Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 11:40/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״א:מ׳
אוְהָאֹכֵל מִנִּבְלָתָהּ - עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט יְדַבֵּר בָּאוֹכֵל כְּדֶרֶךְ הָאוֹכְלִים, שֶׁנּוֹגֵעַ וְנוֹשֵׂא מַה שֶׁהוּא אוֹכֵל, וְנִטְמָא בְּמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא. וְהֻצְרַךְ לְהַזְכִּיר זֶה שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲלֶה עַל דַּעַת שֶׁתִּהְיֶה טֻמְאָתוֹ יוֹתֵר גְּדוֹלָה בַּעֲבוּר הָאֲכִילָה. וְהִזְכִּיר זֶה בִּבְהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּטְעֶה אָדָם בָּהּ וְיֹאכְלֶנָּה, שֶׁיַּחְשֹׁב שֶׁהִיא שְׁחוּטָה, וְאֵין דֶּרֶךְ לִטְעוֹת כָּךְ בַּמִּינִים הָאֲסוּרִים. וְדֶרֶךְ הַתּוֹרָה לְדַבֵּר בַּהֹוֶה. וּכְפִי מִדְרָשׁוֹ (נדה מ"ב) שֶׁבָּא לִתֵּן שִׁעוּר לַנּוֹשֵׂא וְלַנּוֹגֵעַ כְּדֵי אֲכִילָה, וְהִיא כַּזַּיִת. גַּם כֵּן הִזְכִּיר זֶה בְּנִבְלַת בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה, וְהוּא הַדִּין לַטְּמֵאָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְמַעְלָה (בפסוקים כ"ד-כ"ה), כִּי הִשְׁלִים כָּאן דִּין הַטֻּמְאוֹת. וְעַל דַּעַת מִדְרַשׁ תּוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים (בפסוק כ"ו) כָּל טֻמְאוֹת נְבֵלוֹת נִתְרַבּוּ מִכָּאן, וּפָרָשָׁה שֶׁל מַעְלָה (בפסוקים כ"ד-כ"ה) בָּאֵבָרִים הִיא. וּכְבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי מִזֶּה (רמב"ן על ויקרא י"א:כ"ב):
1AND HE THAT EATETH OF THE CARCASS OF IT SHALL WASH HIS CLOTHES, AND BE UNCLEAN UNTIL THE EVEN. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the verse speaks here of one who eats in the way that people usually eat, namely, that he touches and carries what he eats, and therefore becomes impure by contact and by carrying. It was necessary to mention this case so that it should not occur to anyone that because of eating, his degree of impurity should be greater [than that resulting merely from contact and carrying]. It mentioned this law in regard to an animal fit for food [as mentioned in the preceding Verse 39], because a person can [easily] err with regard to it, thinking that it was slaughtered properly [and he will therefore eat it], but such errors do not normally occur with regard to forbidden animals, and the way of the Torah is to speak of what usually happens. But according to its [Rabbinic] interpretation,271 the verse comes to prescribe the [minimum] size required to become impure through carrying or touching, namely an amount that can be called “eating,” which is the size of an olive and Scripture also mentioned this law in regard to carrion of an animal fit for food, whilst the same law applies to an animal not permitted as food, because He finished here the law of impurities.272 According to the opinion of the interpretation of the Torath Kohanim,273 4:2; 10:1-4. all impurities [conveyed] by carrion [of animals fit for food and those which are unfit animals] are included here, and the section above274 refers to limbs of animals. I have already mentioned this.275, in Verse 24.