Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 18:22/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ח:כ״ב

אוְטַעַם הַזְּכוּר וְהַבְּהֵמָה מְפֻרְסָם, כִּי הוּא דָּבָר נִתְעָב וְאֵינֶנּוּ בְּקִיּוּם הַמִּינִין, כִּי אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה לֹא יוֹלִידוּ. וְכָתַב ר' אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על ויקרא י"ח:כ"ב) אַחַר שֶׁמָּצָאנוּ "הֵן שָׁכַבְתִּי אֶמֶשׁ אֶת אָבִי" (בראשית יט לד), הִנֵּה לֹא תִשְׁכַּב אַזְהָרָה לַשּׁוֹכֵב וְלַנִּשְׁכָּב. וְאִם כִּדְבָרָיו, לָמָּה לֹא הָיְתָה הָאִשָּׁה בִּכְלַל "וּבְכָל בְּהֵמָה לֹא תִתֵּן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ", כִּי הַנָּשִׁים בִּכְלַל הָאַזְהָרוֹת שֶׁבְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה. אֲבָל טַעַם "שָׁכַבְתִּי אֶמֶשׁ אֶת אָבִי" בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהֵן הַשּׁוֹכְבוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ הַזֶּרַע, כַּיָּדוּעַ שֶׁהַזֶּרַע יָבֹא מִן הַתְּנוּעָה אוֹ מִן הַגּוּף כֻּלּוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְהַוֶּה הַקֶּצֶף בְּפִיּוֹת הַסּוּסִים בִּמְרוּצָתָם, אוֹ שֶׁיִּתְיַלֵּד בַּגִּידִים הַקְּרוֹבִים מִשָּׁם וְיֵאָסֵף שָׁם בְּסִבּוּב הַתְּנוּעָה וְיֵצֵא, וְאִם לֹא שָׁכְבוּ אוֹתוֹ לֹא יֵצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ זֶרַע, כִּי הָיָה כְּאֶבֶן דּוּמָם בְּשִׁכְרוּתוֹ:

1Now the reason for the prohibitions against lying carnally with a male,³⁷⁷ or an animal,³⁷⁸ is well-known, as it is an abominable act and is not for the preservation of the human species, because [the copulation] of [male and male or of] man and animal will not beget offspring. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented:³⁷⁷ “Since we find [Lot’s daughter using] the expression, Behold, ‘shachavti’ (I lay) yesternight with my father,³⁷⁹ [and she did not say, nishkavti, in the passive, or “Behold, shachav imi avi, — my father lay with me,” this shows that the term shachav, although in the active form, refers to the person who commits that act as well as the passive partner who permits herself or himself to be thus abused]; thus it follows that the verse, And with a male ‘lo thishkav’ (thou shalt not lie),³⁷⁷ constitutes a prohibition both against the one who actively commits pederasty, and against the one who permits himself to be thus abused.” [Thus far are the words of Ibn Ezra.] But if it be as Ibn Ezra said, why is the woman not included in the verse, And thou shalt not lie with any beast,³⁷⁸ [and it is clear that she is not so included from the fact that Scripture had to continue, Neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto],³⁷⁸ for women are included in all admonitions of the Torah? Rather, the use of the expression, Behold, ‘shachavti’ (I lay) yesternight with my father³⁷⁹ is due to the fact that it was Lot’s daughters who, through lying with him, [were instrumental in that affair] in order to beget seed of him. As is known, the seed comes either from the movement of the whole body, just as foam is formed in the mouths of galloping horses, or it is brought forth in the veins nearby [the sexual organ], where it gathers by the continuing motion thereof until it is emitted. Were they then not to have lain with Lot, his seed would not have come forth, for in his drunkenness he was like a silent stone.