Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 23:24/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ג:כ״ד

אלֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם הַתּוֹרָה תַּזְהִיר עַל ע"ז בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת. וְאע"פ שֶׁהַמִּקְרָאוֹת מְיֻתָּרִין בָּהּ אֵין לְהַקְפִּיד בְּכָךְ, שֶׁמִּפְּנֵי חֹמֶר שֶׁבָּהּ, שֶׁכָּל הַמּוֹדֶה בָּהּ כּוֹפֵר בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ (חולין ה.), תַּזְהִיר וְתַחְזֹר וְתַזְהִיר, כְּאוֹמֵר לְעַבְדּוֹ זְכֹר תָּמִיד וְלֹא תִּשְׁכַּח הָעִקָּר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁצִּוִּיתִיךָ שֶׁהַכֹּל תָּלוּי בּוֹ. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁתַּזְהִיר בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְלֹא יַעַבְדֶנָּה, וְעַכְשָׁו הִזְהִיר עַל ע"ז שֶׁיִּמְצְאוּ אוֹתָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה וְנֶעֱבֶדֶת לַגּוֹיִם שֶׁבָּאָרֶץ שֶׁלֹּא יַעַבְדוּ אוֹתָהּ כְּלָל, אֲבָל יַעֲקֹר אוֹתָהּ מִן הָאָרֶץ:

1THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN TO THEIR GODS, NOR SERVE THEM. The Torah has warned against idolatry in many places, and even though there are excessive verses on this subject, the redundancy is not a matter to be concerned about, for because the matter is so stringent — since he who acknowledges the divine nature of the idols, thereby denies the whole Torah⁴²⁷, 54. — therefore the Torah warns against it again and again, like one who says to his servant: “remember continually and do not forget the great principle which I have commanded you, since everything depends on it.” It is possible that in the Ten Commandments He warned against making an idol and worshipping it, and now He warned that if they find a ready-made idol which is worshipped by the nations in the land, that they should not worship it at all, but they should uproot it from the land.

בוְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם יִתָּכֵן שֶׁהִיא אַזְהָרָה מִדַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי שֶׁמָּנוּ חֲכָמִים (שבת סז.), כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִזְהִיר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר "וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶם לֹא תֵּלֵכוּ" (ויקרא יח ג), וְאָמְרוּ (בספרא שם) אֵלּוּ דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי שֶׁמָּנוּ חֲכָמִים. וְהַנִּרְאֶה יוֹתֵר כִּי יַזְהִיר עַל ע"ז שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲבֹד אוֹתָהּ כְּדַרְכָּהּ אֲפִלּוּ בַּעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ (סנהדרין סא.) בַּפָּסוּק "אֵיכָה יַעַבְדוּ הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֶעֱשֶׂה כֵּן גַּם אָנִי" (דברים יב ל). וְהַטַּעַם, כִּי אָמַר "לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם", וַעֲבוֹדָה הִיא הַכִּבּוּד אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָעֶבֶד לַאֲדוֹנָיו, וְחָזַר וְאָמַר כִּי אֲפִלּוּ עִנְיָן שֶׁאֵינָהּ עֲבוֹדָה אֶלָּא בִּזָּיוֹן, כְּגוֹן פְּעוֹר, שֶׁפּוֹעֵר עַצְמוֹ לִפְעוֹר וְזוֹרֵק אֶבֶן לְמַרְקוּלִיס, אִם נָהֲגוּ בָּהּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם כֵּן לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂנּוּ אַתָּה לָהֶם כְּלָל. וְאָמְרוּ (סנהדרין סד.) אע"ג דְּקָא מְכַוֵּן לְבַזּוֹיֵהּ לִפְעוֹר, וְאע"ג דְּקָא מְכַוֵּן לְמִרְגְּמֵהּ בְּמַרְקוּלִיס:

2NOR DO AFTER THEIR DEEDS. This may possibly be an admonition against adopting the “ways of the Amorites” [i.e., superstitious practices] which the Sages have enumerated,⁴²⁸ just as He warned against them in another place, saying, Neither shall ye walk in their statutes,⁴²⁹ on which the Rabbis commented:⁴³⁰. “These statutes refer to the ‘ways of the Amorites’ which the Sages have enumerated.” A more all acceptable interpretation is that He is warning here against worshipping an idol in the particular manner in which it is ordinarily worshipped, even if it is a disgraceful act [such as excreting to Baal Peor], just as the Rabbis have interpreted⁴³¹ the verse, Take heed… that thou enquire not after their gods, saying: ‘How used these nations to serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise.’⁴³² Thus the meaning of the verse here is as follows: He said, [in the Ten Commandments 20:5], Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, “serving” usually being an act of honor that a servant does to his master, and then He said, additionally that even if that act is not one of honor but is disgusting, such as in connection with Baal Peor which one worships by excreting before it, or throwing a stone at Merkulis,⁴³³ nonetheless if that is the customary manner of worshipping them, you may not do such acts at all. Similarly the Rabbis have said:⁴³⁴ “Even if he intends to worship Peor in this ignominious way, and even if he intends to throw a stone to Merkulis in a contemptible manner [he is still liable].”