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Ramban on Leviticus 18:4/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ח:ד׳

אאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תַּעֲשׂוּ אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים הָאֲמוּרִים בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאִלּוּ לֹא נֶאֶמְרוּ בַּדִּין הָיָה לְאָמְרָן, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא י"ח:ד'). וּבְתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים (פרק יג ט), אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים הַכְּתוּבִים בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאִלּוּלֵי לֹא נִכְתְּבוּ בַּדִּין הָיָה לְכָתְבָן, כְּגוֹן הַגְּזֵלוֹת וְהָעֲרָיוֹת וַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים וְקִלְלַת הַשֵּׁם. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט "מִשְׁפָּטַי" כְּמַשְׁמָעָן, הַדִּינִין הָאֲמוּרִים בְּפָרָשַׁת וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וּבְכָל הַתּוֹרָה, וּלְכָךְ יֹאמַר "אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם", כִּי הַדִּינִים נִתְּנוּ לְחַיֵּי הָאָדָם בְּיִשּׁוּב הַמְּדִינוֹת וּשְׁלוֹם הָאָדָם, וְשֶׁלֹּא יַזִּיק אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ וְלֹא יְמִיתֶנּוּ. וְכֵן יְחֶזְקֵאל הִזְכִּיר פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּטִים "אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם" (יחזקאל כ יא יג כא), וּבַשַּׁבָּתוֹת אוֹמֵר (שם פסוק יב) "לִהְיוֹת לְאוֹת בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיהֶם", וְכֵן בִּנְחֶמְיָה (ט כט) "וּבְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ חָטְאוּ בָם אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם וְחָיָה בָהֶם". וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (יומא פה) "וָחַי בָּהֶם" - וְלֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהֶם, לְלַמֵּד עַל פִּקּוּחַ נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁדּוֹחֶה אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת וְהַמִּצְוֹת. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ (תו"כ פרשה ט י) "וָחַי בָּהֶם" - לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, אִם תֹּאמַר בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וַהֲלֹא סוֹפוֹ הוּא מֵת. וְאִם כֵּן יַחְזֹר "אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם" גַּם עַל חֻקּוֹתַי. וְדַע כִּי חַיֵּי הָאָדָם בַּמִּצְוֹת כְּפִי הֲכָנָתוֹ לָהֶם, כִּי הָעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָן עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס יִחְיֶה בָּהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה יָמִים רַבִּים בְּעֹשֶׁר וּבִנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (משלי ג טז) "בִּשְׂמֹאלָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד", וּפֵרְשׁוּ (שבת סג) לַמַּשְׂמְאִילִים בָּהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד. וְכֵן אוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר הֵם מִתְעַסְּקִין בַּמִּצְוֹת עַל מְנָת לִזְכּוֹת בָּהֶן לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁהֵם הָעוֹבְדִים מִיִּרְאָה, זוֹכִים בְּכַוָּנָתָם לְהִנָּצֵל מִמִּשְׁפְּטֵי הָרְשָׁעִים, וְנַפְשָׁם בְּטוֹב תָּלִין. וְהָעוֹסְקִין בַּמִּצְוֹת מֵאַהֲבָה כַּדִּין וְכָרָאוּי עִם עִסְקֵי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, כָּעִנְיָן הַנִּזְכָּר בַּתּוֹרָה בְּפָרָשַׁת אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי (ויקרא כ"ו:ה') "וְהִשִּׂיג לָכֶם דַּיִשׁ אֶת בָּצִיר" וְגוֹ' - יִזְכּוּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים כְּמִנְהַג הָעוֹלָם, וּלְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא זְכוּתָם שְׁלֵמָה שָׁם. וְהָעוֹזְבִים כָּל עִנְיְנֵי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְאֵינָם מַשְׁגִּיחִים עָלָיו, כְּאִלּוּ אֵינָם בַּעֲלֵי גּוּף, וְכָל מַחְשַׁבְתָּם וְכַוָּנָתָם בְּבוֹרְאָם בִּלְבַד, כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה הָעִנְיָן בְּאֵלִיָּהוּ, בְּהִדָּבֵק נַפְשָׁם בַּשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד יִחְיוּ לָעַד בְּגוּפָם וּבְנַפְשָׁם, כַּנִּרְאֶה בַּכָּתוּב בְּאֵלִיָּהוּ וְכַיָּדוּעַ מִמֶּנּוּ בַּקַּבָּלָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבָּא בַּמִּדְרָשִׁים בַּחֲנוֹךְ וּבִבְנֵי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא הָעוֹמְדִים בִּתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים. וּלְכָךְ יֹאמְרוּ הַכְּתוּבִים בִּשְׂכַר הַמִּצְוֹת "לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּן יָמֶיךָ" (שמות כ יב), "לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה" (דברים טז כ), "וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים" (שם כב ז), כִּי הַלָּשׁוֹן יִכְלֹל מִינֵי הַחַיִּים כֻּלָּם כְּפִי הָרָאוּי לְכָל אֶחָד:

