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Ramban on Deuteronomy 4:21/רמב"ן על דברים ד׳:כ״א

אוְטַעַם וַה' הִתְאַנַּף בִּי עַל דִּבְרֵיכֶם, שֶׁהֶחְזִיר בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, כְּלוֹמַר אוֹתִי צִוָּה ה' בָּעֵת הַהִיא לְלַמֵּד אֶתְכֶם הַמִּצְוֹת לַעֲשֹׂתְכֶם אֹתָם בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה, וְעַתָּה קְחוּ מִפִּי תּוֹרָה כִּי אָנֹכִי מֵת בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְלֹא אוּכַל לְלַמְּדָם אֶתְכֶם בָּאָרֶץ, וְאַל תִּשְׁכְּחוּ שָׁם מָה שֶׁלִּמַּדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וְלֹא מָה שֶׁרְאִיתֶם בְּסִינַי. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת יֹאמַר הִשָּׁמְרוּ מְאֹד לְנַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם פֶּן תַּשְׁחִתוּן, כִּי הַשֵּׁם הִתְאַנַּף בִּי מִדְּאָגָה מִדָּבָר זֶה, פֶּן תִּשְׁכְּחוּ אַתֶּם בְּרִית הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם בָּאֵשׁ הָאוֹכֶלֶת בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר וְתַעֲשׂוּ תְּמוּנַת כֹּל, וְזֶה טַעַם אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ. וּכְבָר נִרְמַז זֶה בְּסֵדֶר חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה. וְרַשִׁ"י כָּתַב אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְהוּא פְּשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא, וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין הַפְּסוּקִים הָאֵלֶּה עַל אֲמִתָּתָם. וְטַעַם כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה הוּא, כַּאֲשֶׁר רְאִיתֶם בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר, וְהַכַּוָּנָה שֶׁהוּא מִדַּת הַדִּין הַמְקַנֵּא בע"ז, וּמִן הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה תָּבִין בְּכָל הַנִּזְכָּר בְּמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה תָּמִיד ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ:

1AND THE ETERNAL WAS ANGERED WITH ME FOR YOUR SAKES, AND SWORE THAT I SHOULD NOT GO OVER THE JORDAN. He repeated it in this place [despite having already mentioned it above, 1:37] as if to say: “The Eternal commanded me at that time to teach you⁷⁹ the commandments that ye might do them in the Land whither ye go over to possess it;⁷⁹ now accept instruction from my mouth, for I must die in this land, (I must not go over the Jordan),⁸⁰ and I will not be able to teach you in the Land [of Israel] and so do not forget there what I have taught you [here], nor what you have seen at Sinai.”By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], Moses is stating: Take good heed of yourselves lest you corrupt yourselves, for the Eternal was angered with me in His concern over this matter⁸¹ lest ye forget the covenant of the Eternal your G-d⁸² in the devouring fire on the top of the Mount,⁸³ and you will make the likeness of any thing,⁸² this being the sense of the expression, which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee.⁸⁴ This has already been alluded to in the section Chukath Hatorah.⁸⁵ And Rashi wrote: “Which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee — which He commanded thee not to do.” This is the simple meaning of Scripture. But one learned in the mystic teachings of the Cabala will understand these verses in the light of their true meaning. And the sense of the verse For the Eternal thy G-d is a devouring fire⁸⁶ is “as you have seen on the top of the Mount, ”⁸³ the intent being that it is the attribute of justice that is jealous of idols [and as the verse concludes, a jealous G-d].⁸⁶ From this verse⁸⁶ you will understand the expression the Eternal thy G-d that is always mentioned in the Book of Deuteronomy.