Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 4:32/רמב"ן על דברים ד׳:ל״ב

אכִּי שְׁאַל נָא לְיָמִים רִאשֹׁנִים, יֹאמַר לֹא יִמְחֹל וְלֹא יַאֲרִיךְ הַשֵּׁם לָכֶם עַל ע"ז וְעַל הַהַשְׁחָתָה בְּפֶסֶל וְכָל תְּמוּנָה, כִּי עָשָׂה עִמָּכֶם מָה שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה כֵן לְכָל גּוֹי מֵעוֹלָם, שֶׁהִשְׁמִיעֲךָ קוֹל אֱלֹהִים מְדַבֵּר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ, לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם וּתְיַחֲדוּ אוֹתוֹ וְלֹא תַּשְׁחִיתוּ, וְלָקַח אֶתְכֶם לוֹ גוֹי מִקֶּרֶב גּוֹי בְּמַסֹּת בְּאֹתֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים שֶׁלֹּא תַּעַבְדוּ לְזוּלָתוֹ. וְהִנֵּה הָרְאֵיתָ בְּעֵינֶיךָ כָּל זֶה לָדַעַת כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד וְאֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ, כִּי מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁמִיעֲךָ אֶת קֹלוֹ לְלַמֶּדְךָ בָּזֶה מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל, וְעַל הָאָרֶץ הֶרְאֲךָ אֶת אִשּׁוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה בּוֹעֶרֶת עַד לֵב הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּדְבָרָיו כֻּלָּם שָׁמַעְתָּ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ. וַיּוֹצִאֲךָ בְּפָנָיו, כְּמוֹ עַל פָּנָיו (בראשית לב כב), בְּכֹחוֹ הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר בְּפָנָיו. וְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁהַשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת וְאֵין עוֹד, תִּשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקּוֹתָיו לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל, וּלְמַעַן תַּאֲרִיךְ יָמִים עַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת:

1FOR ASK NOW OF THE DAYS PAST. He states “G-d will not forgive you, nor will He be long-suffering with you for idolatry and corruption with graven images and all forms of likenesses, for He has done with you what He has never done with any nation. He has made you hear the voice of G-d speaking out of the midst of the fire¹⁰⁶ so that His fear may be before you¹⁰⁷ and that you declare His Unity and not corrupt yourselves. He has taken you to Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs and by wonders¹⁰⁸ so that you should not worship anything beside Him. Thus you have been shown all this with your eyes that thou mightest know that the Eternal, He is G-d,¹⁰⁹ that He is One, and His Name One,¹¹⁰ and there is none else beside Him.¹⁰⁹ For out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice¹¹¹ to teach you the discipline of wisdom;¹¹² and upon the earth He made thee to see His great fire¹¹¹ burning unto the heart of heaven,¹¹³ and all His words thou didst hear out of the midst of the fire.¹¹¹ And He brought thee out ‘b’phanav’ (with His presence),¹¹⁴ similar to ‘al panav’ (before His presence), with His great power which is in His presence. And since the Great Name is G-d in heaven above and upon the earth beneath, and there is none else¹¹⁵ you shall keep His commandments and His statutes so that it may be well with thee¹¹⁶ in heaven above, and that thou mayest prolong thy days¹¹⁶ upon the earth beneath.”