Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 22:30/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ב:ל׳
אוְאַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיוּן לִי טַעַם הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה, כִּי עַד הֵנָּה הִזְכִּיר הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְהִזְהִיר בַּדְּבָרִים הַמְכֹעָרִים. וְעַתָּה כְּשֶׁבָּא לְהַתְחִיל בְּאִסּוּר הַמַּאֲכָל פָּתַח וְאָמַר וְאַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיוּן לִי, שֶׁרָאוּי הוּא שֶׁיֹּאכַל הָאָדָם כָּל מַה שֶׁיִּחְיֶה בּוֹ, וְאֵין הָאִסּוּרִין בַּמַּאֲכָלִים רַק טָהֳרָה בַּנֶּפֶשׁ, שֶׁתֹּאכַל דְּבָרִים נְקִיִּים שֶׁלֹּא יוֹלִידוּ עֳבִי וְגַסּוּת בַּנֶּפֶשׁ, עַל כֵּן אָמַר "וְאַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיוּן לִי", כְּלוֹמַר אֲנִי חָפֵץ שֶׁתִּהְיוּ אַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁתִּהְיוּ רְאוּיִים לִי לְדָבְקָה בִּי שֶׁאֲנִי קָדוֹשׁ, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא תִּגְעֲלוּ נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם בַּאֲכִילַת הַדְּבָרִים הַמְתֹעָבִים, וְכָךְ אָמַר (ויקרא יא מג-מד) "אַל תְּשַׁקְּצוּ אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם בְּכָל הַשֶּׁרֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵץ וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם, כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אָנִי". וְהִנֵּה הַשְּׁרָצִים מְשַׁקְּצִין הַנֶּפֶשׁ, וְהַטְּרֵפָה אֵין בָּהּ שִׁקּוּץ, אֲבָל יֵשׁ בַּשְּׁמִירָה מִמֶּנָּה קְדֻשָּׁה:
1AND YE SHALL BE HOLY MEN UNTO ME. The reason for the expression in this verse is that until now He mentioned only the ordinances and admonished them about repulsive matters,355 but now when He is about to begin the law of forbidden food, He prefaced it by saying, And ye shall be holy men unto Me. For in order to preserve his physical life man should [be able to] eat anything which serves that purpose, and the prohibitions concerning certain foods are only a means of guarding the purity of the soul, in order that one should eat clean things which do not give rise to harshness and coarseness in the soul. Therefore He said, And ye shall be holy men unto Me, that is to say: “I want you to be holy men so that you will become suitable for Me, to cleave to Me, for I am Holy; therefore do not defile your souls by eating abominable things.” And similarly He said, Ye shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarmeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. For I am the Eternal your G-d; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am Holy.356 Swarming things thus make the soul detestable, but the treifah357 is not detestable, however abstention from eating it adds holiness.