Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 6:20/רמב"ן על דברים ו׳:כ׳

אוְטַעַם כִּי יִשְׁאָלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר לֵאמֹר מָה הָעֵדֹת, שֶׁיִּשְׁאַל תְּחִלָּה עַל מָה יָעִידוּ אֵלֶּה הַמִּצְוֹת הַנִּקְרָאִים עֵדוֹת, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהֵם זֵכֶר לְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו וְעֵדוּת בָּהֶם, כְּגוֹן הַמַּצָּה וְהַסֻּכָּה וְהַפֶּסַח וְהַשַּׁבָּת וְהַתְּפִלִּין וְהַמְּזוּזָה. וּמָה הַחֻקִּים, כִּי נֶעֱלָם טַעְמָם בַּתּוֹרָה. וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, יִשְׁאַל מָה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה בַּמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלֶּה, שֶׁנִּסְקֹל הָעוֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה בְּשַׁבָּת, וְנִשְׂרוֹף הַבָּא עַל אִשָּׁה וְאִמָּהּ, וְנַכֶּה אֶת הָאַרְבָּעִים לְזוֹרֵעַ כִּלְאַיִם, כִּי מִשְׁפְּטֵי יִשּׁוּב הַמְּדִינוֹת בְּדִינֵי הַשּׁוֹר וְהַבּוֹר וְהַשּׁוֹמְרִים וּשְׁאָר הַדִּינִין שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה צַדִּיקִים וְטוֹבִים הֵן, כָּל רוֹאֵיהֶם יַכִּירוּן. וְצִוָּה בִּתְשׁוּבַת הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁנַּגִּיד לַשּׁוֹאֵל כָּל עִנְיַן יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, וְהַכַּוָּנָה בְּזֶה הוּא הַטַּעַם בְּמָה שֶׁאָמַר בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת (דברים ה':ו') אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, כִּי יִתְכַּוֵּן שֶׁנּוֹדִיעַ לַבֵּן הַשּׁוֹאֵל כִּי ה' הוּא הַבּוֹרֵא וְהֶחָפֵץ וְהַיָּכוֹל, כַּאֲשֶׁר נִתְבָּאֵר לָנוּ בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם. וְזֶה טַעַם לְעֵינֵינוּ, כִּי אֲנַחְנוּ הַיּוֹדְעִים וְעֵדִים מִן הָאֹתוֹת וְהַמּוֹפְתִים שֶׁרָאִינוּ שָׁם כִּי הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹהֵינוּ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ וְאֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ, כִּי כָל זֶה יִוָּדַע בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי בַּדִּבּוּר הָרִאשׁוֹן (שמות כ ב). וְהִנֵּה רָאוּי לָנוּ לָתֵת כָּבוֹד לִשְׁמוֹ, כִּי הוּא בּוֹרְאֵנוּ וַאֲשֶׁר הִגְדִּיל חַסְדּוֹ עִמָּנוּ, וַיְצַוֵּנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה הַנִּזְכָּרִים בְּעֵדוֹת חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים, לְיִרְאָה אוֹתוֹ בַּעֲשׂוֹתֵנוּ הָעֵדֹת זֵכֶר לְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לְטוֹב לָנוּ בַּעֲשִׂיַּת הַחֻקִּים, כִּי טוֹבִים הֵם אֵין בָּהֶם חֹק שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בּוֹ רָעָה כְּלָל אע"פ שֶׁלֹּא נִתְבָּרֵר טַעְמָם לַכֹּל. לְחַיּוֹתֵנוּ כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, בַּמִּשְׁפָּטִים, כִּי בִּכְלָלָם נִחְיֶה, וְכֻלָּם טוֹבִים אֵין בָּהֶם רָעָה אֲבָל כֻּלָּם גּוֹרְמִים חַיִּים טוֹבִים בַּסּוֹף. וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּבִין לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא שֶׁהוּא אֱלֹהֵינוּ וַאֲנַחְנוּ עַמּוֹ וְצֹאן יָדָיו, וְאֵין בְּכָל מִצְוֹתָיו רַק טוֹב, עַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לָנוּ צְדָקָה לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְיִתֵּן לָנוּ שָׂכָר טוֹב בַּעֲשִׂיַּת כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת הָאֵלּוּ. קָרָא גְּמוּל הַמִּצְוֹת צְדָקָה, כִּי הָעֶבֶד הַקָּנוּי לְרַבּוֹ שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב לַעֲבֹד אוֹתוֹ, אִם יִתֵּן עוֹד שָׂכָר בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, צְדָקָה יַעֲשֶׂה עִמּוֹ:

1WHEN THY SON ASKETH THEE IN TIME TO COME, SAYING: ‘WHAT MEAN THE TESTIMONIES, AND THE STATUTES, AND THE ORDINANCES etc.?’ The meaning thereof is that first he will ask, “These commandments called testimonies — to what do they testify?” For they are a memorial to His wonders³²⁰ and witnesses thereof, such as the Unleavened Bread, the Booth, the Passover, the Sabbath, the phylacteries, and the Mezuzah. [Then he will ask] “What are the statutes?,” for their reasons are hidden in the Torah. Of the ordinances he will inquire: “What are the ordinances that we enforce in these commandments — stoning him who does work on the Sabbath, burning him who has intercourse with a woman and her mother, and administering forty lashes to him who sows mixed seeds?” For the ordinances pertaining to the social order of countries — such as the laws of the ox, the pit, the guardians, and the rest of the laws of the Torah — are righteous and good, all that see them acknowledge them,³²¹ [and of these they do not ask]. Now concerning the answer to this question, he commanded that we relate to the inquirer the whole subject of the exodus from Egypt,³²² the intent thereof being as He stated in the Ten Commandments, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt,³²³ directing us that we inform the inquiring son that the Eternal is the Creator [through Whom everything has come into existence] by His will and power, as has been made clear to us by the exodus from Egypt. This is the sense of the expression [And the Eternal showed signs …] ‘before our eyes,’³²⁴ for it is we who know and are witnesses of the signs and wonders, for we saw there that the Eternal is our G-d, He is the G-d in heaven above and upon the earth beneath, and there is none else.³²⁵ All this was made known through the departure from Egypt, as I have explained in the first commandment.³²⁶ Thus it befits us to give honor to His Name, for He is our Creator, and [He] has magnified His mercy upon us, and He commanded us to do all these statutes³²⁷ mentioned in the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances [about which the son had asked]: to fear Him³²⁷ by performing [commandments known as] the testimonies which are a memorial to His wonders;³²⁰ for our good³²⁷ through performance of [commandments known as] the statutes for they are good, there being no statute which contains any evil, although their reasons have not been clarified to all people;³²⁸ that He might preserve us alive³²⁷ through [the commandments called] the ordinances. For we shall live by all [three kinds of commandments] together as they are all good, containing nothing harmful at all, but instead they all ultimately result in good life. Thus we are obliged to do the will of the Creator Who is our G-d, and we are His people, and the flock of His hand,³²⁹ and there is nothing but good in all of His commandments. And what is more, it shall be accounted virtue unto us before the Eternal our G-d³³⁰ and He will give us good reward for observing all these commandments. The verse refers to the reward for the observance of the commandments as “righteousness” [in the sense of charity] for the bondsman who was bought by his master is obliged to serve him [and has no claim to payment for his service]. If the master gives him payment for his service, he does an act of righteousness with him.