Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 27:29/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ז:כ״ט
אכָּל חֵרֶם אֲשֶׁר יָחֳרַם מִן הָאָדָם הַיּוֹצֵא לֵהָרֵג וְאָמַר אֶחָד "עֶרְכּוֹ עָלַי" לֹא אָמַר כְּלוּם. מוֹת יוּמָת הֲרֵי הוּא הוֹלֵךְ לָמוּת, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא יִפָּדֶה, אֵין לוֹ דָּמִים וְלֹא עֵרֶךְ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא כ"ז:כ"ט). וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ נֶחְלְקוּ בַּדָּבָר (ערכין ו), וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶם אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהוּא אַזְהָרָה לְחַיָּבֵי מִיתוֹת שֶׁאֵין לוֹקְחִין מֵהֶן כֹּפֶר לְפָטְרָן. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהִזְכִּיר זֶה בְּכָאן לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יִתֵּן מָמוֹן לַשֵּׁם כִּשְׁאָר הַחֲרָמִים וְיִפָּטֵר. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט יֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב כִּי כָּל הַמַּחְרִים מִשֶּׁלּוֹ בֵּין אָדָם בֵּין בְּהֵמָה וּשְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּתוֹ, הוּא קֹדֶשׁ לַשֵּׁם, שֶׁהֵן חֲרָמִים לַכֹּהֲנִים וְאֵין לָהֶם פִּדְיוֹן, אֲבָל הַמַּחְרִים מִן הָאָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ, כְּגוֹן הַנִּלְחָמִים עַל אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְנוֹדְרִים נֶדֶר "אִם נָתֹן תִּתֵּן אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה בְּיָדִי וְהַחֲרַמְתִּי אֶת עָרֵיהֶם" (במדבר כא ב) - יָמוּתוּ כָּל הָאָדָם הַנִּמְצָא בָּהֶם. וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁאֵין דַּעַת הַנּוֹדֵר כֵּן לְתִתּוֹ לַכֹּהֲנִים, רַק שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַכֹּל אָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה, כִּי נִתְכַּוֵּן לְהַכְרִית הָאוֹיְבִים וּלְכַלּוֹתָם. וּמָצִינוּ אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד שֶׁעָבְרוּ עַל שְׁבוּעַת הַקָּהָל וְלֹא בָּאוּ אֶל הַמִּצְפָּה, וּכְתִיב "וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ שָׁם הָעֵדָה שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֶלֶף אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי הֶחָיִל וַיְצַוּוּ אוֹתָם לֵאמֹר לְכוּ וְהִכִּיתֶם אֶת יוֹשְׁבֵי יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד לְפִי חֶרֶב". וְאֵין הַסְּבָרָא נוֹתֶנֶת שֶׁעָשׂוּ כָּל הָעֵדָה רָעָה כָּזֹאת לְהָמִית אֲנָשִׁים רַבִּים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאֵינָם חַיָּבִים מִיתָה, וּפִנְחָס הָיָה שָׁם וְעַל פִּיו נַעֲשָׂה כָּל הָעִנְיָן הַהוּא. וְעוֹד מָצָאתִי בְּאַגָּדָה בִּילַמְּדֵנוּ, תַּנְיָא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, הַחֵרֶם הוּא הַשְּׁבוּעָה וְהַשְּׁבוּעָה הוּא הַחֵרֶם; אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵשׁ עָבְרוּ עַל הַחֵרֶם וְנִתְחַיְּבוּ מִיתָה. וּלְכָךְ אֲנִי אוֹמֵר כִּי מִן הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה יָצָא לָהֶם הַדִּין הַזֶּה, שֶׁכָּל מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹ סַנְהֶדְרֵי גְּדוֹלָה בְּמַעֲמַד כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם רְשׁוּת בַּמִּשְׁפָּטִים, אִם יַחְרִימוּ עַל עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וְכֵן אִם יַחְרִימוּ עַל דָּבָר - הָעוֹבֵר עָלָיו חַיָּב מִיתָה, וְהוּא חִיּוּבָן שֶׁל אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד וְשֶׁל יְהוֹנָתָן שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ אָבִיו "כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִף כִּי מוֹת תָּמוּת יוֹנָתָן" (שמואל א יד מד), וּמֵהֵיכָן נִתְחַיְּבוּ אֵלּוּ מִיתָה מִן הַדִּין חוּץ מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה. וְזֶה הָיָה טָעוּתוֹ שֶׁל יִפְתָּח בְּבִתּוֹ, כִּי חָשַׁב כַּאֲשֶׁר חֵרֶם נְגִיד יִשְׂרָאֵל חָל וְקַיָּם לְהָמִית אֲנָשִׁים אוֹ הָעוֹבֵר עַל חֶרְמוֹ חַיָּב מִיתָה, כֵּן אִם נָדַר בְּעֵת מִלְחָמָה לַעֲשׂוֹת מֵאִישׁ אוֹ אֲנָשִׁים זֶבַח יָחוּל הַנֶּדֶר, וְלֹא יָדַע כִּי חֵרֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַסַּנְהֶדְרִין חָל עַל הַמּוֹרְדִים לְכַלּוֹתָם אוֹ עַל הָעוֹבֵר גְּזֵרָתָם וְתַקָּנָתָם, אֲבָל לָחוּל הַנֶּדֶר לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹלָה מִדָּבָר שֶׁאֵין רָאוּי לַה' - חָס וְחָלִילָה. