Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 9:22/רמב"ן על דברים ט׳:כ״ב
אוְאָמַר ר"א (אבן עזרא על דברים ט':כ"ב) כִּי טַעַם וּבְתַבְעֵרָה וּבְמַסָּה, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי בְּתַבְעֵרָה הָיוּ הָעָם כְּמִתְאוֹנְנִים מְנַסִּים הַשֵּׁם בְּתוֹאֲנוֹת, הִזְכִּיר לָהֶם כִּי הֱיִיתֶם מַקְצִיפִים אֶת הַשֵּׁם בַּנִּסָּיוֹן אֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתֶם בְּתַבְעֵרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם כְּבָר פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת בְּמַסָּה, וְלֹא לְקַחְתֶּם מוּסָר. וְיָפֶה פֵּרֵשׁ. וְהִנֵּה הַחֵטְא לְנַסּוֹת אֶת הַשֵּׁם הוּא חֵטְא גָּדוֹל וְאַשְׁמָה רַבָּה, כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְהִיר מִמֶּנּוּ (דברים ו':ט"ז) לֹא תְנַסּוּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתֶם בַּמַּסָּה, עַל כֵּן הֶחְזִיר אוֹתוֹ לָהֶם בְּכָאן. וְכָךְ הִזְכִּיר פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת חֵטְא הַמְרַגְּלִים בִּקְצָרָה בַּעֲבוּר הֶעָוֹן הַגָּדוֹל, כִּי בּוֹ יַשְׁלִים מַמְרִים הֱיִיתֶם עִם ה'. וְאָמַר מִיּוֹם דַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם, לִרְמֹז עַל תְּלוּנוֹתֵיהֶם קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה:
1And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote that the meaning of the verse, And at Taberah, and at Massah etc.,146 is that because at Taberah the people were as murmerers,147 testing G-d with complaints, therefore Moses mentioned to them that “you angered G-d with the challenge of proving [His power] at Taberah just as you had already done another time at Massah148 and you accepted no correction.”149 He [Ibn Ezra] explained it well. Behold, the sin of testing G-d is a great sin and of a serious nature, as he admonished against it, Ye shall not try the Eternal your G-d, as ye tried Him in Massah;150 therefore he cited it to them again here. So also he briefly mentioned to them once again the sin of the spies151 because of the great sin it entailed, for with it he completed [this section], saying, Ye have been rebellious against the Eternal from the day I knew you.152 He stated from the day I knew you in order to allude to their murmurings before the Giving of the Torah.