Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 32:26/רמב"ן על דברים ל״ב:כ״ו

אאַפְאֵיהֶם, אָמְרוּ הַמְּדַקְדְּקִים, אֲפַזְּרֵם בְּכָל פֵּאָה. וְאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה טַעַם אָמַרְתִּי, שֶׁהָיָה הָרָצוֹן לְפָנָיו בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּכָה לְעוֹלָם מְפֻזָּרִים בְּכָל פֵּאָה, וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה זִכְרָם מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נִשְׁבָּת לָעַד, לוּלֵי כַּעַס אוֹיֵב אָגוּר. וְעַל דַּעְתִּי הִיא מִלָּה מֻרְכֶּבֶת כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּירוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (האזינו כו), אַף אֵי הֵם, אֲבָל טַעְמָהּ שֶׁאֲשִׁיתֵם בִּמְקוֹם פֵּאָה וּבְעִנְיָן שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם גַּם אֵי הֵם, לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר לָהֶם שֵׁם וּשְׁאָר בַּגּוֹיִם וְלֹא יִוָּדַע מְקוֹמָם אַיֵּה. וְהִנֵּה יִרְמֹז לְגָלוּת עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים שֶׁגָּלוּ לִנְהַר גּוֹזָן (מלכים ב יז ו), הוּא שֶׁהַחֲכָמִים קוֹרִין סַמְבַּטְיוֹן, כִּי נִקְרָא גּוֹזָן מִלְּשׁוֹן וַיָּגָז שַׂלְוִים (במדבר יא לא), אַתָּה גוֹזִי (תהלים עא ו), כִּי הָעוֹמְדִים אַחֲרָיו מוּסָרִים מִבְּנֵי אָדָם. וְקוֹרִין אוֹתוֹ סַמְבַּטְיוֹן מִפְּנֵי שְׁבִיתָתוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת, כִּי יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת בִּלְשׁוֹן הַהוּא סַבְּט כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא בְּעַרְבִי, וְנָהוּג בִּלְשׁוֹנָם לְהוֹסִיף בַּתְּאָרִים "יוֹן" אֵזוֹבְיוֹן חוֹרְיוֹן מוּלְיוֹן וְכֵן הַרְבֵּה:

1[‘AMARTI’ (I SAID)] ‘APHEIHEM.’ Grammarians⁸⁸. See also Ibn Ezra. explained it as meaning: “I will disperse them into every ‘corner.’” And if so, the word amarti means that it was the Will before Him by the attribute of justice that they be so scattered forever in every corner, and that their memory cease forever from among men⁸⁹ — were it not that I was in dread of the wrath from the enemy.⁹⁰ And in my opinion the word apheihem is a composite word, as is mentioned in the Sifre,⁹¹ 322. that it consists of these three words: aph ei heim [“I said in My ‘anger’ that I will banish them so that it will be said of them ‘where are they?’ “]. The meaning thereof is that I will put them in such a place and in such a manner that it will also be said of them “Where are they?” signifying that there will be no name or remnant left of them among the nations, and their place will not be known where they are.⁹² He thus alludes to the exile of the ten tribes that were banished to the river Gozan,⁹³ this being the river which the Sages call “Sabbatyon.”⁹⁴ The name “Gozan” is of the expressions: ‘vayagaz’ (and it brought over) quails from the sea;⁹⁵ Thou art ‘gozi’ (He that took me out) of my mother’s womb,⁹⁶ because those who remain behind [that river] are “divested” of any contacts with other people. It is called “Sabbatyon” because of its rest on the Sabbath-day, for the Sabbath-day in that language, as in Arabic, is called Sabbat, and they add adjectivial suffixes of ‘yon’ to certain nouns, such as: eizoviyon (Greek hyssop),⁹⁷ churyon (another),⁹⁸. mulyon (a mule),⁹⁹ and many others.

