Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 32:27/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ב:כ״ז

אוְטַעַם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁחָשְׁבוּ עוֹבְדֵי הָעֵגֶל לִזְבּוֹחַ לֵאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהִנֵּה מִדַּת הַדִּין פּוֹגַעַת בָּהֶן בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁקִּצְּצוּ בַּנְּטִיעוֹת. וְעוֹד, כִּי הַמִּשְׁפָּט לֵאלֹהִים הוּא (דברים א יז). וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה אָמַר בַּלְּוִיִּים "כִּי הִבְדִּיל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל" (במדבר טז ט), כִּי הָעֲבוֹדָה לֵאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלִשְׁמוֹ נִבְדְּלוּ בַּזְּכוּת הַזֹּאת:

1THUS SAITH THE ETERNAL, THE G-D OF ISRAEL. The reason for this expression³⁸³ — the Divine Name which denotes the attribute of justice. is that since the worshippers of the calf had intended to sacrifice to the G-d of Israel, therefore the attribute of justice extracted punishment from them, because they “mutilated the shoots” [of faith],³⁸⁴ and besides, for the judgment is G-d’s.³⁸⁵ It is for this reason that he [Moses], said of the Levites, for the G-d of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel,³⁸⁶ for the Service is to the G-d of Israel, and to His Name they were separated by virtue of this meritorious deed.

בשִׂימוּ אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ עַל יְרֵכוֹ הָיוּ עוֹבְדֵי הָעֵגֶל רַבִּים וְלֹא יוּכְלוּ לַהֲבִיאָם לְב"ד, עַל כֵּן צִוָּה לְכָל בְּנֵי לֵוִי לַחְגֹּר חַרְבָּם, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סנהדרין מה:) שֶׁאִם אֵין אַתָּה יָכוֹל לַהֲמִיתוֹ בְּמִיתָה הָאֲמוּרָה בּוֹ אַתָּה יָכוֹל לַהֲמִיתוֹ בְּכָל מִיתָה שֶׁתּוּכַל. וְהִנֵּה זֶה הוֹרָאַת שָׁעָה לְקַדֵּשׁ הַשֵּׁם, שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה בָּהֶם הַתְרָאָה, כִּי מִי הִתְרָה בָּהֶם, אֲבָל הָיוּ בְּנֵי לֵוִי מַכִּירִים בְּאֵלּוּ הַנֶּהֱרָגִים שֶׁהֵם הָיוּ עוֹבְדָיו: וְעַל דַּעַת הָאוֹמֵר (יומא סו:) עֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה בִּידֵי אָדָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות ל"ב:כ'), נֹאמַר שֶׁצִּוָּה אוֹתָם לַחְגֹּר חַרְבָּם לִתְפֹּשׂ אוֹתָם וְלַהֲבִיאָם לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה אוֹ סַנְהֶדְרִין, וַאֲשֶׁר מְצָאוּהוּ בְּעֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה הֲרָגוּהוּ בִּסְקִילָה כְּמִשְׁפַּט עוֹבְדֵי ע"ז, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה מִיתָתָם בְּסַיִף כְּעִיר הַנִּדַּחַת. וְהִנֵּה כָּל בְּנֵי לֵוִי הָיוּ לַה' וּמַתְרִים בָּעָם שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ וְלֹא יִזְבְּחוּ לוֹ, כִּי אַהֲרֹן לֹא צִוָּה לָחֹג בִּלְתִּי לַה' לְבַדּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כְּדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר (יומא שם) זִבַּח וְקִטֵּר בְּסַיִף, גִּפֵּף וְנִשֵּׁק בְּמִיתָה, שָׂמַח בְּלִבּוֹ בְּהִדְרוֹקָן, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת יוֹמָא. וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל מַעֲשֵׂה שָׁעָה, כִּי אֵין מְגַפֵּף וּמְנַשֵּׁק בְּמִיתָה לְדוֹרוֹת (סנהדרין ס:):

