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Ramban on Deuteronomy 33:2/רמב"ן על דברים ל״ג:ב׳

אה' מִסִּינַי בָּא, יֹאמַר כִּי הַשֵּׁם מִסִּינַי בָּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי מִשָּׁם הִשְׁכִּין שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּתוֹכָם, וְשׁוּב לֹא נִסְתַּלְּקָה מֵהֶם. וְהָעִנְיָן כִּי יָרַד הַכָּבוֹד בְּהַר סִינַי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יט כ) וַיֵּרֶד ה' עַל הַר סִינַי אֶל רֹאשׁ הָהָר וַיִּקְרָא ה' לְמֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ', וְשָׁם הָיָה כָּל הַיָּמִים שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה עוֹלֶה וְיוֹרֵד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם כד יז) וּמַרְאֵה כְּבוֹד ה' כְּאֵשׁ אֹכֶלֶת בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר וְגוֹ', וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִתְּנוּ לוֹ הַלּוּחוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת שָׁכַן הַכָּבוֹד בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם לג ט) וְהָיָה כְּבֹא מֹשֶׁה הָאֹהֱלָה יֵרֵד עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן וְעָמַד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְדִבֶּר עִם מֹשֶׁה, וּכְתִיב (שם פסוק יא) וְדִבֶּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים וְגוֹ', וְכַאֲשֶׁר הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן שָׁכַן הַכָּבוֹד בַּמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם מ לד) וַיְכַס הֶעָנָן אֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּכְבוֹד ה' מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וּמִשָּׁם הָיוּ לוֹ כָּל הַדִּבְּרוֹת כָּל יְמֵי הַמִּדְבָּר:

1THE ETERNAL CAME FROM SINAI. Moses states that the Eternal came to Israel from Sinai, for it was from there that He caused His Divine Glory to dwell among them and never departed from them again. The purport thereof is as follows: The Glory came down upon Mount Sinai, as it is said, And the Eternal came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mount; and the Eternal called Moses etc.,¹⁴ and there it [the Glory] remained all the days that Moses ascended and descended the mountain, as it is said, And the appearance of the Glory of the Eternal was like devouring fire on the top of the mount etc.¹⁵, 24:17. And when the last [i.e., the second] Tablets were given to him [Moses], the Glory rested in the tent of meeting [Moses’ own tent], as it is stated, And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tent, and He spoke with Moses,¹⁶, 33:9. and it is further written, And the Eternal spoke unto Moses face to face etc.¹⁷, Verse 11. This continued from the Day of Atonement until the first day of Nisan when the Tabernacle was permanently set up. See Vol. II, pp. 574-576. When the Tabernacle was set up, the Glory rested therein, as it is said, Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of the Eternal filled the Tabernacle,¹⁸ and all communications to Moses came from there during all the years in the wilderness.

בוְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ, כִּי אַחֲרֵי נָסְעָם מִסִּינַי בְּמַסַּע רִאשׁוֹן שָׁכַן הֶעָנָן בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן, וּמִשָּׁם שָׁלַח מְרַגְּלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם יג ג) וַיִּשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה מִמִּדְבַּר פָּארָן, וְנִתְנַדָּה הָעָם, וְלֹא הָיָה הַדִּבּוּר עִם מֹשֶׁה עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ לְשֵׂעִיר בִּגְבוּל בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו בְּסוֹף הָאַרְבָּעִים (דברים ב':ב'), כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁם (דברים ל"ג:ז') כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בֵּרַכְךָ בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ יָדַע לֶכְתְּךָ אֶת הַמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדֹל הַזֶּה זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ עִמָּךְ. וְהִנֵּה אָז בְּבוֹאָם בְּשֵׂעִיר הָיָה הַשֵּׁם לָהֶם לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וְשָׁלְמוּ יְמֵי אֶבְלָם, וְצִוָּה אוֹתָם לְהִשָּׁמֵר מִשֵּׂעִיר וְעַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב, וְאָמַר שֶׁיָּחֵלּוּ לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת אַרְצָם, וְיָרְשׁוּ אֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג שְׁנֵי מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי הַגְּדוֹלִים:

