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Ramban on Exodus 13:11/רמב"ן על שמות י״ג:י״א

אוְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ ה' אֶל אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי בַּעֲבוּר כִּי מִצְוַת פֶּטֶר חֲמוֹר אֵינֶנָּה נוֹהֶגֶת אֶלָּא בָּאָרֶץ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט "קַדֶּשׁ לִי כָל בְּכוֹר", כָּל הַנִּמְצָאִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הַיּוֹם, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁפְּדָאָם מִמָּוֶת בְּהַכּוֹתוֹ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם צִוָּה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ קְדוֹשִׁים לוֹ לַעֲבֹד אֶת עֲבֹדַת ה' לְכָל אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה בָּהֶם, וְלֹא צִוָּה לָהֶם עַתָּה פִּדְיוֹן עַד שֶׁהֶחֱלִיפָם בַּלְוִיִּם וְצִוָּה בְּפִדְיוֹן הָעוֹדְפִים (במדבר ג מו), אֲבָל הַמִּצְוָה בַּנּוֹלָדִים לֹא נָהֲגָה בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְצִוָּה כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ תִּנְהַג בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְפֶטֶר חֲמוֹר וְצִוָּה בְּפִדְיוֹנָם לְדוֹרוֹת:

1AND IT SHALL BE WHEN THE ETERNAL SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND OF THE CANAANITES. This is stated because the law of that which “openeth the womb” [mentioned in Verse 12], applied only from the time they came to the Land of Israel.³⁹¹In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the verse, Sanctify unto Me all the firstborn, [mentioned in Verse 2 above] means all the firstborn living at that time. Since He redeemed them from death when He smote in the land of Egypt, He commanded [in that verse above] that they be sanctified to Him to do the work of G-d, whatever He will command them to do. He did not command them at this time concerning the redemption of the firstborn, but only after He exchanged them for the Levites and He commanded the redemption of the firstborn that were over and above the number of the Levites.³⁹² But the commandment [as expressed in the verse, Sanctify unto Me all the firstborn], did not apply to the firstborn in the wilderness. Now, [in the verse before us], He commanded that when they shall come into the Land of Israel, the law should apply to the firstborn of both man and beast³⁹³ and the firstling of an ass,³⁹⁴ and then He commanded the law of their redemption for the generations.³⁹⁴

בוְטַעַם כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לְךָ וְלַאֲבֹתֶיךָ שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע לַאֲבוֹתֶיךָ לָתֵת לְךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לְמַעְלָה (שמות י"ג:ה') "אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לָתֶת לָךְ", אוֹ שֶׁיִּקְרָא דְּבַר הַשֵּׁם שְׁבוּעָה, כִּי אָמַר כֵּן פַּעֲמַיִם "וָאֵרֵד לְהַצִּילוֹ וּלְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה" (שמות ג':ח'), וְעוֹד "וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי" (שם ו ח):

2AS HE SWORE UNTO THEE AND TO THY FATHERS. The meaning of it is that “He swore to your fathers to give it to you,” just as it is said above, which He swore unto thy fathers to give thee.³⁹⁵ It may be that G-d’s word by itself is called “an oath,” for thus He said twice:³⁹⁶ And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land,³⁹⁷ and again it says, And I will bring you in unto the land concerning which I lifted up My hand.³⁹⁸, 6:8.