Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 30:2/רמב"ן על דברים ל׳:ב׳
אוְטַעַם וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ, שֶׁתָּשׁוּב אֶל ה' בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, וּתְקַבֵּל עָלֶיךָ וְעַל בָּנֶיךָ לְדֹרֹתָם לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בַּגְּאֻלָּה הַשֵּׁנִית, דִּכְתִיב (נחמיה י ל) וּבָאִים בְּאָלָה וּבִשְׁבוּעָה לָלֶכֶת בְּתוֹרַת הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר נִתְּנָה בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד הָאֱלֹהִים וְלִשְׁמֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת ה' אֲדֹנֵינוּ וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְחֻקָּיו. אוֹ יִהְיֶה מְצַוְּךָ אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ, כְּמוֹ מְצַוְּךָ לְךָ וּלְבָנֶיךָ, כְּעִנְיָן וְאַתָּה צֻוֵּיתָ (בראשית מה יט), וְכֵן וַיָּרֵעוּ אוֹתָנוּ (דברים כ"ו:ו'), לָנוּ. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי יֵשׁ בּוֹ סוֹד גָּדוֹל, כִּי יִרְמֹז לְמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ (יבמות סג), אֵין בֶּן דָּוִד בָּא עַד שֶׁיִּכְלוּ כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת שֶׁבַּגּוּף, וּכְבָר דִּבַּרְתִּי בּוֹ:
1AND THOU SHALT RETURN UNTO THE ETERNAL THY G-D, AND HEARKEN TO HIS VOICE ACCORDING TO ALL THAT I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY, THOU AND THY CHILDREN. The meaning thereof is that you will return with all thy heart, and with all thy soul48 and you will take it upon yourself and upon your children throughout their generations to do according to all that I command thee this day, just as they did at the second redemption [i.e., the redemption from Babylon], as it is written, and they entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in G-d’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of G-d, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Eternal our G-d, and His ordinances and His statutes.49 Or it may be that the expression that I command thee this day, thou and thy children is like “command you — to you and to your children,”50 is gramatically difficult, because the verse begins with the accusative thee, and follows with the nominative thou. Ramban offers two explanations: First, that the verse contains two separate thoughts: that you will return to G-d, and that you will accept upon yourself and your children all that He commands us. Second, that the nominative thou is equivalent to the accusative thee [“to you”], and the verse is thus expressing a single thought: “that I command thee this day — to you and to your children.” Ramban proceeds to cite Scriptural examples of similar usage — a nominative in place of an accusative. similar to the expression ‘v’atah tzuveitha’51 (and you) is to be understood as lecha (“and to you”). [meaning lecha tzuveithi — “to you I ordered that the command be given”]. So also, and they dealt ill ‘othanu’52 is “us,” but Ramban interprets it in the context of the verse as if it means “to us.” means lanu (“to us”).53 (you) means lecha (to you). And in my opinion there is in this matter a great secret; for it alludes to that which the Rabbis said,54 “The son of David [i.e., the Messiah] will not come until all souls in the guf55 are exhausted.” I have already spoken of this matter.56