2AND HE SHONE FORTH FROM SEIR UNTO THEM. For after they journeyed from Sinai the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran,¹⁹ and from there Moses sent the spies, as it is said, And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran.²⁰, 13:3. As a result of the spies’ report, the people were banished,²¹ and there was no Divine communication to Moses until they came to Seir,²² at the border of the children of Esau, at the end of the forty years, as it is said there, For the Eternal thy G-d hath blessed thee in all the work of thy hand; He hath known thy walking through this great wilderness; these forty years the Eternal thy G-d hath been with thee.²³, Verse 7. Now, at the time, when they arrived at Seir, the Eternal was again to them an everlasting light and the days of their mourning were ended,²⁴ and He commanded them to be heedful of Ammon and Moab [not to take their lands]. At that time He said that they should begin to possess their land²⁵ the land of Sihon and Og, the two great Amorite kings.

גהוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן, שֶׁנִּסְתַּכֵּל בָּהֶם וְשָׂם עִנְיָנָם לִמְאוֹר פָּנָיו מֵהַר פָּארָן, וְהַטַּעַם כִּי תְּחִלַּת הִכָּנְסָם בַּמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדוֹל הָיָה מִפָּארָן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר י יב) וַיִּסְעוּ וְגוֹ' מִמִּדְבַּר סִינָי וַיִּשְׁכֹּן הֶעָנָן בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן, וְהִנֵּה הַשֵּׁם הוֹפִיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם לִרְאוֹת מָה הֵם צְרִיכִים בַּמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא, מִלְּשׁוֹן וְעַל עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים הוֹפָעְתָּ (איוב י ג), נִסְתַּכַּלְתָּ וְרָאִיתָ בְּאוֹרְךָ הַגָּדוֹל כָּל סִתְרֵי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיהֶם:

3HE BEAMED FROM MOUNT PARAN — He regarded them and placed their needs in the light of His countenance emanating from Mount Paran. The sense thereof is as follows: The beginning of their entry into the great wilderness was from Paran, as it is said, And the children of Israel set forward by their stages out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran.¹⁹ Then G-d shone forth upon them to see what they needed in the great and dreadful wilderness.²⁶, 8:15. This expression is similar to, and Thou didst shine forth upon the counsel of the wicked,²⁷ meaning that You have observed and seen with Your great light all their secret thoughts.

דוְאָתָה מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ, יֹאמַר כִּי בָא הַכָּבוֹד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵרִבְבוֹת קְדוֹשֵׁי עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר יָרְדוּ עִמּוֹ עַל הָהָר, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים סח יח) רֶכֶב אֱלֹהִים רִבֹּתַיִם אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן ה' בָם סִינַי בַּקֹּדֶשׁ. מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ, פֵּרוּשׁ מִימִין תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ הָיָה לָהֶם אֵשׁ דָּת, לֹא מִיַּד הַמַּלְאָכִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים, רַק מִימִין הַשֵּׁם בְּעַצְמוֹ וּבִכְבוֹדוֹ. וְיִתָּכֵן כִּי מֵרִבְבוֹת קֹדֶשׁ, מֵרִבּוּי קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ, כִּי קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ ה' צְבָאוֹת בְּכָל מִינֵי קְדֻשָּׁה:

4AND HE CAME ‘MEIRIVEVOTH KODESH’ (FROM THE HOLY MYRIADS), AT HIS RIGHT HAND WAS A FIERY LAW UNTO THEM. He is stating that the Glory came to Israel from the countless holy ones of the Most High who descended upon the mountain with Him, similar to what is stated, The chariots of G-d are myriads, even thousands upon thousands; the Eternal is among them, as in Sinai, in holiness.²⁸ At His right hand was a fiery law unto them, meaning: the fiery law came to them from His glorious right hand²⁹. not from the hand of the aforementioned angels, but from the right hand of G-d, Himself and His Glory. And it is possible that meirivevoth kodesh means “from the abundance of His holiness,” for holy, holy, holy is the Eternal of hosts³⁰ with all terms of holiness.

