Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 18:6/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ח:ו׳

אאֶל כָּל שְׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא תִקְרְבוּ לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָה טַעַם אִסּוּר הָעֲרָיוֹת בִּשְׁאֵר הַבָּשָׂר אֵינֶנּוּ מְפֹרָשׁ. וְהָרַב אָמַר בְּמוֹרֶה הַנְּבֻכִים (ג מט) כִּי הוּא לְמַעֵט הַמִּשְׁגָּל וְלִמְאֹס אוֹתוֹ וּלְהִסְתַּפֵּק מִמֶּנּוּ בִּמְעַט. וְהַנָּשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָסַר הַכָּתוּב בִּשְׁאֵר הָאִשָּׁה הֵן הַמְּצוּיוֹת עִמּוֹ תָּמִיד, וְכֵן בַּשְּׁאֵר עַצְמוֹ מְצוּיוֹת לוֹ וְהוּא נִסְתָּר עִמָּהֶן. וְכַטַּעַם הַזֶּה יַגִּיד הָרַב עַל כֻּלָּן. וּכְבָר כָּתַב ר"א (אבן עזרא על ויקרא י"ח:ו') גַּם כֵּן כִּי בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם כַּבְּהֵמוֹת, לֹא יִתָּכֵן לֶאֱסֹר כָּל הַנְּקֵבוֹת, וְהִנֵּה אָסַר כָּל הַנִּמְצָאוֹת עִמּוֹ בְּכָל שָׁעָה. וְזֶה טַעַם חָלוּשׁ מְאֹד שֶׁיְּחַיֵּב הַכָּתוּב כָּרֵת עַל אֵלֶּה בַּעֲבוּר הִמָּצְאָן עִמּוֹ לִפְעָמִים, וּמַתִּיר שֶׁיִּשָּׂא אָדָם נָשִׁים רַבּוֹת לְמֵאוֹת וְלַאֲלָפִים, וּמַה יַזִּיק אִם יִשָּׂא אֶת בִּתּוֹ לְבַדָּהּ כַּמֻּתָּר לִבְנֵי נֹחַ (סנהדרין נח), וְיִשָּׂא שְׁתֵּי אֲחָיוֹת כְּיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ, וְאֵין לָאָדָם נִשּׂוּאִים הֲגוּנִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁיַּשִּׂיא אֶת בִּתּוֹ לִבְנוֹ הַגָּדוֹל מִמֶּנָּה וְיַנְחִילֵם בְּנַחֲלָתוֹ וְיִפְרוּ וְיִרְבּוּ בְּבֵיתוֹ, כִּי הָאָרֶץ לֹא תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ. וְאֵין בְּיָדֵנוּ דָּבָר מְקֻבָּל בָּזֶה, אֲבָל כְּפִי הַסְּבָרָא יֵשׁ בָּעִנְיָן סוֹד מִסּוֹדוֹת הַיְּצִירָה דָּבֵק בַּנֶּפֶשׁ, וְהוּא מִכְּלַל סוֹד הָעִבּוּר שֶׁכְּבָר רָמַזְנוּ לוֹ. וְדַע כִּי הַמִּשְׁגָּל דָּבָר מְרֻחָק וְנִמְאָס בַּתּוֹרָה זוּלָתִי לְקִיּוּם הַמִּין, וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא יִוָּלֵד מִמֶּנּוּ הוּא אָסוּר, וְכֵן אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ טוֹב בַּקִּיּוּם וְלֹא יִצְלַח בּוֹ, תֶּאֱסֹר אוֹתוֹ הַתּוֹרָה. זֶה טַעַם "אֶל כָּל שְׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֹ" (כאן) "כִּי אֶת שְׁאֵרוֹ הֶעֱרָה" (ויקרא כ':י"ט), יַרְחִיק הַדָּבָר מִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁאֵר, וְהַלָּשׁוֹן נִגְזָר מִן "הַנִּשְׁאָר בְּצִיּוֹן וְהַנּוֹתָר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם" (ישעיהו ד ג), וּלְכָךְ יֹאמַר "שַׁאֲרָה הֵנָּה זִמָּה הִיא" (ויקרא י"ח:י"ז), כְּלוֹמַר אֵינָם נִשּׂוּאִין וְאִישׁוּת כִּי לֹא יַצְלִיחַ, אֲבָל הִיא זִמָּה, מַחֲשֶׁבֶת תַּאֲוָה בִּלְבַד. וְהִנֵּה הָעֲרָיוֹת מִכְּלַל הַחֻקִּים, דְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵם גְּזֵרַת מֶלֶךְ, וְהַגְּזֵרָה הוּא הַדָּבָר הָעוֹלֶה עַל דַּעַת הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁהוּא הֶחָכָם בְּהַנְהָגַת מַלְכוּתוֹ, וְהוּא הַיּוֹדֵעַ הַצֹּרֶךְ וְהַתּוֹעֶלֶת בַּמִּצְוָה הַהִיא שֶׁיְּצַוֶּה בָּהּ, וְלֹא יַגִּיד אוֹתוֹ לָעָם זוּלָתִי לְחַכְמֵי יוֹעֲצָיו:

1NONE OF YOU SHALL APPROACH TO ANY THAT IS NEAR OF KIN TO HIM, TO UNCOVER THEIR NAKEDNESS. The reason for the prohibition of sexual relationships with one’s near of kin is not expressly written [in the Torah]. The Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] wrote in the Moreh Nebuchim²⁵³ that [this law seeks to inculcate the lessons that] we should limit sexual intercourse, hold it in contempt, and perform it rarely. Now these women which Scripture has forbidden amongst the relatives of one’s wife are forbidden because they are constantly together with him in his house,²⁵⁴, Friedlander’s