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר בִּב"ר (ס ג), שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הֶקְדֵּשׁ דָּמִים לֹא הָיָה חַיָּב, וְנֶעֱנַשׁ בְּדָמָהּ. וְאַל תִּהְיֶה נִפְתֶּה בְּהֶבְלֵי ר"א הָאוֹמֵר כִּי פֵּרוּשׁ "וְהַעֲלִיתִהוּ עוֹלָה" (שופטים יא לא) אוֹ וְהֶעֱלִיתִיהוּ, לוֹמַר אִם יִהְיֶה הַיּוֹצֵא מִדַּלְתֵי בֵּיתִי אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה - וְהָיָה לַה' קֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה פָּרוּשׁ מִדַּרְכֵי הָעוֹלָם לַעֲמֹד לְשָׁרֵת בְּשֵׁם ה' בִּתְפִלָּה וְהֹדוֹת לֵאלֹהִים; וְאִם יִהְיֶה דָּבָר רָאוּי לִקָּרֵב אַעֲלֶנּוּ עוֹלָה; וְעָשָׂה בַּיִת לְבִתּוֹ מִחוּץ לָעִיר וְהִתְבּוֹדְדָה שָׁם וְכִלְכְּלָהּ כָּל יָמֶיהָ וְאִישׁ לֹא יְדָעָהּ, וְהָיְתָה בִּתּוֹ צְרוּרָה שָׁם. וְאֵלֶּה דִּבְרֵי רוּחַ, כִּי אִם נָדַר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לַה' אֵינֶנּוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה פָּרוּשׁ, אֲבָל יִהְיֶה כְּמוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל שֶׁאָמְרָה אִמּוֹ "וּנְתַתִּיו לַה'" (שמואל א א יא), וְהָיָה מְשָׁרֵת בְּבֵית ה', לֹא פָּרוּשׁ. וּכְפִי מִשְׁפְּטֵי הַתּוֹרָה אֵין בְּיַד הָאָדָם שֶׁיִּדֹּר בְּיוֹצְאֵי פֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ פְּרוּשִׁים כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵין בְּיָדוֹ לְהַעֲלוֹתָם עוֹלָה. וְאִם הַדָּבָר כֵּן, הָיְתָה בִּתּוֹ הַבּוֹכָה עַל בְּתוּלֶיהָ וְרַעְיוֹתֶיהָ עִמָּהּ כְּזוֹנוֹת לְקַלֵּס אֶתְנָן, וְח"ו שֶׁיִּהְיֶה חֹק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַנּוֹת לְבַת יִפְתָּח אַרְבַּעַת יָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא נִשֵּׂאת לְבַעַל וְהָיְתָה עוֹבֶדֶת אֶת ה' בְּטַהֲרָה. אֲבָל הַדָּבָר כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, וְטָעוּתוֹ הָיָה מִמַּה שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי. וּלְדַעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ"ל יִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה כּוֹלֵל דְּבָרִים רַבִּים, כְּמוֹ "לֹא תֹאכְלוּ עַל הַדָּם" (ויקרא י"ט:כ"ו), וּכְמוֹ "לֹא יוּמְתוּ אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים" (דברים כד טז), שֶׁהֵם דּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ בִּפְסוּל עֵדוּת הַקְּרוֹבִים (סנהדרין כז), וְהַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר בּוֹ עוֹד "וְאֶת בְּנֵי הַמַּכִּים לֹא הֵמִית כַּכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' לֵאמֹר לֹא יוּמְתוּ אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וּבָנִים לֹא יוּמְתוּ עַל אָבוֹת" (מלכים ב יד ו). וְכֵן זֶה הַכָּתוּב יִכְלֹל דִּין הַמַּעֲרִיךְ מְחֻיְּבֵי מִיתָה, וְדִין מִי שֶׁמַּחְרִימִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעֵת הַכִּבּוּשׁ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל הַחֵרֶם שֶׁל בֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל אוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּעִנְיַן מַעֲשֵׂה שָׁאוּל. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁם "וַיִּפְדּוּ הָעָם אֶת יְהוֹנָתָן וְלֹא מֵת" (שמואל א יד מה), כִּי כְּלַפֵּי מַה שֶׁאָמְרָה בּוֹ תּוֹרָה "לֹא יִפָּדֶה מוֹת יוּמָת" אָמַר שָׁם "וַיִּפְדּוּ הָעָם אֶת יוֹנָתָן וְלֹא מֵת", כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאֵרַע נֵס עַל יָדוֹ יָדְעוּ כִּי בְּשׁוֹגֵג עָשָׂה. וְזֶה טַעַם "אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הַיְשׁוּעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל" (שם). וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עֻזִּיאֵל "אֲרֵי קֳדָם ה' גְּלֵי דִּבְשָׁלוּ עֲבַד יוֹמָא דֵּין וּפְרַק עַמָּא יָת יוֹנָתָן":
1NONE DOOMED WHO SHALL BE DOOMED OF MAN, SHALL BE REDEEMED. “[This means that] if a person is about to be executed [by the court], and someone else says, ‘I take upon myself to pay his valuation [to the Temple treasury],’ his vow is of no effect.” HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. “For you see he is going to die. Therefore he is not to be redeemed; he has neither a market-price nor a fixed valuation” [as fixed by the Torah on the basis of his age]. This is Rashi’s language. But our Rabbis have differed on this matter, some saying198 that it constitutes an admonition in connection with those who are liable to the death-penalty, that one must not take a ransom from them in order to free them. It is possible that He mentions this admonition here in order to state that he [the condemned] cannot give money to [the Temple of] G-d as other devoted things [are given], and thereby go free of punishment.By way of the plain meaning of Scripture, the verse is stating that whatever a man devotes of his belongings, whether man or animal or field