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Ramban on Exodus 20:21/רמב"ן על שמות כ׳:כ״א

אמִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה תַּעֲשֶׂה לִּי פֵּרֵשׁ ר"א (אבן עזרא על שמות כ':כ"א) כִּי אָמַר לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי אֱלֹהֵי כֶסֶף וֵאלֹהֵי זָהָב לְקַבֵּל כֹּחַ עֶלְיוֹנִים בְּצוּרָתָם לִהְיוֹת אֶמְצָעִיִּים בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם, כִּי בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי אָבֹא אֵלֶיךָ אֲנִי בִּכְבוֹדִי וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ, אֵין לְךָ צֹרֶךְ לְאֶמְצָעִי כְּלָל. וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (במכילתא כאן) בַּמִּזְבְּחוֹת, שֶׁהֵם הַנַּעֲשִׂים בַּמִּשְׁכָּן וּבַמִּקְדָּשׁ, הִזְכִּיר מִצְוַת הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת בָּאֲדָמָה וּבָאֲבָנִים לֵאמֹר שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ גַּם כֵּן הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת לַשֵּׁם לְבַדּוֹ, וְשָׁם יִזְבְּחוּ הָעוֹלוֹת וְהַשְּׁלָמִים, וְלֹא לַשֵּׁדִים עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה, וּבְכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יַזְכִּירוּ אֶת שְׁמוֹ יָבֹא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּתוֹכָם וּלְבָרֵךְ אוֹתָם:

1AN ALTAR OF EARTH THOU SHALT MAKE UNTO ME. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained that He is saying: “Ye shall not make with Me gods of silver, or gods of gold⁵⁶⁵ to receive power from heavenly creatures through them, that they be intermediaries between Me and you, for in every place where I cause My Name to be mentioned I — I in My Glory — will come unto thee and bless thee.⁵⁷⁶ You have no need at all for an intermediary.” And according to the opinion of the Rabbis concerning [the verses here, i.e., that they speak of] the altars that were made in the Tabernacle and in the Sanctuary,⁵⁷¹ He mentioned the commandment of the altars of earth and of stones⁵⁷⁷ in order to say that they also make the altars for G-d alone and that there they shall sacrifice the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings, and not to the demons in the open field.⁵⁷⁸ In every place where they will mention His Name, He will come upon them in His Glory to make His Divine Presence dwell among them and to bless them.