באַשְׁבִּיתָה מֵאֱנוֹשׁ זִכְרָם, גָּלוּתֵנוּ בֵּין הָעַמִּים אֲנַחְנוּ יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִין, שֶׁאֵין לָנוּ זֵכֶר בָּעַמִּים וְלֹא נֵחָשֵׁב לְעַם וְאֻמָּה כְּלָל. וְהִנֵּה יֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב כִּי הָיָה בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין לִהְיוֹתֵנוּ כֵּן בַּגָּלוּת לְעוֹלָם, לוּלֵי כַּעַס אוֹיֵב. וְיוֹרֶה זֶה כִּי בְּגָלוּתֵנוּ עַתָּה תַּמָּה זְכוּת אָבוֹת, וְאֵין לָנוּ הַצָּלָה מִיַּד הָעַמִּים רַק בַּעֲבוּר שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל ית', כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַר בִּיחֶזְקֵאל (כ מא מד), וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִן הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר נְפֹצֹתֶם בָּם וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בָכֶם לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹיִם וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה' בַּעֲשׂוֹתִי אִתְּכֶם לְמַעַן שְׁמִי לֹא כְדַרְכֵיכֶם הָרָעִים וְכַעֲלִילוֹתֵיכֶם הַנִּשְׁחָתוֹת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכֵן נֶאֱמַר עוֹד (שם פסוק ט) וָאַעַשׂ לְמַעַן שְׁמִי לְבִלְתִּי הֵחֵל לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹיִם וְגוֹ'. וּלְכָךְ הִזְכִּיר מֹשֶׁה בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ (במדבר יד טו), וְאָמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ אֶת שִׁמְעֲךָ לֵאמֹר וְגוֹ', וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הוֹדָה לוֹ בָּזֶה (שם פסוק כ), וַיֹּאמֶר ה' סָלַחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶךָ. וְהַטַּעַם בַּטַּעֲנָה הַזֹּאת אֵינֶנּוּ כְּרוֹצֶה לְהַרְאוֹת כֹּחוֹ בֵּין שׂוֹנְאָיו, כִּי כָּל הַגּוֹיִם כְּאַיִן נֶגְדּוֹ מֵאֶפֶס וָתֹהוּ נֶחְשְׁבוּ לוֹ, אֲבָל הַשֵּׁם בָּרָא אֶת הָאָדָם בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים שֶׁיַּכִּיר אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ וְיוֹדֶה לִשְׁמוֹ, וְשָׂם הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדוֹ לְהָרַע אוֹ לְהֵטִיב, וְכַאֲשֶׁר חָטְאוּ בִּרְצוֹנָם וְכָפְרוּ בּוֹ כֻּלָּם, לֹא נִשְׁאַר רַק הָעָם הַזֶּה לִשְׁמוֹ, וּפִרְסֵם בָּהֶם בְּאוֹתוֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים כִּי הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים, וְנוֹדַע בָּזֶה לְכָל הָעַמִּים. וְהִנֵּה אִם יָשׁוּב וִיאַבֵּד זִכְרָם, יִשְׁכְּחוּ הָעַמִּים אֶת אוֹתוֹתָיו וְאֶת מַעֲשָׂיו וְלֹא יְסֻפַּר עוֹד בָּהֶם, וְאִם אָדָם יַזְכִּיר כֵּן יַחְשְׁבוּ כִּי הָיָה כֹּחַ מִכֹּחוֹת הַמַּזָּלוֹת וְהַכּוֹכָבִים, וְחָלַף וְעָבַר, וְהִנֵּה תִּהְיֶה כַּוָּנַת הַבְּרִיאָה בָּאָדָם בְּטֵלָה לְגַמְרֵי, שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר בָּהֶם יוֹדֵעַ אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ רַק מַכְעִיס לְפָנָיו. וְעַל כֵּן רָאוּי מִדִּין הָרָצוֹן שֶׁהָיָה בִּבְרִיאַת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנָיו לְהָקִים לוֹ לְעָם כָּל הַיָּמִים, כִּי הֵם הַקְּרוֹבִים אֵלָיו וְהַיּוֹדְעִים אוֹתוֹ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים. וְזֶה טַעַם כִּי יָדִין ה' עַמּוֹ וְעַל עֲבָדָיו יִתְנֶחָם (דברים ל"ב:ל"ו), שֶׁיִּזְכֹּר ה' בְּרַחֲמִים כִּי הֵם עַמּוֹ מֵאָז, וְיִזְכֹּר כִּי הֵם עֲבָדָיו שֶׁעָמְדוּ לוֹ בְּגָלוּתָם כַּעֲבָדִים לִסְבֹּל הַצָּרוֹת וְהַשִּׁעְבּוּד, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו סג ח) וַיֹּאמֶר אַךְ עַמִּי הֵמָּה בָּנִים לֹא יְשַׁקֵּרוּ. וּכְבָר רָמַזְתִּי בִּבְרִיאַת הָאָדָם סוֹד נִשְׂגָּב וְנֶעֱלָם, צָרִיךְ מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁנִּהְיֶה לוֹ לְעָם וְהוּא יִהְיֶה לָנוּ לֵאלֹהִים, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו מג ז) כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו וְגוֹ':

