Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 21:1/רמב"ן על שמות כ״א:א׳

אטַעַם וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם, כִּי רָצָה לְהַקְדִּים לָהֶם הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת הַדִּבּוּר הָרִאשׁוֹן בִּידִיעַת ה', וְהַשֵּׁנִי בְּאִסּוּר ע"ז, חָזַר וְצִוָּה אֶת מֹשֶׁה כֹּה תֹאמַר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם כִּי מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם דִּבַּרְתִּי עִמָּכֶם (שמות כ':כ"ב), שֶׁתַּזְהִירֵם אַתָּה עוֹד שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ לִבָּם לְמָה שֶׁרָאוּ וְיִזָּהֲרוּ בַּמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלּוּ שֶׁצִּוִּיתִים, כִּי אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם, כְּנֶגֶד דִּבּוּר אָנֹכִי, וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי כְּנֶגֶד לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ, לְהַשְׁלִים עִנְיַן ע"ז, וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים כְּנֶגֶד לֹא תַחְמֹד, כִּי אִם לֹא יֵדַע הָאָדָם מִשְׁפַּט הַבַּיִת אוֹ הַשָּׂדֶה וּשְׁאָר הַמָּמוֹן יַחְשֹׁב שֶׁהוּא שֶׁלּוֹ וְיַחְמְדֵהוּ וְיִקָּחֵהוּ לְעַצְמוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם, מִשְׁפָּטִים יְשָׁרִים יַנְהִיגוּ אוֹתָם בֵּינֵיהֶם, וְלֹא יַחְמְדוּ מַה שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלָּהֶם מִן הַדִּין. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ בְּמִדְרַשׁ רַבָּה (שמות ל טו) כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ תְּלוּיָה בַּמִּשְׁפָּט, לָכֵן נָתַן הקב"ה דִּינִין אַחַר עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת. וְכֵן יְפָרֵשׁ בְּאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הַמִּשְׁפָּט בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה (שמות כ"ב:י"ט), וּבִכְבוֹד הָאָב (שם כא טו יז), וְהָרְצִיחָה (שם כא יב יד), וְהַנִּאוּף (שם כב יח), הַנִּזְכָּרִים בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת:
וְדָרְשׁוּ "לִפְנֵיהֶם" וְלֹא לִפְנֵי גּוֹיִם (תנחומא א, גיטין פח:), מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לוֹמַר אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לָהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שמות ט"ו:כ"ה) "שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט", וְאָמַר "לִפְנֵיהֶם", שֶׁהֵם יִהְיוּ הַדַּיָּנִין, כִּי עַל הַשּׁוֹפֵט יָבֹא הַלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה, "וְעָמְדוּ שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם הָרִיב לִפְנֵי ה' לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַשֹּׁפְטִים" (דברים יט יז), "עַד עָמְדוֹ לִפְנֵי הָעֵדָה לַמִּשְׁפָּט" (במדבר לה יב), "לִפְנֵי כָּל יֹדְעֵי דָּת וָדִין" (אסתר א יג) וְדָרְשׁוּ עוֹד (שם) "לִפְנֵיהֶם", וְלֹא לִפְנֵי הֶדְיוֹטוֹת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּתַב בַּמִּשְׁפָּטִים "וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֲדֹנָיו אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים" (שמות כ"א:ו'), "עַד הָאֱלֹהִים יָבֹא דְּבַר שְׁנֵיהֶם" (שמות כ"ב:ח'), וְכָתוּב גַּם כֵּן "וְנָתַן בִּפְלִילִים" (שמות כ"א:כ"ב), שֶׁהֵם הַדַּיָּנִין הַמֻּמְחִין הַסְּמוּכִים עַד מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ: וּלְכָךְ אָמַר בְּכָאן שֶׁהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה יָשִׂימוּ אוֹתָם לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר, וְלֹא לִפְנֵי גּוֹיִם, וְלֹא לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ שׁוֹפֵט עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה, וְהוּא הֶדְיוֹט לָזֶה, שֶׁאָסוּר לָבֹא בְּפָנָיו כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָסוּר לָבֹא לִפְנֵי הַגּוֹיִם ואע"פ שֶׁיָּדוּעַ שֶׁהַהֶדְיוֹט הַזֶּה יוֹדֵעַ שׁוּרַת הַדִּין וְיָדִין לוֹ כַּהֹגֶן, אֲבָל הוּא אָסוּר לְשׁוּמוֹ דַּיָּן וְלִצְעֹק לוֹ שֶׁיָּכוֹף אֶת בַּעַל דִּינוֹ לָדוּן לְפָנָיו, וְהַהֶדְיוֹט עַצְמוֹ אָסוּר לָדוּן לָהֶם. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ חֲכָמִים שְׁתֵּי הַכִּתּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה כְּאַחַת, יֵשׁ הֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם, שֶׁאִם רָצוּ שְׁנֵי בַּעֲלֵי הַדִּין לָבֹא לִפְנֵי הַהֶדְיוֹט שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מֻתָּר הוּא, וּבִדְקִבְּלוּם עִלָּוַיְהוּ דִּינוֹ דִּין, אֲבָל לִפְנֵי הַגּוֹיִם אֲסוּרִין הֵם לָבֹא לְפָנָיו שֶׁיָּדוּן לָהֶם בְּדִינֵיהֶם לְעוֹלָם, וַאֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ דִּינֵיהֶם כְּדִינֵנוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ עִנְיָן:

