Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 4:15/רמב"ן על דברים ד׳:ט״ו

אוְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם, יַזְהִירֵם פֶּן יִטְעוּ אַחַר הַקּוֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ, וְיַעֲשׂוּ הַשְׁחָתָה לְקַצֵּץ בַּנְּטִיעוֹת. וְאָמַר תְּחִלָּה תַּבְנִית זָכָר אוֹ נְקֵבָה, בָּאָדָם, שֶׁמֵּהֶם יִהְיֶה קוֹל, וְאַחַר כֵּן הִזְכִּיר כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ בַּבְּהֵמָה וּבָעוֹף וּבְרֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה וּבִדְגֵי הַיָּם, וְאַחַר כֵּן חָזַר אֶל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם. וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי אֲשֶׁר חָלַק ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֹתָם לְכֹל הָעַמִּים, כִּי לְכֻלָּם כּוֹכָב וּמַזָּל וּגְבוֹהִים עֲלֵיהֶם מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן, כְּגוֹן הַנֶּאֱמָר בְּדָנִיֵּאל: שַׂר מַלְכוּת פָּרַס וְשַׂר מַלְכוּת יָוָן, וּבַעֲבוּר כֵּן יַעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים מֵהֶם וְיַעַבְדוּם. וְאָמַר: וְאֶתְכֶם לָקַח ה', כִּי אַתֶּם חֵלֶק הַשֵּׁם, לֹא תָּקִימוּ עֲלֵיכֶם שַׂר אוֹ עוֹזֵר זוּלָתוֹ, כִּי הוּא הוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִכּוּר הַבַּרְזֶל, שֶׁהֱיִיתֶם בְּתוֹךְ מִצְרַיִם בְּכוּר אֵשׁ וְעֵצִים וְהוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִשָּׁם כְּנֶגֶד שָׂרֵיהֶם שֶׁעָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים, וְלוּלֵי שֶׁהִפִּילָם לֹא הֱיִיתֶם יוֹצְאִים, כִּי הָיוּ הֵם בְּמַעֲלָתָם שֶׁלֹּא תֵּצְאוּ. וְהִנֵּה עָשָׂה כָּל זֶה כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיוּ לוֹ נַחֲלָה וְתִהְיוּ לִשְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים:

1TAKE YE THEREFORE GOOD HEED UNTO YOURSELVES. He warns them lest they mistakenly follow the voice they heard and they commit the corruption of “mutilating the shoots.”⁶⁴ He states first the likeness of male or female,⁶⁵ [lest they corrupt themselves by making a graven image in the likeness of male or female] of the Being⁶⁶ from Whom the voice came. Afterwards he mentioned all that is on the earth of beast and of fowl,⁶⁷ of those that creep on the ground, and of the fish that are in the water,⁶⁸ and then he reverts to the host of heaven.⁶⁹ Now I have already explained⁷⁰ the expression, which the Eternal thy G-d hath allotted unto all peoples,⁶⁹ for every nation has a star and constellation, and, above them⁷¹ the angels of the Supreme One, like those mentioned in the Book of Daniel, the prince of the kingdom of Persia,⁷² and the prince of the kingdom of Greece⁷³, Verse 20. — this being the reason why they [the nations] make of them gods for themselves and worship them. Scripture continues, And you the Eternal hath taken,⁷⁴ for you are the portion of the Eternal.⁷⁵ You are thus not to appoint a prince or helper over yourselves except for Him, for it is He Who brought you forth out of the iron furnace⁷⁴ when you were in Egypt in the midst of a furnace of fire and wood [i.e., a furnace of affliction] and He took you out from there in spite of their princes against whom He executed judgments.⁷⁶ Had He not brought about their downfall you would not have gone out, for they were [so much] in their ascendancy that you would not be able to leave. Thus He has done all this in order that you be “an inheritance” to Him⁷⁷. and be to His Great Name a treasure from among all peoples.⁷⁸