Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 18:20/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ח:כ׳

אוְאֶל אֵשֶׁת עֲמִיתְךָ לֹא תִתֵּן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ לְזָרַע אָמַר ר"א (אבן עזרא על ויקרא י"ח:כ') כִּי הַמִּשְׁגָּל לִשְׁלֹשָׁה חֲלָקִים נֶחְלָק: הָאֶחָד לִפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, וְהַשֵּׁנִי לְהָקֵל מִלֵּחוֹת הַגּוּף, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי לְתַאֲוָה הַנִּמְשֶׁלֶת לְתַאֲוַת הַבְּהֵמוֹת. וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "לְזָרַע", וְטַעְמוֹ אֲפִילּוּ לְזֶרַע, וְהִנֵּה הִיא אֲסוּרָה לְגַמְרֵי. וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁאָמַר "לְזָרַע", לְהַזְכִּיר טַעַם הָאִסּוּר, כִּי לֹא יִוָּדַע הַזֶּרַע לְמִי הוּא וְיָבֹאוּ מִזֶּה תּוֹעֵבוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת וְרָעוֹת לִשְׁנֵיהֶם. וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר זֶה בָּעֹנֶשׁ (ויקרא כ':י"ח), כִּי אֲפִלּוּ הֶעֱרָה בָּהּ וְלֹא הוֹצִיא זֶרַע יִתְחַיֵּב. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר בְּסוֹטָה (במדבר ה יג) "וְשָׁכַב אִישׁ אֹתָהּ שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע", כִּי בַּעֲבוּר הַזֶּרַע תִּהְיֶה קִנְאָתוֹ. וְכֵן בְּשִׁפְחָה חֲרוּפָה (ויקרא י"ט:כ') הִזְכִּיר שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע, כִּי הָאִסּוּר בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיּוֹלִיד זֶרַע מִן הַשִּׁפְחָה. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת אֵשֶׁת עֲמִיתוֹ אֲסוּרָה לוֹ לְגַמְרֵי, לֹא יִנָּקֶה כָּל הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהּ (משלי י כט), הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר "לְזָרַע", שֶׁאִם אָמַר "לֹא תִתֵּן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ" בִּלְבַד, הָיָה נִרְאֶה שֶׁיַּזְהִיר אֲפִילּוּ הַשּׁוֹכֵב עִמָּהּ לְחַבֵּק וּלְנַשֵּׁק, וְכָאן בְּחַיָּבֵי כְּרֵיתוֹת יַזְהִיר, עַל כֵּן הֻצְרַךְ לְהַזְכִּיר שְׁכִיבָה לְזֶרַע, לְפָרֵשׁ כִּי בַּמִּשְׁגָּל יַזְהִיר. וְהוּא הַטַּעַם בְּשִׁפְחָה חֲרוּפָה שֶׁהִיא כְּאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ. וְכֵן יֹאמַר בְּאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ (ויקרא כ':י') "אֲשֶׁר יִנְאַף אֶת אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ", וְלֹא אָמַר "יִשְׁכַּב", כִּי לֹא בִּשְׁכִיבָה לְבַד יַזְהִיר. וְלֹא אָמַר בְּכָאן "לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָתָהּ", כִּי לֹא יַזְכִּיר כֵּן רַק בִּשְׁאֵר הַבָּשָׂר וּבְנִדָּה, וְשֶׁהָאִסּוּר בָּהֶן בַּעֲבוּר הַגִּלּוּי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שם פסוק יט) "כִּי אֶת שְׁאֵרוֹ הֶעֱרָה". וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ בְּאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ לְמַעֵט מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּאֵבֶר מֵת, וְאָמְרוּ בְּשִׁפְחָה חֲרוּפָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא בְּגוֹמֵר בִּיאָתוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בִּיבָמוֹת (נה):

1AND THOU SHALT NOT LIE CARNALLY³⁰⁸ WITH THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “For there is a threefold purpose to sexual intercourse: one is to beget children, a second is to relieve the body of its fluids, and the third is for passion, which is likened to that of the animals. Now when Scripture said l’zara,³⁰⁸ it means ‘even l’zara’ [i.e., even for the purpose of begetting children], and thus it prohibited [having intercourse with another man’s wife] altogether.” It is possible that He said l’zara in order to mention the reason for the prohibition, since it will not be known to whom “the child” belongs, and as a result, great and wicked abominations³⁰⁹ might be done by both.³¹⁰ Now Scripture did not mention [this expression l’zara further on when it speaks] of the punishment [for this sin],³¹¹. because even for intimacy of the first stage without emitting seed, he is already liable to punishment. It is for this reason that [in the case of a suspected adulteress] Scripture states, and a man lie with her carnally,³¹² literally means “a lying of seed.” for it is on account of the zera³¹³ that he suspects her. Similarly in the case of a betrothed bondswoman it also says, lieth carnally³¹⁴, which literally means “a lying of seed.” with her, because the prohibition is on account of the child that he will beget from a bondwoman [who is betrothed to a Hebrew servant].³¹⁵The correct interpretation appears to me to be that since another man’s wife is completely forbidden to one, whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished,³¹⁶ therefore Scripture had to say here l’zara.³⁰⁸ For had it said only: “and thou shalt not lie with thy neighbor’s wife,” it would have appeared that it forbids [by punishment of excision] even lying with her just for embracing and kissing, since here [in this section] it speaks only of those forbidden relations that are punishable with excision. Therefore it was necessary to mention that the intimacy was l’zara,³⁰⁸ in order to explain that He is prohibiting here sexual intercourse. This is also the reason for the expression in the case of the betrothed bondswoman,³¹⁴, which literally means “a lying of seed.” because she is like another man’s wife. Similarly it states in the case of another man’s wife, And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife,³¹⁷ and it does not state “lieth,” for it is not mere lying with her that He prohibits [under punishment of death]. He does not state here [in the verse before us forbidding intercourse with another man’s wife], “to uncover her nakedness,” for He only mentions this expression with reference to the next of kin and a menstruant,³¹⁸ since the prohibition there is because of the uncovering, just as He said, for he hath made naked his near kin.³¹⁹