1AND THESE ARE THE ORDINANCES WHICH THOU SHALT SET BEFORE THEM. The reason [why this whole section dealing with mishpatim — civil laws — is placed here, rather than being placed after the chukim — statutes — as is the order in the commandments given at Marah],¹. The “statutes” are the precepts for which the reasons are generally unknown. See Vol. I, p. 331. is that G-d wanted to explain to them first the civil laws. Thus we find that the first of the Ten Commandments dealt with the obligation of knowing of the existence of G-d, and the second one with the prohibition against idolatry, after which [following the giving of the Ten Commandments] He again instructed Moses, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven,² meaning that you, [Moses] should warn them again to take to heart that which they have seen, so that they will be careful to keep these precepts which I have commanded them. For Ye yourselves have seen corresponds to the commandment, I am the Eternal thy G-d;³, Verse 2. Ye shall not make with Me — gods of silver etc.⁴, Verse 20. — corresponds with Thou shalt have no other gods,⁵, Verse 3. thereby completing the subject of idolatry; likewise, And these are the ordinances corresponds to Thou shalt not covet,⁶, Verse 14. for if a man does not know the laws of house and field or other possessions, he might think that they belong to him and thus covet them and take them for himself. This is why He said, thou shalt set before them just ordinances, which they should establish amongst themselves, so that they will not covet that which does not legally belong to them. And thus did the Rabbis say in Midrash Rabbah:⁷ “The whole Torah depends on justice; that is why the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the civil laws directly after the Ten Commandments.” Similarly G-d explains in this section of These are the ordinances additional laws about idolatry,⁸ the honor of parents,⁹ murder,¹⁰, Verses 12-14. and adultery¹¹, 22:15-16. — which are all mentioned in the Ten Commandments.The Rabbis have explained:¹², 6. “Before them, but not before the Canaanites.” This interpretation is based on the observation that it should have said, “which tasim lahem” (“thou shalt set for them”) just as He said, There ‘sam lo’ (He set for them) a statute and an ordinance;¹³ thus since He said, which thou shalt set ‘liphneihem’ (before them), we interpret this to mean that they should be the judges, for it is with reference to a judge that this term [liphnei (before)] appears in Scripture: And both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Eternal, ‘liphnei’ (before) the priests and the judges;¹⁴ Until he stand ‘liphnei’ (before) the congregation for judgment;¹⁵ ‘liphnei’ (before) all who know law and judgment.¹⁶ The Rabbis further explained: “Before them, but not before laymen.” They interpreted [the verse in this way] because with reference to the ordinances it is written: Then his master shall bring him unto ‘ha’elohim;’¹⁷ the cause of both parties shall come before ‘ha’elohim;’¹⁸, 22:8. and it is also written, and he shall give ‘biphlilim’ (as the judges determine)¹⁹ — these terms referring to judges who are experts in the law, and who had received ordination²⁰ [in an unbroken chain from the time of those who had been duly ordained] by Moses our Teacher. This is why He said here that these ordinances are to be set before them, meaning before the elohim [expert, ordained judges] that He will mention further on, but not before Canaanites, and not before one who is not a judge by the standard of the Torah, such as a layman in this respect. It is forbidden to appear before such a person to act as a judge, just as it is forbidden to bring it before the Canaanites, even if he knows that this layman knows the correct law and will render him a proper decision. Even so it is forbidden for the litigant to set him up as a judge and complain before him so that he orders the other party to come to court before him, and the layman himself is also forbidden to act as their judge. Now even though the Sages have mentioned these two groups [the layman and the Canaanite] together, there is a difference between them, in that if the two litigants are willing to come before an Israelite who is a layman, and accept him upon themselves, it is permissible for them to do so, and they must abide by his decision, but to come before the Canaanites to act as judges between them, is forbidden under all circumstances, even if the Canaanite laws are in that particular case the same as our laws.