Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 7:24/רמב"ן על דברים ז׳:כ״ד

אוְאָמַר וְנָתַן מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּיָדֶךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתָּ אֶת שְׁמָם, עַד שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם שֵׁם עַל פְּנֵי חוּץ, וְכָל הַנִּצָּב בִּפְנֵיהֶם יַשְׁמִידוּ. וְזֶה כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁבָּא בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ (יא כ), כִּי מֵאֵת הַשֵּׁם הָיְתָה לְחַזֵּק אֶת לִבָּם לִקְרַאת הַמִּלְחָמָה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַן הַחֲרִימָם, וְלֹא נִשְׁאַר לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ בָּאָרֶץ כִּי כָל מַלְכֵיהֶם נָפְלוּ. וְכָתַב רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים ז':כ"ב), פֶּן תִּרְבֶּה עָלֶיךָ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה, וַהֲלֹא אִם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ אֵינָם מִתְיָרְאִים מִן הַחַיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב ה כג) וְחַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה הָשְׁלְמָה לָךְ, אֶלָּא גָּלוּי הָיָה לְפָנָיו שֶׁעֲתִידִין לַחֲטֹא. וְדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הֵם (ספרי). וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת לְהַבְטָחָה נֶאֶמְרָה, כְּבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי (רמב"ן על דברים ד':כ"ה) כִּי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ בְּמִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה יַבְטִיחַ וְיַזְהִיר וְיִרְמֹז כִּי לֹא תַּגִּיעַ זְכוּתָם לְהַכְרִיתָם כֻּלָּם כְּאֶחָד וְשֶׁיַּשְׁבִּית חַיָּה רָעָה מִן הָאָרֶץ כַּמֻּבְטָח לָהֶם בְּפָרָשַׁת אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי (ויקרא כו ו), אֲבָל יִהְיֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר שֶׁיַּאֲבִידוּ אֶת רֻבָּם וּמַלְכֵיהֶם בַּתְּחִלָּה וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֹאבְדוּ הַנִּשְׁאָרִים:

1AND HE SHALL DELIVER THEIR KINGS INTO THY HAND, AND THOU SHALT CAUSE THEIR NAME TO PERISH — until they shall have no name abroad⁴⁶ — and the Israelites will destroy all who stand up to oppose them. This is similar to what is stated in the Book of Joshua, For it was of the Eternal to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that they might be utterly destroyed,⁴⁷ and not a king was left to them [the Canaanites] in the Land as all their kings fell [in battle].And Rashi wrote: “Lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.⁴⁸ But is it not true that when they do His will [as the section begins: And it shall come to pass, because ye hearken to these ordinances etc.] they will have no fear of the beasts, as it is said, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee?⁴⁹ But [this assurance is stated because] it was manifest before Him that they were destined to sin.” These are the words of our Rabbis.⁵⁰ 50, with many changes. Now, even though this section is stated as a promise [and any reference to future sin apparently contradicts the principle of man’s freedom of choice], I have already mentioned⁵¹ that, in the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses our teacher both assures and warns. He alludes to the fact that their merits will not be sufficient to destroy all the people at once and for Him to cause evil beasts to cease out of the Land⁵² as promised to them in the section If ye walk in My statutes.⁵³, Verse 3. Instead it will be as he said [here] that they will, in the first stage [of the conquest], destroy most of them together with their kings, and, afterwards, they that are left will be destroyed.