Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 32:4/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ב:ד׳

אוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ גַּם זֶה הַכָּתוּב יוֹרֶה אוֹתָנוּ, כִּי אֵין טִפֵּשׁ בָּעוֹלָם שֶׁיַּחְשֹׁב כִּי הַזָּהָב הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם הוּא אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרַיִם, אֲבָל אָמְרוּ כִּי כֹּחַ הַצּוּרָה הַזֹּאת הֶעֱלָם מִשָּׁם: וְהִנֵּה לֹא תִּמְצָא שֶׁיֹּאמַר בָּעֵגֶל בְּשׁוּם מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, כִּי הֵם מוֹדִים בְּמִי שֶׁאָמַר "אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם" (שמות כ':ב'), כִּי שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל הוּא הַמּוֹצִיא אוֹתָם מִשָּׁם, אֲבָל יֹאמְרוּ בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ, כִּי יִקְחוּ זֶה בִּמְקוֹם הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה הַמַּחֲרֶבֶת יָם הַשָּׂמָה מַעֲמַקֵּי יָם דֶּרֶךְ לַעֲבֹר גְּאוּלִים (ישעיה נא י) וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קו כא כב) "וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר אֹכֵל עֵשֶׂב", וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר "שָׁכְחוּ אֵל מוֹשִׁיעָם עֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת בְּמִצְרָיִם נִפְלָאוֹת בְּאֶרֶץ חָם נוֹרָאוֹת עַל יַם סוּף" (שם פסוק כא), שָׁכְחוּ דְּבָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר צִוָּם, וְהִנֵּה עָבְרוּ עַל "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנָי" (שמות כ':ג'), כַּאֲשֶׁר רָמַזְתִּי שָׁם, וְתָבִין זֶה:

1AND THEY SAID, THESE ARE THY GODS, O ISRAEL, WHICH BROUGHT THEE UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT. This verse also will teach you [that they had no intention of worshipping it as an idol], for there is no fool in the world who would think that this gold which was in their ears²⁹¹ is that which brought them up out of the land of Egypt. Rather, they said that the power of that figure brought them up out of there. Thus you will find that in no place does it say of the calf, “which brought us ‘out’ of Egypt,” for they acknowledged Him Who said, I am the Eternal thy G-d, who brought thee ‘out’ of the land of Egypt,²⁹² and that it was by His Great Name that He delivered them from there. Instead, they said in many places who brought thee ‘up,’ for they took it to be in place of the great hand²⁹³, 14:31. — that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over.²⁹⁴ It is with this intention that Scripture says, Thus they exchanged their Glory for the likeness of an ox that eateth grass,²⁹⁵ and there it is said, They forgot G-d Who had delivered them, Who had done great things in Egypt; wondrous works in the land of Ham, terrible things by the Red Sea.²⁹⁶, Verses 21-22. They forgot His word which He commanded them. Thus they transgressed the prohibition, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,²⁹⁷ as I have hinted there, and you will understand this.