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Ramban on Deuteronomy 5:18/רמב"ן על דברים ה׳:י״ח

אוְהוֹסִיף בֵּאוּר בְּדִבּוּר לֹא תַחְמֹד, שֶׁהִקְדִּים הָאִשָּׁה, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע מִנְּעֻרָיו בָּאִשָּׁה יוֹתֵר מִן הַכֹּל. וּבֵאֵר כִּי יִכָּנֵס בִּכְלַל חֶמְדָּה אֲפִלּוּ הַתַּאֲוָה, כִּי אִם יִתְאַוֶּה לִגְזֹל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ דָּבָר מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְלֹא יוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן כִּי חֲבֵרוֹ תַּקִּיף מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ אֵימַת מַלְכוּת, עוֹבֵר בַּלָּאו הַזֶּה. וְהוֹסִיף בְּכָאן שָׂדֵהוּ, לִדְרוֹשׁ מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּמְּכִילְתָּא (יתרו ח) אִי מָה הַפְּרָט מְפֹרָשׁ בִּנְכָסִים הַמִּטַּלְטְלִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶן אַחְרָיוּת אַף אֵין לִי אֶלָּא נְכָסִים הַמִּטַּלְטְלִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶן אַחְרָיוּת, וּכְשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר בְּמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה שָׂדֵהוּ, עַל כָּרְחָךְ מָה הַפְּרָט מְפֹרָשׁ בְּדָבָר שֶׁהוּא קוֹנֶה וּמַקְנֶה אַף כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא קוֹנֶה וּמַקְנֶה:

1He added an explanation in the commandment Neither shalt thou covet in that he mentioned first the [neighbor’s] wife [whereas in the Book of Exodus the neighbor’s house is stated first] for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth¹⁷³ with respect to women more than anything else. He further explained, that included in the term “coveting” is even mere “desire” [as stated here, Neither shalt thou ‘desire’ thy neighbor’s house etc.]. Thus if he desires to rob anything from his neighbor, but is unable to do so because his neighbor is stronger than he, or because in his locality there is fear of the government, he transgresses this commandment.¹⁷⁴. If his desire for the object is so strong that he obtains it through some scheme, he additionally transgresses the commandment, Thou shalt not covet. But if the owner refuses under all circumstances to sell it and he takes it by force, he also transgresses the commandment, Nor shalt thou rob him (Leviticus 19:13). See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 251-252. He added here his field, wherefrom the Rabbis have interpreted in the Mechilta:¹⁷⁵ 5. “Perhaps I may reason: Just as the specific examples [mentioned in the Decalogue in Exodus, namely, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, or his ass] are movable property which may not be seized from customers in case of non-payment by the creditor, so also, I can include [in the prohibition not to covet] only movable property which may not be resorted to for non-payment. But when it says in Deuteronomy his field [which is immovable property and may be resorted to for non-payment] you must perforce interpret the verse as follows: Just as the specific matters deal with things one can buy and sell, so all things one can buy and sell [are included in this prohibition].”