of his possession, it is holy unto the Eternal, meaning that they become devoted things of the priests, and there is no redemption for them. But if he devotes people who are not his, such as those who go to war against their enemies and utter a vow, If Thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then will I utterly destroy their cities,199 then all the people found in them are to die. The reason for this is that the intention of those making such a vow is not that [the captives] be given to the priests, but rather that it be forbidden to derive any benefit from them, since their purpose is to utterly destroy the enemies. Thus we find in the case of the men of Jabesh-gilead who transgressed the oath of the assembly by not coming to Mitzpah [to take part in the battle against Gibeah for the outrage they had committed],200 that it is written, And the congregation sent thither ten thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them saying: ‘Go and smite the inhabitants with the edge of the sword’.201, 21:10. And common sense does not allow [us to say] that the whole congregation perpetrated such an evil deed, killing many people of Israel who were not guilty of death! And Phinehas was there,202, 20:28. and by word of his mouth the whole affair was done! I have further found in the Agadah, in the [Midrash] Yelamdeinu:203 76. On “Yelamdeinu” see in Seder Bo (Vol. II, p. 131, Note 196). “We have been taught: Rabbi Akiba says, Cheirem (‘doomed to destruction’) is an oath, and an oath is cheirem. The men of Jabesh transgressed the cheirem, and thus they became liable to the death penalty.”Therefore I say that it was from this verse [before us] that they deduced this law — that if any king of Israel, or the Great Sanhedrin [of seventy-one judges] in the presence of all Israel, who have the authority to institute ordinances [for the good of the people], if they declare a certain city cheirem, to be warred on, and likewise if they declare a certain matter cheirem, he who violates it is liable to the death-penalty. This indeed was the guilt of the men of Jabesh-gilead [as mentioned above], and of Jonathan, to whom his father [Saul] had said, ‘G-d do so and more also, thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.’204 Now on the basis of what legal authority did these people deserve death, if not because of this source [in Scripture]?And this was the mistake that Jephthah made with his daughter.205, and it was his daughter who came out to meet him first. For he thought that just as a cheirem [“doomed” object] of the chief of Israel is valid and takes effect to put [certain] people to death, and [also] anyone who transgresses it is liable to the death-penalty, so [Jephthah thought] that if he uttered a vow at a time of war, to make an offering of a certain person or persons, the vow is valid; but he did not know that a cheirem declared by the king and Sanhedrin is valid [only] regarding the destruction of rebels, or against one who transgresses their decrees and ordinances. But that a vow should take effect to make a burnt-offering of something not appropriate for G-d, [as Jephthah thought] — Heaven forbid! Therefore the Rabbis have said in Bereshith Rabbah206 that [Jephthah] was not even obliged to pay the price of her market-value to the Temple treasury [as his vow was totally invalid], and he was punished for her [innocent] blood!Now do not let yourself be misled by Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra’s207 empty words, when he says that the meaning of the expression and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering208 is “or I will offer it up,” as if to say: “if that which comes forth of the doors of my house be a man or woman, that person shall be holy to G-d, inasmuch as he will abstain from the ways of the world, to stand to minister in the Name of the Eternal209 in prayer and thanksgiving to G-d; but if it be something fit for an offering, I will make it a burnt-offering.” Accordingly [Ibn Ezra’s interpretation continues, since Jephthah’s daughter was the first to come out to meet her father], he built her a house outside the city where she resided in seclusion, and he provided her with sustenance all her days, and no man knew her,210 so that his daughter remained shut away [from the world all her life].All this