Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 29:9/רמב"ן על דברים כ״ט:ט׳

אטַעַם אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹמְדִים וּמְזֻמָּנִים לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם כְּדֵי לַעֲמֹד בִּבְרִיתוֹ, כִּי לְקַבֵּל הַתּוֹרָה בְּבֵאוּרָהּ נֶאֶסְפוּ אֵלָיו. אוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹמְדִים לִפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן, וְהַבְּרִית הוּא הַשְּׁבוּעָה וְהָאָלָה אֲשֶׁר יַזְכִּיר, לְעָבְרְךָ בִּבְרִית ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבְאָלָתוֹ. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁכָּרַת עוֹד עִמָּם בְּרִית כַּבְּרִית הָרִאשׁוֹנָה אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אִתָּם בְּהַר סִינַי (שמות כד ה-ח), שֶׁהִקְרִיב עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹלָה וְלָקַח חֲצִי הַדָּם לִזְרֹק עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַחֲצִי הַדָּם זָרַק עַל הָעָם, אֲבָל לֹא הֻצְרַךְ לְהַזְכִּיר זֶה. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת כְּבָר הוֹדַעְתִּיךָ הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת:

1YE ARE STANDING THIS DAY ALL OF YOU BEFORE THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D. The meaning thereof is that you are standing and ready before G-d to be initiated into His covenant. For, in order to accept the Torah with its interpretation, they had gathered before him [Moses], or they may have stood before the ark of G-d. The covenant was the oath and imprecation which he mentioned — that thou shouldest enter into the covenant of the Eternal thy G-d, and into His oath.¹ It is possible that he made another covenant with them like the first covenant which he made with them at Mount Sinai,² namely, that he offered a burnt-offering on their behalf, and took half of the blood to sprinkle upon the altar and he sprinkled half of the blood upon the people, but it was unnecessary for him to mention this. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], I have already informed you of [the secret of] this covenant.³

בוְטַעַם רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, רָאשֵׁיכֶם רָאשֵׁי שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, כְּמוֹ וְהַנְּבוּאָה עוֹדֵד הַנָּבִיא, עַל דַּעַת ר"א (אבן עזרא על דברים כ"ט:ט'). וְעַל דַּעְתִּי הַכָּתוּב יִכְלֹל וְיִפְרֹט, וְהַכְּלָל רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְכָל שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, וְחָזַר וּפֵרַט זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם שֶׁהֵם רָאשֵׁיכֶם, כִּי זָקֵן וּנְשׂוּא פָנִים הוּא הָרֹאשׁ, וְכֵן אָמַר (דברים ל"א:כ"ח) הַקְהִילוּ אֵלַי אֶת כָּל זִקְנֵי שִׁבְטֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם, כִּי כָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לוֹ שְׂרָרָה וּמִנּוּי עַל הַצִּבּוּר יִקָּרֵא רֹאשׁ; נֶאֱמַר בַּנְּשִׂיאִים (במדבר א טז) רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי הֵם בַּמַּעֲלָה הַגְּדוֹלָה לְכָל אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְנֶאֱמַר בַּמְּרַגְּלִים (שם יג ג) רָאשֵׁי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵמָּה, שֶׁהֵם רָאשִׁים בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא רָאשִׁים לְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכֻלָּם בִּכְלַל רָאשֵׁיכֶם. וְחָזַר וְאָמַר כָּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהֵם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, וְהִזְכִּיר עוֹד הַטַּף וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַגֵּרִים וְחֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם מֵעֶרֶב רַב. וְהֵבִיא שָׁם הַטַּף לַהֲבִיאָם בַּבְּרִית, כִּי אֲפִלּוּ עִם הַדּוֹרוֹת הָעֲתִידִים יִכְרֹת בְּרִית, אוֹ כְּדֵי לְזַכּוֹתָם, כַּטַּעַם שֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּהַקְהֵל (חגיגה ג). וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (יבמות עט) שֶׁבָּאוּ קְצָת כְּנַעֲנִים בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁבָּאוּ בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וּנְתָנָם חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם לָעֵדָה וּלְמִשְׁכַּן ה'. וְאֵין הַכַּוָּנָה לוֹמַר שֶׁרִמּוּ אוֹתוֹ, אֲבָל בָּאוּ אֵלָיו לְהַשְׁלִים עִמּוֹ, כִּי כֵן הַמִּשְׁפָּט כַּאֲשֶׁר בֵּאַרְנוּ (לעיל כ י יא). וְכָךְ מָצָאתִי בְּמִדְרַשׁ תַּנְחוּמָא (נצבים ב), לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁבָּאוּ אֵצֶל מֹשֶׁה וְלֹא קִבְּלָם, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יָכְלוּ לְרַמּוֹתוֹ לִכְרֹת לָהֶם בְּרִית, אֲבָל עֲשָׂאָם מִיָּד חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם:

2RASHEICHEM SHIVTEICHEM.’ In the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra this means rasheichem rashei shivteichem (“your heads, the heads of your tribes”),⁴ cannot mean “your heads of.” Therefore Ibn Ezra adds the words rashei, interpreting the phrase as “your heads, ‘the heads of’ your tribes.” See Vol. IV, p. 115, Note 283 for the same principle as applied to another example. like and the prophecy of Oded the prophet⁵ indicating the definite article. Hence the word v’hanevuah cannot mean “and the prophecy of.” We must therefore add the word nevuath, meaning: “and the prophecy, ‘a prophecy of’ Oded.” See Vol. IV, p. 115, Note 284 where the same example is mentioned. [which means “and the prophecy, the prophecy of Oded the prophet”].⁵ indicating the definite article. Hence the word v’hanevuah cannot mean “and the prophecy of.” We must therefore add the word nevuath, meaning: “and the prophecy, ‘a prophecy of’ Oded.” See Vol. IV, p. 115, Note 284 where the same example is mentioned.In my opinion the verse generalizes and then specifies. The generalization is: “your heads and all your tribes,” and then it specifies your elders, and your officers who are your heads, for the elder and the man of rank, he is the head.⁶ Similarly, he stated Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers,⁷ for any person who has authority and appointive power over the public is called rosh (head). Thus it is said of the princes [of the tribes], they were ‘the heads of’ the thousands of Israel,⁸ for they were the highest rank of all the thousands of Israel. And it is stated of the spies, [all of them were] ‘heads of’ the children of Israel,⁹, 13:3. meaning they were “among” the heads of the children of Israel, not the heads of all the children of Israel — and they were all included in the term your heads. He then stated again even all the men of Israel who comprise your tribes.Then he mentioned further the little children, the women, the strangers, the hewers of wood and drawers of water¹⁰ whom they had from among the mixed multitude.¹¹ He had made them bring the little ones, in order to include them in the covenant, for he made the covenant even with the future generations,¹² or [the children may have been brought] to make them [i.e., the parents] deserving of Divine reward for bringing them, like the reason the Rabbis gave regarding [the commandment of] the Assembly.¹³ And our Rabbis have said¹⁴ that some Canaanites [posing as proselytes] came in Moses’ days just as they came in Joshua’s days¹⁵ and Moses made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the Tabernacle of G-d.¹⁶, Verse 27. The verse there states: for ‘the altar of’ G-d. Now, the intent of the Rabbis is not to state that these Canaanites deceived Moses [as they misled Joshua]; instead, they came to him to make peace with him, for such is the law as we have explained.¹⁷ Thus I found in Midrash Tanchuma:¹⁸ 2. “This teaches you that they [the Canaanites] came before Moses and he did not accept them.” That is to say, they could not deceive him into making a covenant with them, but he immediately made them hewers of wood and drawers of water.