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Ramban on Deuteronomy 4:41/רמב"ן על דברים ד׳:מ״א

אאָז יַבְדִּיל מֹשֶׁה שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים, פֵּרֵשׁ ר"א (אבן עזרא על דברים ד':מ"א) בַּיּוֹם שֶׁהִבְדִּיל מֹשֶׁה שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים אָז אָמַר דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית. וְאֵינוֹ נָכוֹן, אֲבָל הוּא כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, כִּי מֹשֶׁה אָסַף כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבָאֵר לָהֶם הַתּוֹרָה, וּפָתַח לָהֶם בְּדִבְרֵי הַתּוֹכָחוֹת, וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָמַר בִּפְנֵיהֶם תּוֹכְחוֹתָיו בַּמֶּה שֶׁעָשׂוּ וְהָאַזְהָרוֹת עַל ע"ז וְעַל יִחוּד הַשֵּׁם וְהִשְׁלִים לָהֶם שֶׁיִּשְׁמְרוּ חֻקָּיו וּמִצְוֹתָיו לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָהֶם, אָז אָמַר בְּמַעֲמָדָם לִפְנֵיהֶם עַתָּה נְקַיֵּם הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ הַשֵּׁם, וְתִהְיֶינָה בֶּצֶר בַּמִּדְבָּר וְרָמוֹת בַּגִּלְעָד וְגוֹלָן בַּבָּשָׁן עָרֵי מִקְלָט לָנוּס שָׁמָּה כָּל רֹצֵחַ בִּשְׁגָגָה. ואע"פ שֶׁאֵינָן קוֹלְטוֹת עַד שֶׁיֻּבְדְּלוּ אוֹתָם שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, אָמַר מִצְוָה שֶׁבָּאָה לְיָדֵינוּ נְקַיֵּם אוֹתָהּ לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָנוּ. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן קָרָא בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל אֶל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם וְאָמַר אֲלֵיהֶם (דברים ה':א') שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְגוֹ', כִּי עַתָּה יִפְתַּח בַּמִּצְוֹת וּבְבֵאוּר הַתּוֹרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי בִּתְחִלַּת סֵדֶר אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים:

1THEN MOSES SEPARATED THREE CITIES. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained it to mean: “on the day that Moses separated three cities [to function as cities of refuge], he then said the words of the covenant [as stated in the following section].” But it is not correct. Rather, it is to be understood in its simple sense. Moses had gathered all Israel to explain to them the Torah and he began with words of reproof; after he uttered in their presence his words of reproof concerning what they had done, the admonishments about idolatry and the Unity of G-d, and completed [his statement] to them with the charge that they observe His statutes and His commandments so that it may be well with them — then he said in their presence before them: “Now we shall fulfill the commandment that G-d has commanded us, and Bezer in the wilderness, Ramoth in Gilead, and Golan in Bashan will be cities of refuge that every manslayer that kills any person through error may flee thither.”¹¹⁷ And although they would not legally provide refuge until [the cities of refuge] in the land of Canaan [on the western side of the Jordan] were set apart, Moses said, “‘If a commandment has come to our hands we shall fulfill it,’¹¹⁸ so that it may be well with us.” Afterwards he called with a great voice to all Israel that were there and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances etc.,¹¹⁹ for now he commenced to speak of the commandments and the explanation of the Torah, as I have explained at the beginning of the section These are the words.¹²⁰