are words of emptiness. For if he vowed that [whatsoever comes forth of the door of his house] shall be the Eternal’s,208 this does not mean that he should be a recluse [from the world], but instead he is to be like Samuel, of whom his mother said, and I shall give him unto the Eternal,211 and he was a servant in the House of G-d, not a recluse. And according to the ordinances of the Torah, no man can utter a vow which will bind the persons who come out of the door of his house to live thereafter in seclusion, just as he cannot bring them as an offering. And if the matter be so [as Ibn Ezra put it] then Jephthah’s daughter would be bewailing her virginity with her companions with her,212 like harlots enhancing their hire!213 Heaven forbid that this be a custom in Israel, to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year214 because she did not marry and she worshipped G-d in purity! Rather, this whole subject is to be understood in its plain meaning [that Jephthah actually brought her as an offering], and his mistake was as I have explained.And according to the opinion of our Rabbis, of blessed memory, it is possible that this verse [before us] includes many [different] subjects, similar to the verse, Ye shall not eat with the blood;215 and like the verse, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children216 which the Rabbis interpret217 as invalidating the testimony of relatives, and Scripture further states concerning it: But the children of the murderers he [King Amaziah of Judah] put not to death, according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as the Eternal commanded, saying, ‘The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers.’218 Similarly this verse [before us] includes the law of one who vows to give to the Temple treasury the valuation of a person who is liable to the death-penalty [as explained above], the law of those against whom a cheirem is declared at a time of conquest, as we have said, and the law of one who transgresses the cheirem of the Great Court or of the king of Israel, as was the case in the incident of Saul [and Jonathan mentioned above]. It is with reference to that that it is said there, So the people rescued Jonathan, that he die not,219 for since the Torah states, he shall not be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death,220 it says there, So the people rescued Jonathan, that he die not;219 [meaning] that since a miracle happened through him [i.e., that the Philistines suffered a great defeat on that day], they knew that it was in error that Jonathan had acted [contrary to the cheirem of his father]. And this is the sense of the expression [of the people in speaking on behalf of Jonathan], who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel.219 And so likewise did Yonathan ben Uziel translate this expression: “For before the Eternal it is revealed that he [Jonathan] acted in error on that day, and so the people rescued Jonathan.”
בוְנִשְׁלַם סֵפֶר תּוֹרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים וְקָרְבְּנוֹתָן וּמִצְוָתָן, יְשׁוֹבֵב אֵל עֶלְיוֹן דְּבָרִים לַהֲוָיָתָן, לְוִיִּם לְשִׁירָן וּלְזִמְרָן וְכֹהֲנִים לַעֲבוֹדָתָן, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל נְוֵה אֵיתָן, עֵינֵינוּ תִּרְאֶינָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם גִּנַּת בִּיתָן, וְאַרְמוֹן עַל מִשְׁפָּטוֹ הֵיכָל וּדְבִיר עַל מְכוֹנָתָן, וּבְנוֹת יְהוּדָה בְּשַׁלְוָתָן, וְעָרְבָה לַה' מִנְחַת יְהוּדָה כִּימֵי עוֹלָם וּכְשָׁנִים כְּקַדְמוּתָן, יַעֲלוּ עַל רָצוֹן מִזְבְּחוֹ תְּמִידִין כְּסִדְרָן וּמוּסָפִין כְּהִלְכָתָן:
2Thus is completed the Book of the Law of the Priests [i.e., the Book of Leviticus], their offerings and their commandments.May G-d the Most High restore matters to their [former] condition, the Levites to their song, the priests to their ministry, and Israel to their mighty habitation.And may our eyes behold Jerusalem, the garden of the Palace;221And the Palace upon its wonted place,222The Temple and the Innermost Sanctuary upon their firm foundation, and the daughters of Judah223 in their security.Then will the offering of Judah be pleasant unto the Eternal as in the days of old,224 and as in their ancient years.And acceptable upon His altar will be the Daily Whole-offerings in their order and the Additional Offerings according to their law.