Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 7:15/רמב"ן על דברים ז׳:ט״ו
אוְהֵסִיר ה' מִמְּךָ כָּל חֹלִי, הַנָּהוּג לָבֹא בָּעוֹלָם. וְהִזְכִּיר כָּל מַדְוֵי מִצְרַיִם הָרָעִים, לְהַבְטִיחַ וּנְתָנָם בְּכָל שׂוֹנְאֶיךָ. אוֹ שֶׁיִּרְמֹז כִּי בַּעֲשׂוֹתָם הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים יִנָּצְלוּ מֵהֶם, וְאִם לֹא יַעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָם יָבוֹאוּ עֲלֵיהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ עַל הַמִּצְרִים, כָּאָמוּר בַּתּוֹכָחוֹת (דברים כ"ח:ס') וְהֵשִׁיב בְּךָ אֵת כָּל מַדְוֵי מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ', וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי זֶה בְּסֵדֶר וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח (שמות טו כו). וְהִזְכִּיר תְּחִלָּה בַּמִּשְׁפָּטִים לְכַלּוֹת וּלְהַכְרִית עוֹבְדֵי ע"ז, וּלְכָךְ אָמַר וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת כָּל הָעַמִּים, שֶׁתַּכְרִיתֵם, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי לַחְמֵנוּ הֵם (במדבר יד ט), כִּי אָכַל אֶת יַעֲקֹב (תהלים עט ז), וַאֲכָלוּהוּ וַיְכַלֻּהוּ (ירמיהו י כה), וְכֵן רַבִּים. וְאָמַר לֹא תָחֹס עֵינְךָ עֲלֵיהֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכַּרְתִּי (רמב"ן על דברים ז':י"ב) כִּי בְּרַחְמָנוּת הַשּׁוֹפְטִים (ס"א הטפשים) יֹאבַד כָּל מִשְׁפָּט:
1AND THE ETERNAL WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THEE ALL SICKNESS — ordinary ailments which occur in the world. He further mentioned all the evil diseases of Egypt to assure the people that He will inflict them on all who hate thee. Or it may be that he is intimating that by observing the ordinances, they will be saved from them [these evil diseases], but if they do not observe them, they [the diseases] will come upon them just as they did come upon the Egyptians, as is stated in the chastisement: And He will bring back upon thee all the diseases of Egypt etc.34, 28:60. I have already explained this in the section And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go.35 Now he mentioned as the first among the ordinances, the duty to demolish and destroy the idol-worshippers.36 Therefore he said, ‘v’achalta’ [literally: “and thou shalt eat”] all the peoples,36 meaning that you should destroy them, similar to what is said, for they are bread for us;37 for ‘achal’ (he hath devoured) Jacob;38 ‘va’achaluhu’ (yea, they have devoured him) and consumed him,39 and so also many similar expressions. He states thine eye shall not pity them36 as I have mentioned,40 for, through [undue] pity of the judges all law will be destroyed.