Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 32:40/רמב"ן על דברים ל״ב:מ׳
אכִּי אֶשָּׂא אֶל שָׁמַיִם יָדִי, עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט עִנְיַן שְׁבוּעָה בְּכִסְאוֹ, וְאָמַר אֶשָּׂא, כִּי כָל נִשְׁבָּע נוֹשֵׂא יָדוֹ וְנוֹגֵעַ בַּחֵפֶץ אֲשֶׁר הוּא נִשְׁבָּע בּוֹ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי בְּעֵת הַגָּלוּת הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, יֹאמַר שֶׁיִּשָּׂאֶנָּה עַתָּה בְּעֵת רָצוֹן אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, וְהִיא הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה הַנִּלְחֶמֶת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְזֶה טַעַם וְאָמַרְתִּי חַי אָנֹכִי לְעֹלָם, כִּי אֲנִי מְחַיֶּה יָדִי הַחֲזָקָה בִּהְיוֹתִי מְשַׁנֵּן בְּרַק חַרְבִּי וְסוֹמֵךְ אוֹתָהּ לֶאֱחֹז בְּמִשְׁפָּטָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְהָשִׁיב נָקָם לְצָרָי, כִּי אָז יִהְיֶה הַשֵּׁם שָׁלֵם וְהַכִּסֵּא שָׁלֵם, וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין. וְהִנֵּה הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר הִיא בָּנוּ לְעֵד אֱמֶת וְנֶאֱמָן, תַּגִּיד כָּל הַמּוֹצְאוֹת אוֹתָנוּ בְּבֵאוּר, הִזְכִּירָה תְּחִלָּה הַחֶסֶד שֶׁעָשָׂה עִמָּנוּ הקב"ה מֵאָז שֶׁלְּקָחָנוּ לְחֶלְקוֹ, וְהִזְכִּירָה הַטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה לָנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַאֲשֶׁר הִנְחִילָנוּ אַרְצוֹת הַגּוֹיִם הַגְּדוֹלִים וְהָעֲצוּמִים וְרֹב הַטּוֹבָה וְהָעֹשֶׁר וְהַכָּבוֹד אֲשֶׁר הִנְחִילָנוּ בָּהּ, וְכִי מֵרֹב כָּל טוֹבָה מָרְדוּ בַּה' לַעֲבֹד ע"ז, וְהִזְכִּירָה הַכַּעַס אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלְּפָנָיו עֲלֵיהֶם עַד שֶׁשָּׁלַח בָּהֶם בְּאַרְצָם דֶּבֶר וְרָעָב וְחַיָּה רָעָה וְחֶרֶב, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן פִּזֵּר אוֹתָם בְּכָל רוּחַ וּפֵאָה. וְיָדוּעַ כִּי כָל זֶה נִתְקַיֵּם וַיְהִי כֵן. וְאָמְרָה הַשִּׁירָה כִּי בַּסּוֹף יָשִׁיב נָקָם לְצָרָיו וְלִמְשַׂנְאָיו יְשַׁלֵּם. וְהַטַּעַם כִּי הֵם עָשׂוּ כָּל הָרָעוֹת עִמָּנוּ לְשִׂנְאָתוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה, כִּי לֹא יִשְׂנְאוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁעָשׂוּ ע"ז כָּהֶם, רַק בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשׂוּ כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, וְיַעַבְדוּ אֶת הקב"ה וְיִשְׁמְרוּ אֶת מִצְוֹתָיו וְלֹא יִתְחַתְּנוּ בָּהֶם וְלֹא יֹאכְלוּ מִזִּבְחֵיהֶם וְיָבֹזּוּ ע"ז שֶׁלָּהֶם וִיבַעֲרוּ אוֹתָהּ מִמְּקוֹמוֹתֵיהֶם, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַר (תהלים מד כג) כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כָל הַיּוֹם, אִם כֵּן לְשִׂנְאָתוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה יַעֲשׂוּ בָּנוּ כָּל הָרָעוֹת הָאֵלֶּה, וְהֵם צָרָיו וּמְשַׂנְאָיו, וְעָלָיו לְהִנָּקֵם מֵהֶם. וְזֶה דָּבָר בָּרוּר כִּי עַל הַגְּאֻלָּה הָעֲתִידָה יַבְטִיחַ, כִּי בְּבִנְיַן בַּיִת שֵׁנִי לֹא הִרְנִינוּ גּוֹיִם עַמּוֹ רַק לָעֲגוּ עֲלֵיהֶם (נחמיה ג לד), מָה הַיְּהוּדִים הָאֲמֵלָלִים עֹשִׂים, וְהָיוּ גְּדוֹלֵיהֶם עֲבָדִים בְּהֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וְכֻלָּם מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים לוֹ, וּבַיָּמִים הָהֵם לֹא הֵשִׁיב נָקָם לְצָרָיו וְלֹא כִּפֵּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ. וְהִנֵּה אֵין בַּשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת תְּנַאי בִּתְשׁוּבָה וַעֲבוֹדָה, רַק הִיא שְׁטַר עֵדוּת שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָעוֹת וְנוּכַל, וְשֶׁהוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ יַעֲשֶׂה בָּנוּ בְּתוֹכְחוֹת חֵמָה אֲבָל לֹא יַשְׁבִּית זִכְרֵנוּ, וְיָשׁוּב וְיִתְנַחֵם וְיִפָּרַע מִן הָאוֹיְבִים בְּחַרְבּוֹ הַקָּשָׁה וְהַגְּדוֹלָה וְהַחֲזָקָה, וִיכַפֵּר עַל חַטֹּאתֵינוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ. אִם כֵּן הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת הַבְטָחָה מְבֹאֶרֶת בַּגְּאֻלָּה הָעֲתִידָה עַל כָּרְחָן שֶׁל מִינִין. וְכָךְ הִזְכִּירוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (האזינו מג), גְּדוֹלָה שִׁירָה זוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ עַכְשָׁו וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ לְשֶׁעָבַר וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וּלְזֶה רָמַז הַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר (דברים ל"ב:מ"ד), וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם, הִזְכִּיר "כָּל" לְהַגִּיד שֶׁהִיא כּוֹלֶלֶת כָּל הָעֲתִידוֹת לָמוֹ וְאִם הִיא קְטַנָּה בְּדִבּוּר, כִּי בֵּאֵר לָהֶם עִנְיָנֶיהָ הָרַבִּים. וְאִלּוּ הָיְתָה הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת מִכְתָּב אֶחָד מִן הַחוֹזִים בַּכּוֹכָבִים שֶׁהִגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית כֵּן הָיָה רָאוּי לְהַאֲמִין בָּהּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּתְקַיְּמוּ כָּל דְּבָרֶיהָ עַד הֵנָּה, לֹא נָפַל דָּבָר אֶחָד, וְאַף כִּי אֲנַחְנוּ נַאֲמִין וּנְצַפֶּה בְּכָל לֵב לְדִבְרֵי הָאֱלֹהִים מִפִּי נְבִיאוֹ הַנֶּאֱמָן בְּכָל בֵּיתוֹ, אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָיָה לְפָנָיו וְאַחֲרָיו כָּמוֹהוּ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם:
