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר יֶשְׁנוֹ פֹּה וְעַל אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ פֹּה לְדוֹרוֹת עוֹלָם. וּלְפִי שֶׁהֵבִיא בְּאָלָה לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל הַמִּצְוָה, הוֹצִיא מִן הַחֵרֶם הָעוֹשֶׂה בִּשְׁגָגָה, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקַלֵּל בָּאָלָה הַזֹּאת. וְדִבְרֵי אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על דברים כ"ט:כ"ח) מַטִּין כֵּן, שֶׁאָמַר דְּמִטַּמְרָן קֳדָם ה' אֱלָהַנָא, וְאִם כְּדִבְרֵי הַמְפָרְשִׁים רָאוּי לוֹ לוֹמַר דְּמִטַּמְּרִין לַה' אֱלָהַנָא:

1THE SECRET THINGS BELONG UNTO THE ETERNAL OUR G-D. In the opinion of the commentators⁴⁴ the verse states: “It is for the Eternal our G-d to execute judgment upon those who worship idols secretly, for all hidden matters are revealed before Him, but the things that are revealed are upon us and our children that we may do to them all the words of this Law — to smite the idol-worshippers in accordance with the law of the Torah. According to the interpretation of the Rabbis, too, it is so.⁴⁵By way of the simple meaning of Scripture it is my opinion that the secret things are the sins that are hidden from those who commit them, as it is stated, Who can discern errors? Cleanse Thou me from hidden faults.⁴⁶ The verse states: “[Our] hidden sins belong to G-d alone; for them we bear no guilt for having transgressed [unknowingly]. But the things that are revealed, namely our conscious sins, belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this Law as an eternal statute. As such we accepted it, obligating the one who was present [when the covenant was made] and the one who was not present. And because he included in the imprecation [the obligation] to perform all the commandments, he excluded from the ban whoever commits a sin unintentionally, so that he should not be afflicted by this curse. The words of Onkelos indicate this, for he rendered it, “The secret things are before the Eternal our G-d,” [thus implying that we will not be punished for sins we have committed unknowingly], but if he agreed with the [aforementioned] interpretation of the commentators [that it is for G-d to punish conscious sins committed secretly] then Onkelos should have said, “The secret things are ‘to’ the Eternal our G-d” [to punish].