2I WOULD MAKE THEIR MEMORY CEASE FROM AMONG MEN. This is a reference to our exiles among the nations — we, Judah and Benjamin, who have no significance among the nations and we are not considered a people or nation at all. Thus Scripture states that according to the attribute of justice we should remain in this condition of exile forever were it not that I was in dread of the wrath from the enemy.⁹⁰ This teaches that, in our present exile, [the protecting influence of] the merits of the patriarchs have ceased¹⁰⁰ and we have no deliverance from the hands of the nations except for the sake of His Great Name, similar to what He stated in the Book of Ezekiel, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.¹⁰¹ And ye shall know that I am the Eternal, when I have wrought with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel.¹⁰², Verse 44. And so also it is further stated, But I wrought for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations etc.¹⁰³, Verse 9. Therefore Moses mentioned in his prayer, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying etc.¹⁰⁴ and G-d, blessed be He, acknowledged him in this, And the Eternal said: ‘I have pardoned according to thy word.’¹⁰⁵, Verse 20.This plea is not meant to demonstrate His power among His enemies, for All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are accounted by Him as things of nought, and vanity.¹⁰⁶ Rather, [the explanation thereof is as follows:] G-d created man among the lower creatures in order that he acknowledge his Creator and be thankful to His Name,¹⁰⁷ and He placed in his hand the choice to do evil or good. But when people sinned willingly and they all denied Him, only this people [Israel] remained devoted to His Name, and so He made known through them by means of signs and wonders that He is G-d of gods, and Lord of lords,¹⁰⁸ and this became known to all nations. Now, if He were to reconsider and their memory [i.e., of Israel] be lost, the nations will forget His wonders and His deeds and they will no longer recount them. And if a person should mention them, they will think that it was [done by] one of the powers of the constellations which is overflowing as he passeth through,¹⁰⁹ and thus the purpose of the creation of man will be annulled completely, for no one will be left among them who knows his Creator — only those who provoke Him. Therefore, it is appropriate as a consequence of the [Divine] Will which existed at the creation of the world to establish for Himself a people for all time, who are nearer to Him and who know Him more than all the [other] peoples. And the meaning of the verse For the Eternal will judge His people, and for His servants He will reconsider¹¹⁰ is, that G-d will remember in mercy that they are His people of old, and He will remember that they are His servants, for they stood by Him in their exile like servants to suffer the troubles and the bondage, similar to what is stated, For He said: ‘Surely, they are My people, children that will not deal falsely.’¹¹¹ I have already suggested¹¹² that in the creation of man there is a sublime and recondite secret which requires that we be His people and He be our G-d, similar to what is stated, Every one that is called by My Name, and whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.¹¹³