Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 32:15/רמב"ן על דברים ל״ב:ט״ו
אוַיְנַבֵּל צוּר יְשׁוּעָתוֹ, גִּנּוּהוּ וּבִזּוּהוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל ח טז), אֲחֹרֵיהֶם אֶל הֵיכַל ה' וּפְנֵיהֶם קֵדְמָה, אֵין נִבּוּל גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים ל"ב:ט"ו). ור"א אוֹמֵר, וַיְנַבֵּל, שֶׁגָּרַם לְחַלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם, שֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל לְהוֹשִׁיעוֹ. וְגַם זֶה אֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן בְּעֵינַי, כִּי אֵינוֹ מִטַּעַם הַמָּקוֹם, שֶׁעֲדַיִן יְסַפֵּר אֶת חֲטָאֵיהֶם וְלֹא יַזְכִּיר עֹנֶשׁ וּנְקָמָה שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה בָּהֶם עַד וַיֹּאמֶר אַסְתִּירָה פָנַי מֵהֶם. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי מָה שֶׁהִזְכַּרְתִּי לְמַעְלָה (רמב"ן על דברים ל"ב:ו'), כִּי הַנְּבָלָה תַּשְׁלוּם רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה, יֹאמַר שֶׁנָּטַשׁ אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁבְּרָאוֹ בַּעֲבוּר זָרִים, וַיְנַבֵּל בְּפִיו וּבְמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ צוּר שֶׁהָיָה מוֹשִׁיעוֹ, לֵאמֹר שֶׁאֵין בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ רַק גְּמוּל רַע; בְּעָבְדָם הַזָּרִים יִשְׂבְּעוּ לֶחֶם, וּבְעָבְדָם אֶת הַצּוּר יִהְיוּ נִבְזִים וּשְׁפָלִים לְכָל הָעַמִּים, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ סְכָלֵינוּ (מלאכי ג יד טו), שָׁוְא עֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים וּמַה בֶּצַע כִּי שָׁמַרְנוּ מִשְׁמַרְתּוֹ וְכִי הָלַכְנוּ קְדֹרַנִּית מִפְּנֵי הַשֵּׁם צְבָאוֹת וְעַתָּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַשְּׁרִים זֵדִים וְגוֹ', וְכַאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַרְנָה הַנָּשִׁים הָאֲרוּרוֹת (ירמיהו מד יח), וּמִן אָז חָדַלְנוּ לְקַטֵּר לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְגוֹ' חָסַרְנוּ כֹל, וְכֵן אַל תִּנְאַץ לְמַעַן שִׁמְךָ אַל תְּנַבֵּל כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ (שם יד כא), שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ עָלָיו שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁלֵּם רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה לְעַמּוֹ וַעֲבָדָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שם) אַל תָּפֵר בְּרִיתְךָ אִתָּנוּ:
1VAYENABEIL’ THE ROCK OF HIS SALVATION — “he showed contempt for Him and disregarded Him, just as it is said, with their backs towards the Temple of the Eternal, and their faces toward the east.52 There is no greater contempt than this.” This is Rashi’s language. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “Vayenabeil — that he caused ‘the profaning’ of G-d’s Name so that He would no longer help him.” This interpretation, too, does not appear to me to be correct, for it is not within the context of this place [i.e., this section of the Song], for he is still narrating [here] their sins, and will not state their punishment and vengeance that He would inflict upon them until [further on in the verse], And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them.’53 The correct interpretation appears to me to be what I have mentioned above,54 that the term n’valah is used to describe repaying evil for good. The verse thus states that the people of Israel abandoned the G-d Who created them in favor of strange gods and, in utterance and thought, showed disregard for the Rock Who helped them. [Israel] said “In return for serving Him, there is nothing but repayment of evil. By worshipping the strange gods he shall have plenty of bread;55 but when worshipping the Rock they will be contemptible and base before all the people.”56 As our fools said, It is vain to serve G-d; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked mournfully because of the Eternal of hosts? And now we call the proud happy etc.,57, 3:14-15. and as the accursed women said [to Jeremiah], But since we let off to offer to the queen of heaven etc., we have wanted all things.58 Similarly [the prophet Jeremiah prayed], Do not abhor us, for Thy Name’s sake, do not dishonor the throne of Thy glory59, 14:21. because they will say of Him that He repays His people with evil for good, just as [the prophet] said, Break not Thy covenant with us.59, 14:21.