Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 14:21/רמב"ן על במדבר י״ד:כ״א
אחַי אָנִי – לְשׁוֹן שְׁבוּעָה. וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹד ה' אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ, אִם יִרְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ - מִקְרָא מְסֹרָס הוּא: חַי אָנִי נְאֻם ה' כִּי כָל הָאֲנָשִׁים אִם יִרְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ, וּכְבוֹדִי יִמָּלֵא אֶת הָאָרֶץ שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַלֵּל שְׁמִי בַּמַּגֵּפָה הַזֹּאת, לֵאמֹר: ״מִבִּלְתִּי יְכֹלֶת ה' לַהֲבִיאָם״, שֶׁלֹּא אֲמִיתֵם פִּתְאוֹם כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד, אֶלָּא בְּאִחוּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה מְעַט מְעַט, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י. וְאֵינוֹ נָכוֹן כְּלָל. אֲבָל הַכְּתוּבִים הָאֵלֶּה חַסְרֵי הַשְּׁבוּעָה לְכָבוֹד שֶׁל מַעְלָה: חַי אָנִי וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹדִי אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אִם כָּל הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְנַסִּים אוֹתִי יִרְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ - אֵין הַדָּבָר כָּכָה! וְכֵן ״חַי אָנִי נְאֻם ה' וְגוֹ' אִם אַתֶּם תָּבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ״ (להלן פסוקים כח, ל) - יֶחְסַר הַשְּׁבוּעָה. וְכָכָה יְקַצְּרוּ אַף בַּהֶדְיוֹט: ״כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה לִּי אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִיף״ (ש״ב ג, לה) - לֹא יִרְצוּ לְפָרֵשׁ הָאָלָה. ״כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה אֱלֹהִים לְאוֹיְבֵי דָוִד וְכֹה יוֹסִיף״ - יַחְסְרוּ הַבְּרָכָה. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ שֶׁאָמַר כָּלֵב לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ: ״אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' עַל אוֹדוֹתַי וְעַל אוֹדוֹתֶיךָ״ (יהושע יד, ו), וּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּשָּׁבַע מֹשֶׁה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר אִם לֹא הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר דָּרְכָה רַגְלְךָ בָּהּ לְךָ תִהְיֶה לְנַחֲלָה וּלְבָנֶיךָ עַד עוֹלָם כִּי מִלֵּאתָ אַחֲרֵי ה' אֱלֹהָי״ (שם פסוק ט). וְהוּא מִמַּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כָּאן: ״וְעַבְדִּי כָלֵב עֵקֶב הָיְתָה רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת עִמּוֹ וַיְמַלֵּא אַחֲרָי וַהֲבִיאֹתִיו אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר בָּא שָׁמָּה וְזַרְעוֹ יוֹרִישֶׁנָּה״ (במדבר י״ד:כ״ד). וְיַזְכִּיר בְּהַבְטָחָה זוֹ שְׁבוּעָה, כִּי הַכֹּל נִקְשָׁר בְּפָסוּק ״וְאוּלָם חַי אָנִי״ שֶׁהוּא שְׁבוּעָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי. וְאָמַר "וַיִּשָּׁבַע מֹשֶׁה" כִּי מֹשֶׁה הִזְכִּיר הַשְּׁבוּעָה. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת, ״וְאוּלָם חַי אָנִי וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹד ה' אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ״ - הַבְטָחָה לְמֹשֶׁה בַּסְּלִיחָה, יֹאמַר שֶׁיִּמָּלֵא כְבוֹדוֹ אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ בְּזַרְעָם וְלֹא בָהֶם:
1AS I LIVE. “This is an expression of an oath. AND ALL THE EARTH SHALL BE FILLED WITH THE GLORY OF THE ETERNAL. 23. IF THEY SHALL SEE THE LAND. This is an inverted verse [and the sense of it is as follows:] As I live, says the Eternal, [I swear] that all those [that have seen My Glory … and did not listen to My voice — Verse 22], if they shall see the Land [Verse 23], and My Glory shall fill [all] the earth [Verse 21], so that My Name will not become profaned through this plague, [by the nations] saying: Because the Eternal was not able to bring them [into the Land],110 since I shall not kill them suddenly as one man,128 but over a delayed period of forty years, little by little.” This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct at all.139] after Verse 23, since this second part of Verse 21 is not part of the oath of the Eternal. Ramban, however, does interpret it as part of the oath, which [as he continues to explain], starts at the beginning of Verse 21, and hence there is no need to rearrange the second half of that verse and to place it after Verse 23. See also Note 147. Rather, these verses omit the oath [itself] out of respect to Him Who is on high, [and the meaning thereof is as follows]: “As I live and all the earth shall be filled with My Glory — if all these men who have tested Me shall see the Land, this matter shall not be so!” Similarly, As I live, saith the Eternal … If ye come into the Land140 omits the [Divine] oath [meaning: “If they shall come into the Land, it shall not be so!”] Similarly we find verses speaking of a human being which shorten the oath: G-d do so unto me and more also,141 where Scripture did not want to set forth the imprecation. G-d do so unto the enemies of David, and more also142 — here the verse omits the blessing.143 Similarly we find that Caleb said to Joshua, Thou knowest the thing that the Eternal spoke unto Moses the man of G-d concerning me and thee,144 and it is written there, And Moses swore on that day, saying: Surely the land whereon thy foot hath trodden shall be an inheritance to thee and to thy children forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Eternal my G-d.145, Verse 9. This refers to that which is written here, But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the Land wherein he went, and his seed shall possess it.146 And Caleb [in the Book of Joshua, quoted above] mentioned an oath [and Moses ‘swore’] in connection with this promise, because it is all joined to the verse, But in very deed as I live,147 which is an oath, as I have explained [above]. Caleb said, and Moses swore145, Verse 9. because Moses mentioned the oath.148. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], But in very deed as I live — and all the earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Eternal constitutes a promise to Moses about forgiveness, the verse stating that all the earth shall be filled with His Glory through the seed of these people, but not through them [the generation of the exodus].