Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 6:5/רמב"ן על דברים ו׳:ה׳

אבְּכָל לְבָבְךָ, עַל דַּעַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ (ספרי ואתחנן ו) הַלֵּב הַנִּזְכָּר כָּאן הוּא הַכֹּחַ הַמִּתְאַוֶּה, כְּעִנְיָן תַּאֲוַת לִבּוֹ נָתַתָּ לּוֹ (תהלים כא ג), אַל תַּחְמֹד יָפְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ (משלי ו' כה). אִם כֵּן בְּכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַמַּשְׂכֶּלֶת, וְכֵן וְהָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אֲדֹנִי צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים (שמואל א כה כט). וּכְדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁדּוֹרְשִׁין בַּגְּמָרָא (ברכות נד) מִכָּאן יֵהָרֵג וְאַל יַעֲבֹר, יִהְיֶה בְּכָל נַפְשְׁךָ תּוֹסֶפֶת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָמַר בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ אָמַר גַּם כֵּן בְּכָל נַפְשְׁךָ. וְטַעַם שֶׁתֹּאהֲבֶנּוּ כְּנַפְשֶׁךָ, שֶׁתִּתֵּן אוֹתָהּ בְּאַהֲבָה, אוֹ שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ הַיִּסּוּרִין אוֹ הָאֵבָרִים חֲצִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ, וּבַהֲרִיגָה יֹאמַר בְּכָל נַפְשְׁךָ. ור"א אָמַר כִּי נַפְשְׁךָ, הַמִּתְאַוָּה, כְּמוֹ כְּנַפְשְׁךָ שָׂבְעֶךָ (דברים כ"ג:כ"ה), נֶפֶשׁ שְׂבֵעָה תָּבוּס נֹפֶת (משלי כז ז), אַל תִּתְּנֵנִי בְּנֶפֶשׁ צָרָי (תהלים כז יב), וּבְכָל לְבָבְךָ, הוּא הַדַּעַת, וְהוּא כִּנּוּי לָרוּחַ הַמַּשְׂכֶּלֶת, כִּי הִיא הַמֶּרְכָּבָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לוֹ, וְכָמוֹהוּ חֲכַם לֵב יִקַּח מִצְוֹת (משלי י ח). וּדְבָרוֹ קָרוֹב בְּפֵרוּשׁ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ מִמָּה שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְגוֹ' עַל לְבָבְךָ:

1WITH ALL THY HEART. In the opinion of the Midrash²²⁵ 32; Berachoth 54 a: “With all thy heart — with both your impulses, the good impulse and the evil impulse.” the heart mentioned here is the power of desire, similar to the expressions: Thou hast given him his heart’s desire;²²⁶ lust not after her beauty in thy heart.²²⁷ If so, with all thy soul denotes the intellectual [capacity rather than the sensual capacity of the] soul. Similarly, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life²²⁸ [refers to the rational soul which is immortal]. And according to our Rabbis, who in the Talmud²²⁹ — even if He take away thy soul,” i.e., even at the sacrifice of your life. derived from this [phrase] that one must submit to death and not violate [the Law, the expanded expression] “with all thy soul” is supplementary,²³⁰ by itself indicates that you must suffer martyrdom rather than deny the Law, the question arises, what is signified by the additional word all [‘all’ thy soul], since you cannot speak of half a life? Ramban will offer two answers. for since he said with ‘all’ thy heart … and with ‘all’ thy might [where the intent is to exclude the serving of G-d with only part of the heart’s capacity, or with only part of one’s might or belongings], he also said with ‘all’ thy soul [meaning “your very life,” despite the obvious fact that the command to give “all” rather than “part” of his life is incongruous]. The meaning thereof is that you love Him as your very life, giving up your life with love [for His sake whenever the Law requires you to do so].²³¹ Or [another explanation of the word all may be] that suffering or [the loss of body] organs are referred to as “part of the soul,” while martyrdom [death] is termed with ‘all’ thy soul. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “thy soul means the desire, like: enough ‘k’nafshecha’ (at thine own) pleasure;²³² the full soul loatheth a honey-comb;²³³ deliver me not over ‘b’nefesh’ (unto the desire of) mine adversaries.²³⁴ With all thy heart refers to knowledge, this being a surname for the rational spirit since [the heart] is its first resting place, and similarly it is stated, The wise in heart will receive commandments. ”²³⁵ Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra’s interpretation of the expression with all thy heart appears likely from that which he stated, And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart.²³⁶ refers to the rational soul, for in that case it is possible to say that these words shall be upon your “heart” meaning your rational soul. But if we are to interpret with all thy ‘heart’ as referring to the desires, as explained earlier, then how can it be said that these words shall be upon your “heart” or your desires?

