Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 14:34/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ד:ל״ד
אאָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּנִגְעֵי הַבָּתִּים וְנָתַתִּי נָגַע צָרַעַת, לִרְמֹז כִּי יַד ה' תַּעֲשֶׂה זֹאת לֹא טֶבַע כְּלָל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב"ן על ויקרא י"ג:מ"ז). וְאָמַר "כִּי תָבוֹאוּ אֶל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וְגוֹ' בְּבֵית אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם", כִּי עִם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יְדַבֵּר. וְהָיָה רָאוּי אַחֲרֵי "וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן" שֶׁיֹּאמַר "דַּבְּרוּ אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", אֲבָל יְקַצֵּר הַכָּתוּב בַּמּוּבָן, אוֹ שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר עִמָּהֶם בִּמְקוֹם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִרְמֹז כִּי אֵין הַכַּוָּנָה עַתָּה רַק לְלַמֵּד לָהֶם דִּינֵי הַצָּרַעַת כֻּלָּם וְשֶׁיְּלַמְּדוּ אוֹתָם לַכֹּהֲנִים, וְלֹא יַזְהִיר מֹשֶׁה עַתָּה אֶת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל רַק לְבָאֵי הָאָרֶץ יַזְהִיר (דברים כד ח) "הִשָּׁמֶר בְּנֶגַע הַצָּרַעַת לִשְׁמֹר מְאֹד" וְגוֹ', כִּי לָהֶם צִוָּה מִתְּחִלָּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה:
1Scripture states with reference to plagues in houses, and ‘I’ shall put the plague of leprosy, in order to allude to the fact that it was G-d’s hand that did this, and not an act of nature at all, as I have explained.80 It states, When ye are come into the land of Canaan etc. in a house of the Land of your possession,81 because He is speaking to all Israel [since Moses and Aaron did not come into the Land]. Now it would have been proper that after the verse, And the Eternal spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,82 He should continue to state, “Speak ye unto the children of Israel.” But Scripture shortens the account since it is self-understood [that the command was to be given to the children of Israel who would enter the Land]. Or it may be that He spoke to them in the place of [i.e., as representing] all Israel, and hinted that the intention [of giving the commandment] now is merely to teach them all the laws of leprosy, and that they in turn should teach them to the priests, and Moses did not warn all Israel now [about these laws, as they did not apply until they came into the Land]. It was only those who came into the Land that he warned, Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently etc.,83, 1:3 where it says that the Book of Deuteronomy was said in the fortieth year, i.e., to those about to enter the Land. for it was to them that he commanded at first to take heed in these ordinances.