1MINE ORDINANCES SHALL YE DO. “These are matters prescribed in the Torah which, even if they were not prescribed, one would know that they ought to be prescribed.” Thus the language of Rashi. And in the Torath Kohanim it is stated:²³³ 13:10. “These are matters written in the Torah which, even if they were not written, would deserve to have been written, such as robberies, forbidden sexual relationships, idolatry, bloodshed and blasphemy.”Now by way of the simple meaning of Scripture, the term mishpatai (Mine ordinances) is to be understood in its simple sense. It is a reference to the laws stated in the section of V’eileh Hamishpatim (And these are the ordinances)²³⁴ and in the whole Torah. Therefore He states here, which if a man do, he shall live by them,²³⁵ as these laws were given so that man should live, and for the development of countries, and peace among men, so that no one should cause harm to his fellowman or kill him. The prophet Ezekiel likewise mentioned many times with reference to these mishpatim (ordinances), which if a man do, he shall live by them,²³⁶ while of the Sabbath he says, to be a sign between Me and them.²³⁷, Verse 12. Similarly in the Book of Nehemiah it says, Thine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them.²³⁸ But our Rabbis have said:²³⁹ “He shall live by them²³⁵ — but not die by them. This teaches that danger to life overrides the Sabbath laws and [all] the commandments.” And according to the Midrashic interpretation it means:²⁴⁰ 9:10. It is also mentioned here in Rashi. “He shall live by them²³⁵ — in the World to Come. Should you say it means that he shall live in this world, will he not in the end die!”²⁴¹ must refer to eternal life. And if so, the expression which if a man do, he shall live by them²³⁵ refers back [not only to the mishpatim (ordinances), as we explained before, but] also to chukothai [“My statutes,” those laws for which no reason is given, but the observance of which also assures one eternal life].Know that man’s [reward in] life for the observance of the commandments is in accordance with his preparation for them. For he who fulfills the commandments not for their own sake, but in order to receive a reward, will be rewarded on account of them in this world with longevity, riches, possessions, and honor. It is concerning this [kind of observance of the laws of the Torah] that it is said, in her left hand are riches and honor,²⁴² which the Rabbis interpreted to mean:²⁴³ “to those that stand on the left of it [i.e., to those who engage in the observance of the Torah not for its own sake], there are material riches and honor.” Similarly, those who engage in the observance of the commandments so as to merit by them reward in the World to Come, these being the people who serve G-d out of fear [of punishment], will be found worthy on account of their intention to be saved from the judgments that will come upon the wicked, and their souls shall abide in joyfulness²⁴⁴ [in life eternal]. But those who engage in the observance of the commandments out of love, as is right and proper, together with worldly occupation, similar to what is mentioned in the Torah in the section of Im Bechukothai,²⁴⁵. Further, 26:3. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage,²⁴⁶, Verse 5. they will merit good life in this world according to the usual nature of things, and in life eternal, in the World to Come, their merits will still be complete before them [since the reward they received in their lifetime will not reduce that which is to come to them in the hereafter]. But those who abandon altogether the concerns of this world and pay no attention to it, acting as if they themselves were not creatures of physical being, and all their thoughts and intentions are directed only to their Creator, just as was the case with Elijah, [these people] on account of their soul cleaving to the Glorious Name will live forever in body and soul, as is evidenced in Scripture concerning Elijah²⁴⁷. and as is known of him in tradition,²⁴⁸ and as the Midrashim speak of Enoch²⁴⁹. Many Midrashim describe his activity after his ascencion into heaven. See, however, Rashi ibid. and of those belonging to the World to Come who will rise at the resurrection. It is for this reason that on the subject of reward for observance of the commandments the verses speak [in various ways, such as]: that thy days may be long;²⁵⁰ that thou mayest live;²⁵¹ and that thou mayest prolong thy days.²⁵², 22:7. For these expressions include all kinds of life, each according to his due.