Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 31:18/רמב"ן על דברים ל״א:י״ח
אוְטַעַם וְאָנֹכִי הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי, פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהִרְהֲרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלִבָּם כִּי חָטְאוּ לֵאלֹהִים, וְעַל כִּי אֵין אֱלֹהֵיהֶם בְּקִרְבָּם מְצָאוּם הָרָעוֹת הָאֵלֶּה, הָיָה רָאוּי לְרֹב חַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם שֶׁיַּעַזְרֵם וְיַצִּילֵם, שֶׁכְּבָר כָּפְרוּ בע"ז, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַר (ירמיהו ב לה) הִנְנִי נִשְׁפָּט אוֹתָךְ עַל אָמְרֵךְ לֹא חָטָאתִי. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר כִּי עַל כָּל הָרָעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ לִבְטֹחַ בע"ז יַסְתִּיר עוֹד פָּנִים מֵהֶם, לֹא כְּמִסְתַּר פָּנִים הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהִסְתִּיר פְּנֵי רַחֲמָיו וּמְצָאוּם רָעוֹת רַבּוֹת וְצָרוֹת, רַק שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְּהֶסְתֵּר פְּנֵי הַגְּאֻלָּה וְיַעַמְדוּ בְּהַבְטָחַת פְּנֵי רַחֲמָיו (ויקרא כו מד) וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶם לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים וְגוֹ', עַד שֶׁיּוֹסִיפוּ עַל הַחֲרָטָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת וִדּוּי גָּמוּר וּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּזְכַּר לְמַעְלָה (ל ב), וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְגוֹ':
1AND I WILL SURELY HIDE MY FACE IN THAT DAY. The meaning thereof is that [He will hide His face] on a different occasion [for it was already stated in Verse 17, and I will hide My face from them]. Since the Israelites already reflected in their hearts that they sinned against G-d, and that these evils came upon them because their G-d was not among them, it would have been fitting — according to the exceeding mercies of G-d — that He help them and rescue them because they had already denied the idols. This is similar to what is stated, Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, because thou sayest: ‘I have not sinned,’32 [indicating that the very denial of wrongdoing is a grievous sin, but here the admission of sin should have caused G-d to help them]. Therefore he [Moses] states that, because of the great evil that they did in trusting idols, He will again hide His face from them — not like the first hiding of His face when He hid the face of His mercies and many evils and troubles came upon them33 — but that only the face of redemption will be hidden and they will abide by the promise of the face of His mercies. [This is the promise of] And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them etc.34 [They will not be shown the face of redemption] until they add to the aforementioned regret real confession and perfect repentance, as is stated above, and thou shalt return unto the Eternal thy G-d etc.35