Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 9:30/רמב"ן על שמות ט׳:ל׳
איָדַעְתִּי כִּי טֶרֶם תִּירְאוּן יָפֶה תָּפַשׂ ר"א עַל דִּבְרֵי רַשִׁ"י שֶׁאֵין טֶרֶם כְּמוֹ "לֹא", אֲבָל הוּא כְּטַעַם "קֹדֶם" וּפֵרֵשׁ כִּי הַכָּתוּב יֶחְסַר מִלָּה אַחַת, טֶרֶם זֶה תִּירְאוּן, כְּלוֹמַר טֶרֶם שֶׁאֶפְרוֹשׂ כַּפַּי וְיַחְדְּלוּ הַקּוֹלוֹת וְהַבָּרָד אַתֶּם יְרֵאִים אֶת ה', כִּי בְּסוּר הַמַּכָּה תָּשׁוּבוּ וְתַמְרוּ. וְהַנָּכוֹן עוֹד שֶׁנְּפָרֵשׁ כִּי יִרְמֹז גַּם לַפְּעָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, יֹאמַר, כְּבָר יָדַעְתִּי מִכֶּם כִּי בְּטֶרֶם אַתֶּם יְרֵאִים וּבָאַחֲרִית אַתֶּם מוֹרְדִים, כִּי לְעוֹלָם טֶרֶם סוּר מִכֶּם הַמַּכּוֹת אַתֶּם יְרֵאִים אֶת ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם בַּצְפַרְדְּעִים (שמות ח':ד') וּבֶעָרֹב (שם שם כד), וַתָּשֻׁבוּ וַתַּמְרוּ אֶת פִּי ה', וְכֵן תַּעֲשׂוּ לְעוֹלָם, וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה לֹא הִזְהִירוֹ עוֹד בְּשׁוּבוֹ, אֲבָל הִתְפַּלֵּל עָלָיו בָּאַרְבֶּה עַל דַּעַת שֶׁיּוֹסִיף לַחֲטֹא:
1I KNOW THAT ‘TEREM’ (NOT YET)226 WILL YE FEAR THE ETERNAL G-D. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra correctly criticized Rashi [for explaining that wherever the word terem occurs in Scripture, it signifies “not yet” and does not mean “before”]. It is the opposite: it does not mean “no,” but rather it means “before.” And Ibn Ezra explained that the verse here is missing one word, [namely, zeh (this), making it read]: terem zeh tir’un. That is to say, “Before I will spread forth my hands and the thunders and hail will cease, ye do fear G-d, for after the removal of the plague you will return and rebel against Him.”It is furthermore correct to explain227 that Moses is also alluding to the first occasions, saying: “I know from your [former actions] that before [I pray on your behalf] you fear G-d, and in the end, [after I pray], you rebel against Him. Before the plagues are removed from you, you fear G-d as you did in the plague of frogs and of swarms, and then you returned and ye rebelled against the commandment of the Eternal,228 and so will you continue to be forever.” It was for this reason that when Pharaoh recanted [his promise to let the people go], Moses no longer warned him of that but instead knowingly prayed on his behalf during the plague of the locust,229 in order that he continue to sin.