2PUT YE EVERY MAN HIS SWORD UPON HIS THIGH. Since there were many worshippers of the calf, and they could not have all been brought to the court, therefore Moses commanded all the sons of Levi to put on their swords, in a similar way to that which our Rabbis have said,³⁸⁷ that if you cannot administer to the guilty the specific kind of death mentioned for his case, you may execute him by any means that you can. Now this procedure was a decision only for an emergency, in order to sanctify G-d’s Name, since those who worshipped [the calf] had not been forewarned [of the death penalty], for who had warned them beforehand? The sons of Levi, however, recognized those whom they killed as the worshippers of the calf. And in the opinion of the Sage who says³⁸⁸ that if there were witnesses [to the act of idolatry] and forewarning of the penalty, the offender’s death was by hand of man, as Rashi wrote,³⁸⁹ then we shall interpret the meaning of the verse to be that Moses commanded the sons of Levi to put on their swords and take hold of the offenders by force and bring them to court before Moses or before the Sanhedrin. Those who were found to have worshipped the calf in the presence of witnesses and with forewarning, were then put to death by stoning, as is the punishment of those who worship idols, or perhaps their death was by the sword, as is the punishment of a whole city gone astray.³⁹⁰ Thus all the sons of Levi remained loyal to G-d, and it was they who had warned the people not to worship the calf or sacrifice to it, seeing that Aaron had only commanded to hold a feast to the Eternal alone, as I have explained.³⁹¹The correct interpretation³⁹² is in accordance with the opinion of the Sage who says:³⁸⁸ “Those who slaughtered or burnt the sacrificial portions [to the calf] were punished by the sword;³⁹³ those who embraced and kissed it, were punished with death [by the hand of Heaven]; those who merely rejoiced in their heart, were afflicted with dropsy,” as is stated in Tractate Yoma.³⁸⁸ Thus it was all a decision under circumstances of emergency, because embracing or kissing an idol does not make one liable to death [by the hand of Heaven] in all future generations.

גוְטַעַם וְהִרְגוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו שֶׁלֹּא תַּחְמְלוּ וְלֹא תָּכֹסּוּ עַל אָח וְרֵעַ וְקָרוֹב. וְטַעַם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵינֶנּוּ מִמִּצְוַת "זוֹבֵחַ לָאֱלֹהִים יָחֳרָם" (שמות כ"ב:י"ט), כִּי אֵין אֵלּוּ חַיָּבִין מִיתָה מִן הַדִּין, אֲבָל הִיא מִצְוָה שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה לְמֹשֶׁה מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה וְלֹא נִכְתְּבָה, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר נִחַם הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד עַל הָרָעָה צִוָּה אוֹתוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה רוֹצֶה שֶׁאֲכַלֶּה אוֹתָם תַּהֲרֹג אַתָּה אֶת עוֹבְדָיו בְּסַיִף, כְּדֶרֶךְ "קַח אֶת כָּל רָאשֵׁי הָעָם וְהוֹקַע אוֹתָם לַה' נֶגֶד הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְיָשֹׁב חֲרוֹן אַף ה' מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל" (במדבר כה ד) וְהִנֵּה זֹאת הַמִּצְוָה כְּמִצְוַת "זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' מְלֹא הָעֹמֶר מִמֶּנּוּ" (שמות ט"ז:ל"ב). וּכְבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי (לעיל י ב, יא א) כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם:

3AND SLAY EVERY MAN HIS BROTHER. This means that they were not to spare nor conceal³⁹⁴ brother, friend, or relative. And the meaning of the expression, Thus saith the Eternal, the G-d of Israel: [Put ye every man his sword…] is not [as Rashi has it, a command] based upon the verse, He that sacrificeth unto the gods shall be utterly destroyed,³⁹⁵ since these worshippers of the calf were not strictly liable to death [as has been explained above], but it was a command said to Moses by the Almighty which was not written in the Torah; for when the Glorious Name³⁹⁶ repented of the evil,³⁹⁷ He commanded Moses, “Since you do not want Me to destroy them, you should slay its worshippers by the sword,” similar to that which is said, Take all of the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto the Eternal in face of the sun, that the fierce anger of the Eternal may turn away from Israel.³⁹⁸ This commandment is thus similar to the one in connection with the manna, where it is said, This is the thing which the Eternal hath commanded: Let an omerful of it be kept etc.³⁹⁹ I have already mentioned⁴⁰⁰, 10:2, and 11:1. similar instances.