Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 21:2/רמב"ן על שמות כ״א:ב׳
אכִּי תִקְנֶה עֶבֶד עִבְרִי הִתְחִיל הַמִּשְׁפָּט הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּעֶבֶד עִבְרִי, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּשִׁלּוּחַ הָעֶבֶד בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הַנִּזְכָּר בַּדִּבּוּר הָרִאשׁוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בּוֹ (דברים טו טו) "וְזָכַרְתָּ כִּי עֶבֶד הָיִיתָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיִּפְדְּךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה הַיּוֹם". וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ עוֹד זֵכֶר לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית כַּשַּׁבָּת, כִּי הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית לָעֶבֶד שַׁבָּתוֹן מִמְּלֶאכֶת אֲדוֹנָיו כַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ עוֹד שְׁבִיעִי בַּשָּׁנִים שֶׁהוּא הַיּוֹבֵל, כִּי הַשְּׁבִיעִי נִבְחָר בַּיָּמִים וּבַשָּׁנִים וּבַשְּׁמִטּוֹת, וְהַכֹּל לְעִנְיָן אֶחָד, וְהוּא סוֹד יְמוֹת הָעוֹלָם מִבְּרֵאשִׁית (בראשית א א) עַד וַיְכֻלּוּ (שם ב א). וְלָכֵן הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת רְאוּיָה לְהַקְדִּים אוֹתָהּ שֶׁהִיא נִכְבֶּדֶת מְאֹד, רוֹמֶזֶת דְּבָרִים גְּדוֹלִים בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית: וּלְכָךְ הֶחְמִיר בָּהּ הַנָּבִיא מְאֹד, וְאָמַר "אָנֹכִי כָּרַתִּי בְרִית אֶת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם מִקֵּץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים תְּשַׁלְּחוּ אִישׁ אֶת עַבְדּוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶת שִׁפְחָתוֹ" (ירמיה לד יג יד), וְגָזַר בַּעֲבוּרָהּ הַגָּלוּת (שם יז-כב) כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּגְזֹר הַתּוֹרָה גָּלוּת עַל שְׁמִטַּת הָאָרֶץ (ויקרא כו לד-לה), וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאֶכְתֹּב עוֹד בְּעֶזְרַת ה' (בויקרא כה ב), וְכַאֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִים מִשְׁפַּט הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת בָּעֲבָדִים הָעִבְרִים, הֵחֵל בְּמִשְׁפַּט לֹא תִּרְצָח שֶׁהִיא הַחֲמוּרָה, וּבִכְבוֹד הָאָבוֹת, וּבְלֹא תִּגְנֹב, וְחָזַר לְמִשְׁפַּט מַכֵּה אִישׁ בְּלִי שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהּ, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן לִרְצִיחַת הָעֶבֶד שֶׁהִיא חֲמוּרָה מִמִּיתַת הַוְּלָדוֹת, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן לְאֶבְרֵי הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִים וְהָעֲבָדִים, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן לְנִזְקֵי הַבְּהֵמוֹת בְּמִיתָה. וְכָל הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בְּסִדּוּר וּבְכַוָּנָה נְכוֹנָה:
1IF THOU BUY A HEBREW SERVANT. G-d began the first ordinance with the subject of a Hebrew servant, because the liberation of the servant in the seventh year contains a rememberance of the departure from Egypt which is mentioned in the first commandment, just as He said on it, And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Eternal thy G-d redeemed thee; therefore I command thee this thing today.21 It also contains a remembrance of the creation, just as the Sabbath does, for the seventh year signals to a servant a complete rest from the work of his master, just as the seventh day of the week does. There is in addition a ‘seventh’ amongst the years, which is the jubilee, for seven is the chosen of the days [to be the Sabbath], and of the years [to be the Sabbatical year], and of the [seven] Sabbaticals [to be the jubilee]; and they all point to one subject, namely, the secret of the days of the world — from bereshith (in the beginning) till vayechulu (and they were finished).22 Therefore this commandment deserved to be mentioned first, because of its extreme importance, alluding as it does to great things in the process of creation.23 This is why the prophet Jeremiah was very stringent about it and said, Thus saith the Eternal, the G-d of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers;24 At the end of the seven years ye shall let go every one his manservant, and every one his maidservant.25, Verses 14 and 10 (Ramban combined here parts of these verses). And on account of its violation, G-d decreed the exile,26, Verses 17-22. just as the Torah decreed exile for the Sabbatical rest of the land which was not observed,27 as I will yet write,28, 25:2. with the help of the Rock.When He finished stating the ordinance of this [first] commandment as it applies to Hebrew servants, He began the ordinance of the commandment, Thou shalt not murder,29 since it is the worst [sin] and then [He stated the ordinances of the commandments] to honor one’s parents, and of Thou shalt not steal,29 and then He went back to the ordinance of one who smites his fellow-man but did not kill him,30 and then to the murder of a bondman, which is worse than the killing of an offspring,31 and after that to [injury to] the limbs of Israelites and bondmen,32, Verses 24-27. and then to cases of death inflicted by cattle which cause injury.33, Verses 28-32. All the sections are thus arranged in logical sequence and in proper order.