Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 22:18/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ב:י״ח
אלְכָל נִדְרֵיהֶם וּלְכָל נִדְבוֹתָם נִדְרֵיהֶם - הָאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי עָלַי, נִדְבוֹתָם - הָאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי זוֹ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא כ"ב:י"ח). וְהַנִּרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא כ"ב:כ"א) "לְפַלֵּא נֶדֶר אוֹ לִנְדָבָה", וְכֵן יֹאמַר בְּכָל מָקוֹם, בְּפָרָשַׁת נְסָכִים (במדבר טו ג ח), וְכֵן "כִּי יַפְלִא נֶדֶר בְּעֶרְכְּךָ נְפָשֹׁת" (ויקרא כ"ז:ב'), וְכֵן בְּפָרָשַׁת נָזִיר (במדבר ו ב), כִּי הַנֶּדֶר הוּא הַבָּא עַל דָּבָר שֶׁיִּפָּלֵא מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁיִּדֹּר לַה' בַּצַּר לוֹ, אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה עִמִּי לְהַפְלִיא לְהַצִּילֵנִי מִן הַצָּרָה הַזֹּאת אָבִיא עוֹלָה אוֹ שְׁלָמִים, כְּעִנְיַן "וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמֹר אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי" (בראשית כח כ), "וַיִּדַּר יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶדֶר לַה' וַיֹּאמַר אִם נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן" (במדבר כא ב), "וַיִּדְּרוּ נְדָרִים" (יונה א טז), וְכֵן כֻּלָּם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (קנים פ"א מ"א), אֵי זֶהוּ נֶדֶר, הָאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי עָלַי עוֹלָה, נְדָבָה - הָאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי זוֹ עוֹלָה, וּמָה בֵּין נֶדֶר לִנְדָבָה, נֶדֶר - מֵת אוֹ נִגְנַב חַיָּב בְּאַחְרָיוּתוֹ וְכוּ', לְהַגִּיד הַחִלּוּק שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם, כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הַנּוֹדְרִים בְּצָרָתָם לֵאמֹר אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי בָּזֶה עָלַי לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹלָה אוֹ זֶבַח, וְזֶה לֹא יִקָּרֵא נְדָבָה סְתָם, וַאֲשֶׁר יַפְרִישׁוּ וְיִתֵּן מִיָּד הוּא נְדָבָה, כִּי בְּעֵת הַמַּתָּן נָדְבָה רוּחוֹ אוֹתוֹ. וְהִנֵּה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב כִּי בֵּין שֶׁיַּקְרִיב עוֹלָה אוֹ שְׁלָמִים אֲשֶׁר נָדַר עַל צָרָתוֹ אוֹ שֶׁיַּקְרִיב אוֹתָם בְּנִדְבַת רוּחוֹ, יִהְיֶה תָּמִים. אוּלַי נַחְשֹׁב כִּי הַנֶּדֶר רָאוּי לִהְיוֹתוֹ תָּמִים יוֹתֵר מִן הַנְּדָבָה. וְזֶה טַעַם הַכָּתוּב:
1FOR ALL ‘NIDREIHEM’ (THEIR VOW-OFFERINGS) AND FOR ALL ‘NIDVOTHAM’ (THEIR FREEWILL-OFFERINGS). “Nidreihem (their vow-offerings). This is when one says, ‘I pledge myself [to bring an offering].’ Nidvotham (their freewill-offerings). This is when one says, ‘This shall be [an offering].’”118 This is Rashi’s language.119 It appears to me that because Scripture states ‘l’phalei’ (to clearly utter)120 contains also the letters of the word pele (wonder), and accordingly Ramban interprets the verse in this light. See Note 125. in fulfillment of a vow or for a freewill-offering,121 and similarly it always uses this [identical] expression in the section dealing with the drink-offerings,122 and likewise it is used in the verse, when a man ‘yaphli’ (shall clearly utter) a vow of persons,123 and so also in the section dealing with the Nazirite124 — [therefore it appears] that “the vow” is something which comes in connection with that which is beyond our power, the person in distress vowing unto G-d that “if You will deal ‘wondrously’125 or yaphli, for since the root is pele (wonder, surpassing, or extraordinary) it suggests that the vow-offering is generally made when a person is in distress, and vows that if G-d will do wondrously with him he will bring an offering. with me to save me from this trouble, then I will bring a burnt-offering or peace-offering,” similar to that which is stated: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying: ‘If G-d will be with me;’126 And Israel vowed a vow unto the Eternal, and said: ‘If Thou wilt deliver this people into my hand;’127 and they vowed vows,128 and so also all similar verses.And our Rabbis have said:129 “Which is a vow-offering? When he says, ‘I pledge myself to bring a burnt-offering.’ [Which is] a freewill-offering? When he says, ‘This [animal] shall be a burnt-offering.’ And what is the difference between a vow-offering and a freewill-offering? In the case of a vow-offering, one is responsible for it [and must replace it] if it dies or is stolen, [since he took upon himself a general obligation to offer an animal], but in the case of a freewill-offering, he is not responsible for it if it dies or is stolen” [since he did not assume a general pledge upon himself, but merely said that this particular animal should be an offering]. Now the reason for this difference between them [a vow and a freewill-offering],129 is because the custom of those vowing in the time of their distress is to say, “If G-d will be with me126 [and guard me] in this [trouble], then I pledge myself to offer a burnt-offering or a [peace-] offering,” and this is not usually called a freewill-offering, [since he has not yet set aside any particular animal for it]. But [a vow which is followed] by setting aside immediately [an animal] and giving it, is called “a freewill-offering,” because from the moment of giving, his spirit made him willing.130 Thus Scripture is stating here that whether he brings a burnt-offering or a peace-offering which he vowed at the time of his distress, or whether he brings them because his spirit made him willing — in either case it must be perfect [without blemish], for perhaps we might have thought that [it is more important that] the vow-offering should be perfect than the freewill-offering. This is the meaning of the verse.