Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 6:16/רמב"ן על דברים ו׳:ט״ז

אלֹא תְנַסּוּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, פֵּרוּשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתֶם בַּמַּסָּה, שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר אִם יֵשׁ ה' בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָנוּ נִסִּים אוֹ שֶׁנַּצְלִיחַ בִּהְיוֹתֵנוּ עוֹבְדִים לְפָנָיו וְנִשְׁבַּע לֶחֶם וְנִהְיֶה טוֹבִים, נִשְׁמֹר תּוֹרָתוֹ, כִּי הַכַּוָּנָה שָׁם כָּךְ הָיְתָה, שֶׁאִם יִרְאוּ שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתֵּן לָהֶם מַיִם בְּנֵס מֵאִתּוֹ יֵלְכוּ אַחֲרָיו בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְאִם לֹא, יַעַזְבוּהוּ. וְנֶחְשַׁב לָהֶם לְעָוֹן גָּדוֹל, כִּי אַחֲרֵי שֶׁנִּתְאַמֵּת אֶצְלָם בְּאוֹתוֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים כִּי מֹשֶׁה נְבִיא הַשֵּׁם וּדְבַר ה' בְּפִיהוּ אֱמֶת, אֵין רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד שׁוּם דָּבָר לְנִסָּיוֹן, וְהָעוֹשֶׂה כֵן אֵינֶנּוּ מְנַסֶּה הַנָּבִיא רַק הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הוּא מְנַסֶּה, לָדַעַת הֲיַד ה' תִּקְצָר. וּלְכָךְ אָסַר לְדוֹרוֹת לְנַסּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה אוֹ הַנְּבִיאִים, כִּי אֵין רָאוּי לַעֲבֹד הַשֵּׁם עַל דֶּרֶךְ הִסְתַּפֵּק אוֹ שְׁאֵלַת מוֹפֵת וְנִסָּיוֹן, כִּי אֵין רְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם לַעֲשׂוֹת נִסִּים לְכָל אָדָם וּבְכָל עֵת, וְאֵין רָאוּי לְעָבְדוֹ עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס אֶלָּא אוּלַי יִמְצָא בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ וְלֶכְתּוֹ בְּדַרְכֵי הַתּוֹרָה צַעַר וְאָסוֹן, וְרָאוּי שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל הַכֹּל בְּמִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק, וְלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ אֱוִילֵי עַמֵּנוּ (מלאכי ג יד), וְכִי הָלַכְנוּ קְדֹרַנִּית מִפְּנֵי ה'. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּכָאן שָׁמוֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּ מִצְוֹתָיו וְעֵדֹתָיו, שֶׁהֵם הַנִּסִּים שֶׁעָשָׂה לָכֶם מִכְּבָר, לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לְעֵדוּת, כְּגוֹן הַפֶּסַח וְהַמַּצָּה וְהַסֻּכָּה, וְתִשְׁמְרוּ חֻקָּיו אע"פ שֶׁלֹּא תֵּדְעוּ טַעְמָם, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת יִיטַב לָכֶם בַּסּוֹף, אֵין צֹרֶךְ לְנִסָּיוֹן בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַמִּצְוֹת אַחֲרֵי שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְאַמֵּת אֶצְלְכֶם שֶׁהוּא מֵאִתּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְכֵן בְּכָל דְּבַר נָבִיא הַמְּנֻסֶּה וְהַמֻּחְזָק בִּנְבִיא אֱמֶת בְּאוֹתוֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים כְּדִין הַתּוֹרָה, לֹא תְּנַסּוּ אֶת דְּבָרָיו בְּכָל גְּמוּל וּבְכָל עֹנֶשׁ שֶׁיֹּאמַר לָכֶם, וְלֹא תִּסְתַּפְּקוּ בִּיכָלְתּוֹ יִתְעַלֶּה, אֲבָל הַאֲמִינוּ בְּתוֹרָתוֹ וְתַאֲמִינוּ בִּנְבִיאָיו וְהַצְלִיחוּ. וְהִנֵּה הִבְטִיחַ כִּי סוֹף הַכָּבוֹד לָבוֹא בִּירֻשַּׁת הָאָרֶץ וְנִצּוּחַ הָאוֹיְבִים, כִּי הִיא הַטּוֹבָה הַגְּדוֹלָה וְהַצְּרִיכָה לְאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אָמַר כִּי גַּם לַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים אֵין צֹרֶךְ לְנִסָּיוֹן בַּעֲשִׂיַּת הַמִּצְוֹת, אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּשְׁאֲלוּ מֵאֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְזִקְנֵיהֶם וְיַגִּידוּ לָהֶם אֲמִתַּת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת, כַּאֲשֶׁר יְפָרֵשׁ (דברים ו':כ') כִּי יִשְׁאָלְךָ בִּנְךָ וּגְמַר הַפָּרָשָׁה:

1YE SHALL NOT TRY THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D, meaning AS YE TRIED HIM IN MASSAH. You are not to say “If the Eternal is among us to perform miracles on our behalf or, if we succeed when we worship Him and we have plenty of food, and are well,³⁰¹ then we will observe His Torah.” For that was the intent of the people there [in Massah]³⁰² that they would see that if G-d would provide water for them through a miracle from Himself, they would follow Him in the wilderness, and if not, they would forsake Him. This was considered a great sin on their part, for, after it had been confirmed to them with signs and wonders that Moses was a prophet of G-d and that the word of the Eternal in his mouth was truth,³⁰³ it was no longer proper to do anything as a test. Whoever does it, is not testing [the credibility of] the prophet, it is only G-d blessed be He, whom he is testing to determine whether the Eternal’s hand waxed short.³⁰⁴ He prohibited for all generations to test the Torah or the prophets because it is not proper to worship G-d by being skeptical or by requesting a wonder or some test, since it is not G-d’s will to perform miracles for all men at all times.³⁰⁵ Nor is it fitting to serve Him in order to receive a reward.³⁰⁶ Instead, should one find suffering and misfortune [as a result of] serving Him and walking in the ways of the Torah, it is proper that he accept everything as a just judgment and he should not say, as the wicked ones of our people said, And what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked mournfully, because of the Eternal of hosts?³⁰⁷ Scripture states here Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Eternal your G-d, and His testimonies,³⁰⁸ [alluding] that these are the miracles which He did for you of old in order that they be a testimony for you, such as the Passover, the Unleavened Bread, and the Booth. And you should keep His statutes³⁰⁸ even though you do not know their purpose for, in truth, He will benefit you in the end. There is no need for verification of the Torah and the commandments since it has been confirmed to you that it is from Him, blessed be He. Similarly, if any prophet has [previously] been tested and confirmed as a true prophet with signs and wonders in accordance with the law of the Torah,³⁰⁹ 7:7. you must not challenge his words regarding any reward or punishment he tells you about, and have no doubt about His power, exalted be He, [to bring it about]. Rather, you are to believe in His Torah and believe in His prophets and you will prosper. Thus he has assured us that ultimately the honor will surely come through possession of the Land and triumph over the enemies, for this was the great beneficence that was necessary for that generation. Thereafter he said that for future generations there was no need for testing [the reward for] the observance of the commandments; instead, they are to inquire of their fathers and their elders and they [the fathers and elders] will tell them of the veracity of the Torah and the commandments, as he will explain [in the verse], When thy son asketh thee³¹⁰ — up to the conclusion of the section.