הוְטַעַם אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ, כְּמוֹ דַּת אֵשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (דברים ה':כ"א) וְאֶת קֹלוֹ שָׁמַעְנוּ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ. אוֹ טַעְמוֹ כְּמוֹ אֵשׁ וְדָת לָמוֹ, יַזְכִּיר שֶׁהֶרְאָה לָהֶם הָאֵשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹנִית וְהִשְׁמִיעָם הַדָּת, וְזֶה כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד':ל"ו) וְעַל הָאָרֶץ הֶרְאֲךָ אֶת אִשּׁוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה וּדְבָרָיו שָׁמַעְתָּ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת יַגִּיד גַּם כֵּן שֶׁהָאֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא הַדָּת הִיא מִימִינוֹ, כִּי מִדַּת הַדִּין כְּלוּלָה בְּרַחֲמִים. וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ טַעַם הַכָּתוּב כִּי מִסִּינַי בָּא לָתֵת תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנִּגְלָה לָהֶם מִשָּׁם וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי נִגְלָה עַל בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו לָתֵת לָהֶם הַתּוֹרָה, וְכַאֲשֶׁר לֹא רָצוּ בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו לְקַבֵּל אוֹתָהּ הֵאִיר פָּנָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּנְתָנָהּ לָהֶם בִּימִינוֹ וּבִזְרוֹעוֹ וְאוֹר פָּנָיו כִּי רָצָם, וְהוֹפִיעַ וְהֶרְאָה לָהֶם יִפְעָתוֹ וְהַדְרַת פָּנָיו מֵהַר פָּארָן כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא רָצוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בַּתּוֹרָה, יַזְכִּיר כִּי הָיָה זְכוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל גְּדוֹלָה כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא רָצוּ שְׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת לְקַבֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. וְהִנֵּה הִזְכִּיר כָּל זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁאֶחָד מֵהֶם לֹא הָיָה חָפֵץ בַּתּוֹרָה זוּלָתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲבָל עַל כָּל הָאֻמּוֹת גַּם כֵּן נִגְלָה לָתֵת אוֹתָהּ לָהֶם וְלֹא רָצוּ בָּהּ, כְּפִי הַבָּא בְּקַבָּלַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ע"ז ב):

5And the meaning of ‘eish dath lamo’ (a fiery law unto them) is like dath eish (a law given with fire), just as he said, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire.³¹ Or its meaning may be like “fire ‘and’ the law to them,” the verse mentioning that He showed them the fire from on high and He made them hear the law. This is similar to what is stated, and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire; and thou didst hear His words out of the midst of the fire.³², 4:36. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the verse also states that the fire, which is the law, is at His right hand, because the attribute of justice is comprised also of mercy.And in the opinion of our Rabbis³³ the sense of the verse is that from Sinai He came to give the Torah to Israel, for it was from there that He appeared to them. And He shone forth from Seir to them, that is, to Israel, for He had appeared to the children of Esau to give them the Torah, and, when the children of Esau refused to accept it, He shone His countenance upon Israel and He gave it to them with His right hand and His arm, and the light of His countenance, because He was favorable unto them.³⁴ And He beamed and showed them His radiance and the beauty of His Presence from Mount Paran when the children of Ishmael refused the Torah. Thus Moses mentions that the merit of Israel was great when the rest of the nations did not wish to accept the Torah. Now he mentioned all the seed of Abraham — that not one of them desired the Torah except for Israel, but He also appeared to all nations to give it to them and they did not desire it, according to what has been transmitted [to us] in the tradition of our Rabbis.³³