בוְטַעַם וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, כְּלוֹמַר מְאֹד מְאֹד. וְהַטַּעַם רַב רַב אֱהֹב אוֹתוֹ. וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ברכות נד) בְּכָל מָמוֹנְךָ, וְיִקָּרֵא הַמָּמוֹן מְאֹד כִּי יְכַנֶּה אוֹתוֹ בְּרִבּוּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁקּוֹרֵא לוֹ הָמוֹן, טוֹב מְעַט לַצַּדִּיק מֵהֲמוֹן רְשָׁעִים רַבִּים (תהלים לז טז), וְהִנָּם כְּכָל הֲמוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל (מלכים ב ז יג), וְיִקָּרֵא חַיִל, יִשְׂאוּ עַל כֶּתֶף עֲיָרִים חֵילֵהֶם (ישעיהו ל ו), חֵילְךָ כָל אוֹצְרוֹתֶיךָ (ירמיהו יז ג), אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה (דברים ח':י"ז). יֹאמַר בְּכָל רִבּוּי מָמוֹנְךָ. וְכָמוֹהוּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁב אֶל ה' בְּכָל לְבָבוֹ וּבְכָל נַפְשׁוֹ וּבְכָל מְאֹדוֹ (מלכים ב כג כה), מִפְּנֵי הִתְנַדְּבוֹ בְּעִנְיַן בִּעוּר ע"ז וַעֲשִׂיַּת הַפֶּסַח. וְעִנְיַן הָאַהֲבָה בֵּאֲרוּ אוֹתוֹ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, וְהַמְּפֹרָשׁ שֶׁבְּדִבְרֵיהֶם מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (עקב), שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר הֲרֵנִי לוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֶקָּרֵא חָכָם, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֵשֵׁב בַּיְּשִׁיבָה, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, ת"ל לְאַהֲבָה וְגוֹ'. וַאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה תָּמִיד לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ (דברים ו:יח) וּלְמַעַן תַּאֲרִיךְ יָמִים (דברים ד:מ), וּלְמַעַן תִּחְיוּ וּבָאתֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֶת הָאָרֶץ (דברים ד:א), יַזְהִירֵם בַּיִּרְאָה עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַתּוֹכָחוֹת, לוֹמַר שֶׁאִם יֶחֶטְאוּ לֹא יִירְשׁוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ אוֹ לֹא יַאֲרִיכוּ יָמִים עָלֶיהָ, אוֹ שֶׁהֶחָסִיד צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת אוֹהֵב וְיָרֵא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ירושלמי ברכות פ"ט ה"ה) עֲשֵׂה מֵאַהֲבָה וַעֲשֵׂה מִיִּרְאָה, עֲשֵׂה מֵאַהֲבָה שֶׁאֵין אוֹהֵב שׂוֹנֵא, וַעֲשֵׂה מִיִּרְאָה שֶׁאִם בָּאתָ לִבְעֹט אַל תִּבְעֹט. וּכְבָר נִתְבָּאֵר זֶה בְּדִבְרֵי הַחֲכָמִים:

2AND WITH ALL ‘M’ODECHA.’ The meaning thereof is “very exceedingly,”²³⁷ — muchness, abundance. the purport being “love Him mightily.” And in the opinion of our Rabbis²³⁸ it means “with all your wealth,” for the property of a person is called m’od (muchness, abundance) because it is described in terms of great quantity, just as it is called hamon (abundance, multitude): Better is a little that the righteous hath than the ‘hamon’ (abundance) of many wicked;²³⁹ behold, they are as all ‘hamon’ (multitude of) Israel.²⁴⁰ It is also called chayil (wealth): They carry upon the shoulders of young asses ‘cheileihem’ (their riches);²⁴¹ I will give ‘cheilcha’ (thy substance) and all thy treasures for a spoil;²⁴² ‘eth hachayil hazeh’ (this wealth).²⁴³ The verse here is thus stating, “[Love Him] with all the abundance of your wealth.” Similarly, it is stated, And like unto him [King Josiah] was there no king before him, that turned to the Eternal with all his heart, and with all his soul and with all ‘m’odo’ (his wealth),²⁴⁴ because they volunteered in the removal of the idols and the observance of the Passover-offering.The purport of “the love [of G-d]” has been explained by our Rabbis, the most explicit of their statements is what they said in the Sifre:²⁴⁵ 41. “Perhaps you will say ‘I will study Torah in order that I be called wise, in order that I lead an academy, in order that I live long, or in order that I merit the World to Come.’²⁴⁶ Therefore, Scripture says, to love the Eternal your G-d etc.”²⁴⁷). Now the reason why Moses constantly says to them: that it may be well with thee,²⁴⁸ and that thou mayest prolong thy days,²⁴⁹ that ye may live, and go in and possess the Land²⁵⁰, Verse 1. [when in the light of the exhortation that we are to do the right thing only for the sake of the love of G-d], is that he admonishes them through reproofs to fear G-d, saying that if they will sin they will not possess the Land, or they will not prolong their days upon it. Or [another explanation] may be that the pious person must both love and fear G-d, and the Rabbis have said:²⁵¹ “Observe [His law] out of love, and observe it out of fear. Observe it out of love, for a lover does not despise, and observe it out of fear for if you come to reject [His authority], you will not do it.” This has already been explained in the words of the Sages.²⁵²