Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 8:2/רמב"ן על דברים ח׳:ב׳

אוְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת כָּל הַדֶּרֶךְ וְגוֹ', יֹאמַר כִּי תּוּכַל לָדַעַת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בַּעֲשִׂיַּת הַמִּצְוֹת טוֹבָה שְׁלֵמָה וְלֹא יִהְיֶה צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב וּמְבַקֵּשׁ לֶחֶם, כִּי הַשֵּׁם מְפַרְנֵס אוֹתְךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּמַעֲשֵׂה נֵס גָּדוֹל בַּעֲבוּר לֶכְתְּךָ אַחַר מִצְוֹתָיו. וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי בְּפָרָשַׁת הַמָּן (שמות טז ד) טַעַם לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ לְנַסֹּתְךָ לָדַעַת אֶת אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבְךָ הֲתִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו אִם לֹא, כִּי הָיָה נִסָּיוֹן גָּדוֹל לָהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יָדְעוּ עֵצָה לְנַפְשָׁם וַיִּכָּנְסוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדוֹל לֹא מְקוֹם לֶחֶם וְאֵין בְּיָדָם כְּלוּם מִן הַמָּן, אֲבָל יָרַד דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ וְחַם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְנָמָס וַיִּרְעֲבוּ אֵלָיו מְאֹד. וְכָל זֶה עָשׂוּ לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוַת הַשֵּׁם לָלֶכֶת כַּאֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה. וְהַשֵּׁם הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהוֹלִיכָם בְּדֶרֶךְ הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם, אֲבָל הֱבִיאָם בַּנִּסָּיוֹן הַזֶּה כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ יִוָּדַע שֶׁיִּשְׁמְרוּ מִצְוֹתָיו לְעוֹלָם:

1AND THOU SHALT REMEMBER ALL THE WAY WHICH THE ETERNAL THY G-D HATH LED THEE etc. He is stating that you can realize that in the observance of the commandments is entailed the perfect good and there will not be the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread,⁵⁸ for G-d supported you in the wilderness with the performance of a great miracle because you followed after His commandments. I have already explained⁵⁹ in the section of the manna [the verse before us], that He might afflict thee, to try thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no, for [the manna itself] was a great trial to them. They did not know what counsel to adopt for themselves when they entered the great wilderness, a place of no food, and they had none of the manna [in reserve because it could not be stored from day to day] but each day’s portion came down on its day, and as the sun waxed hot, it melted,⁶⁰, Verse 21. although they hungered mightily after it. All this they did to keep the commandment of G-d, to follow as He commanded. Now G-d could have led them through the [populated] cities that were around them, but instead He brought them into this trial [of never having any food in reserve] for He knew that as a result [of this experience] they would keep His commandments forever.