translation). Now “if we were allowed to marry any of them, and were only precluded from sexual intercourse with them without marriage, most people would constantly become guilty of misconduct with them. But as they are entirely forbidden to us … there is reason to expect that people will not seek it, and will not think of it” (ibid.). and the same applies to one’s own relatives [sisters, aunts, and the wife of one’s uncle], who are frequently with him and he is closeted together with them. A similar reason the Rabbi states for all forbidden relations. Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has already written²⁵⁵ likewise that since the passion of man’s heart is like that of the animals, it was impossible for Scripture to forbid all females, and therefore it prohibited only those that are available to him at all times. But this is a very weak reason, that Scripture should make a person liable to the punishment of excision in the case of these forbidden relations, just because they are sometimes found together with him, and at the same time permit a man to marry many women, even in the hundreds and thousands! And what harm would there be if a man would marry only his daughter, just as was permitted to the Noachides,²⁵⁶ or marry two sisters as did our patriarch Jacob? A person also could not do better than to give his daughter in marriage to his elder son, and they would inherit his possessions and multiply and increase in his house, for He created not the earth a waste, He formed it to be inhabited!²⁵⁷ We have no tradition as to [the reason of] this prohibition of forbidden relationships, but logically it would appear that there is in this matter one of the secrets of creation, which attaches to the soul and is part of the secret of the transmigration [of souls], to which we have already alluded.²⁵⁸Know that sexual intercourse is held distant and in contempt in the Torah unless it is for the preservation of the human species, and therefore where there can be no offspring [such as in pederasty or carnal intercourse with beasts], it is forbidden. Similarly, where [the union is such that] the child born therefrom will not have a healthy existence, nor succeed from it, the Torah prohibited such a union. This is the sense of the expressions: el kol ‘sh’eir’ b’saro [literally: to any ‘flesh’ next to his flesh]; for he hath made naked ‘eth sh’eiro’²⁵⁹. [literally: his flesh]. Thus the Torah forbade these marriages on account of sh’eir [i.e., because the forbidden relations constitute “flesh” next to one’s own], the term sh’eir being derived from the expression [in the verse], ‘hanish’ar’ (he that is left) in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem.²⁶⁰ denoting “flesh” or “relative” is something which “remains” with a person, as it is his own or next to his flesh. Hence Scripture states, they are ‘sha’arah’ (near kinswomen); it is lewdness,²⁶¹ meaning to say, “these are not marriages, nor fit for such a relationship, for they will not succeed [in having healthy offspring, as explained above]; rather it is lewdness, mere thoughts of indecency.” Thus the forbidden relationships are included in “the statutes,” the laws which constitute “the decrees of the King.” Now a decree is an ordinance which originates in the knowledge of the King, Who is wise in the management of His kingdom, and it is He Who knows the need for and the benefit of the command that He ordained, and He does not tell it to anyone except to His wise counsellors.