1FOR I LIFT UP MY HAND TO HEAVEN. By way of the plain meaning of Scripture this is an oath by His throne. He states I lift up, for whoever takes an oath raises his hand and touches the object by which he swears. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], during the time of the exile He hath cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel.137 He, therefore states that now in an acceptable time138 He will lift His hand to the highest heavens, the reference being to the great hand139 that fights on behalf of Israel. And this is the sense of the expression, And I say: As I live forever,140 for I make My strong hand active when I whet the lightning of My sword141 and support it [My hand] to prevail for the justice of Israel [which, until then, had been cast down to the earth]142 and to recompense them that hate Me,141 for then will G-d’s Name be full and the throne perfect.143 The student learned in the mysteries of the Cabala will understand.Now this Song, which is our true and faithful testimony, tells us clearly all that will happen to us. It mentions first the mercy that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed upon us from the time He took us to be His portion. It mentions the favors that He did for us in the wilderness, and that He caused us to possess the lands of great and mighty nations, and the abundant good, wealth, and honor that He made us inherit there. Yet despite the abundance of all good, they rebelled against G-d to worship the idols, and it mentions how He was provoked by them until He visited upon them in their country pestilence, famine, the evil beast, and the sword, and then He dispersed them in every direction and corner. It is known that all this has been fulfilled, and it was so. And the Song states that ultimately He will render vengeance to His adversaries144 and will recompense them that hate Him.141 The reason [for their punishment] is that they inflicted all these evils upon us out of their hatred of the Holy One, blessed be He: because they do not hate Israel for having made idols like theirs, but only because they do not imitate their deeds. Instead they serve the Holy One, blessed be He, and observe His commandments, neither intermarrying with them nor eating of their slaughterings, and they [Israel] hold their idol in contempt and remove it from their places, similar to what [the psalmist] said, but for Thy sake are we killed all the day.145 If so, it is because of their hatred of the Holy One, blessed be He, that they inflict all these evils upon us; they are thus His adversaries and His enemies, and it is for Him to wreak vengeance upon them. And it is clear, that He assures [Israel] concerning the future redemption, for, during the construction of the Second Temple, the nations did not rejoice with His people,144 but mocked them: What are these feeble Jews doing?146 And their leaders were servants in the palace of the king of Babylon147 and all the Jews were subject to him. In those days He did not render vengeance to His adversaries and He did not make expiation for the land of His people.144Now, in this Song there is no condition of repentance or service [of G-d as a prerequisite for the coming redemption], but it is a testamentary document that the evils will come and that we will endure them, and that He, blessed be He, will do with us in furious rebukes148 — but He will not destroy our memory. Rather, He will return and be comforted and will punish the enemies with His sore and great and strong sword,149 and forgive our sins, for His Name’s sake.150 If so, this Song is a clear-promise of the future redemption — the infidels notwithstanding. And so the Rabbis mentioned in the Sifre:151 333. “Great is this Song, for there is in it the present, the past, the future, and there is in it this world and the World to Come.” It is to this that Scripture alludes in saying, And Moses came and spoke all the words of this Song in the ears of the people.152 It mentions all [‘all’ the words] in order to indicate that the Song contains everything that is to come upon them although it is brief in words, for Moses explained its many subjects to them.Now, if this Song had been written by one of the astrologers declaring the end from the beginning153 it would have earned belief therein because all its words have been fulfilled by now, not one thing hath failed.154 Certainly we shall continue to believe and look forward with all our heart for the word of G-d by the mouth of His prophet, the most trusted in all His house,155 [and like unto him] was there no one before him, neither after him156 — peace be upon him!V’zoth Habrachah