Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 9:8/רמב"ן על דברים ט׳:ח׳
אוּבְחֹרֵב הִקְצַפְתֶּם אֶת ה', קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּפְתַּח לָהֶם בְּבֵאוּר הַתּוֹרָה כְּלָל הוֹכִיחַ אוֹתָם בַּעֲוֹנוֹת אֲשֶׁר גָּרְמוּ לָהֶם רָעָה וְלֹא נִמְחֲלוּ, וְהִזְכִּיר לָהֶם עִנְיַן הַמְרַגְּלִים וּמֵי מְרִיבָה. וְאַחַר כֵּן בֵּאֵר עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת וּפָרָשַׁת יִחוּד הַשֵּׁם, וְהִזְהִירָם בְּעִנְיַן ע"ז אַזְהָרוֹת רַבּוֹת, וְהִזְהִיר בַּמִּצְוֹת בִּכְלָלָם, וְיֹאמַר שֶׁהֵן כֻּלָּן טוֹבוֹת וּבַעֲבוּרָן תָּבֹא לָהֶן כָּל הַטּוֹבָה. וְעַתָּה בָּא לְהַתְחִיל בִּפְרָטֵי הַמִּצְוֹת, וְקֹדֶם שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר אַחַת מֵהֶן בִּפְרָט יַחְזֹר לְהוֹכִיחַ אוֹתָם וְלִפְקֹד עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁעָשׂוּ מֵעֵת שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ הַתּוֹרָה וָהָלְאָה, כִּי הַתְּלוּנוֹת שֶׁעָשׂוּ קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה שֶׁהִמְרוּ עַל יָם בְּיַם סוּף וַיִּלּוֹנוּ בְּמָרָה וּבְאָלוּשׁ לֹא יַזְכִּירֵם לָהֶם, כִּי מֵעֵת שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ הַתּוֹרָה הָיוּ יוֹתֵר חַיָּבִים לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל הַשֵּׁם אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת עִמָּם בְּרִית, וּלְפִיכָךְ פָּתַח כָּאן וּבְחוֹרֵב הִקְצַפְתֶּם, וְהִזְכִּיר לָהֶם מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּיו (שמות לב א):
1ALSO IN HOREB YE MADE THE ETERNAL ANGRY. Before even beginning to explain to them the Torah, he [Moses] reproved them for the sins which caused them evil and which were not forgiven: he mentioned the affairs of the spies, and the waters of Meribah. Afterwards he explained the Ten Commandments and the section of the Unity of G-d [Sh’ma], and he admonished them with many exhortations against idolatry; he cautioned them concerning the commandments in general, and he said that they [the commandments] are all good and, in consequence of [observing them] all the good will come to them, and then he commences to explain the individual commandments. But before he mentioned any of the commandments specifically he returned to reprove them and to visit upon them all their iniquities127 which they had committed from the time they received the Torah and henceforth. But the complaints they made before the Giving of the Torah — when they were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea,128 and the people murmured at Marah,129 and in Alush130 — he did not mention to them, because, from the time that they received the Torah, they were more obligated to hearken to the voice of G-d Who made a covenant with them. Therefore, he began here, Also in Horeb ye made the Eternal angry, and he mentioned to them the affair of the [golden] calf, which I have already explained.131