Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Numbers 19:2/רמב"ן על במדבר י״ט:ב׳

אזֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה – לְפִי שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן וְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם מוֹנִין אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לוֹמַר: ״מָה הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת?״ לְפִיכָךְ כָּתַב בָּהּ ״חֻקָּה״, גְּזֵרָה הִיא מִלְּפָנַי וְאֵין לְךָ רְשׁוּת לְהַרְהֵר אַחֲרֶיהָ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר י״ט:ב׳) מִדִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (יומא סז). וּכְבָר כָּתַבְתִּי בְּעִנְיַן שָׂעִיר הַמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ (ויקרא טז ח) מַה טַעַם לָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מוֹנִין אוֹתָנוּ בָּזֹאת יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת שֶׁיְּכַפְּרוּ, וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶם שֶׁיְּטַהֲרוּ כְּקָרְבָּנוֹת הַזָּב וְהַיּוֹלֶדֶת, כִּי מִפְּנֵי הֱיוֹתָהּ נַעֲשֵׂית בַּחוּץ יֵרָאֶה לָהֶם שֶׁהִיא נִזְבַּחַת לַשְּׂעִירִים עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה. וְהָאֱמֶת שֶׁהִיא לְהַעֲבִיר רוּחַ טֻמְאָה וּשְׂרֵפָתָהּ כְּרֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ בַּחוּץ. וְטַעַם טֻמְאַת הַמֵּת בְּעֶטְיוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ, כִּי הַנִּפְטָרִים בִּנְשִׁיקָה לֹא יְטַמְּאוּ מִן הַדִּין, וְהוּא שֶׁאָמְרוּ: ״צַדִּיקִים אֵינָן מְטַמְּאִין״. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה״, כְּלוֹמַר הַנֶּחְקֶקֶת מִן הַתּוֹרָה וְהִיא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה. עַל כֵּן הִיא פָּרָה וְהִיא אֲדֻמָּה מִמִּדַּת הַדִּין, וְנִתְּנָה לְאֶלְעָזָר לְהֵעָשׂוֹת לְפָנָיו אֲפִלּוּ עַל יְדֵי זָר, אֲבָל הַסְּגָן יִרְאֶה מַעֲשֶׂיהָ כְּדֵי שֶׁתֵּעָשֶׂה עַל כַּוָּנָתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַחְשְׁבוּ בָּהּ מַחְשָׁבָה רָעָה כָּאֻמּוֹת וְהַשָּׂטָן. וְהַפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת תַּשְׁלוּם תּוֹרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים, וְנִכְתְּבָה כָּאן אַחַר מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה לוֹמַר שֶׁגַּם טָהֳרָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי כֹּהֵן תִּהְיֶה. וְטַעַם ״זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה'״ כְּטַעַם ״וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל ה'״ (שמות כד א), אוֹ הוּא כְּמוֹ מְסֹרָס: דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' לֵאמֹר:

1This is ‘chukath’ (the statute of) the law. “Since Satan¹ and the nations of the world ridicule Israel, saying, ‘What is [the meaning of] this commandment [of the Red Heifer]?’ therefore the Torah uses the term chukah (statute) in connection with it, [meaning]: ‘It is a decree from before Me, and you have no permission to question it.’” This is Rashi’s language, taken from the words of our Rabbis.² 7; Yoma 67b. See also Vol. II, p. 208, Note 236. Now I have already written in connection with the goat that is sent away [to Azazel³ the reason] why the nations of the world should taunt us about this [commandment] more than [they taunt us about] the rest of the offerings which effect atonement, and some of which bring about purification — such as the offerings of a man [or woman] who suffered a flux,⁴, 15:13-15; 25-31. or of a woman after childbirth.⁵, 12:6-8. [The reason is] that since [the procedure of the Red Heifer] is performed outside [the Sanctuary], it appears to the nations that it is slaughtered to the satyrs which are in the open field.⁶, 17:5-7. But the truth is that [the Red Heifer] is brought to remove the spirit of impurity, and the burning thereof outside [the Sanctuary Court] is like the sweet savor⁷, 1:9 etc. — In other words, as long as the observance is in accordance with the word of G-d, it does not matter if it is done within the Sanctuary Court or outside thereof, for both were equally commanded by Him. [of the offerings brought within the Sanctuary Court].The reason for the impurity conveyed by a corpse is [due to man’s sin committed through] the instigation of the serpent,⁸ for those who die by “the Divine Kiss” do not [in fact] convey impurity according to the law, this being the [sense of the] saying of the Rabbis:⁹ “The righteous do not convey impurity [when dead].” It is for this reason that Scripture states, This is ‘chukath’ of the law, meaning: [this is] that which is “hollowed out”¹⁰ — “to engrave, hollow out.” from the [Written] Torah, namely, the Oral Torah.¹¹ Therefore it is a [female] heifer and must be red, [symbolic] of the attribute of justice.¹¹ It is given to Eleazar¹² inasmuch as it must be slaughtered before him, even [though it may actually be slaughtered] by a non-priest, because the deputy High Priest [i.e., Eleazar] supervises the performance thereof, so that it should be done in accordance with his intentions, and so that they should not entertain any improper thoughts about it, as do the nations [of the world] and Satan¹ [as mentioned above].Now this section [of the Red Heifer] completes the laws of the priests [and as such belongs in the Book of Leviticus]. However, it is written here after [the preceding section dealing with] the gifts to the priests, in order to declare that the purification of Israel must also be effected through the priest [just as atonement for sin is effected through the offerings which are offered on the altar by the priests]. THIS IS THE STATUTE OF THE LAW WHICH THE ETERNAL COMMANDED. The reason for this expression [when it should have said “that I commanded,” since G-d is the Speaker of these words], is similar to the verse, And unto Moses He said: ‘Come up unto the Eternal’¹³ [where it should likewise have said: “Come up unto Me”]. Or it may be that this verse must be re-arranged [in order to be interpreted properly], its sense being: “Speak unto the children of Israel: This is the statute of the law which the Eternal hath commanded, saying etc.”¹⁴ … With the sense of the verse being as Ramban transposes it, we can understand the use of the phrase which ‘the Eternal’ hath commanded, because this is part of the statement which Moses is to make to the people, when conveying G-d’s command. Hence it cannot say: “which I have commanded.”

בדַּבֵּר וְלֹא "דַּבְּרוּ", כִּי מֹשֶׁה הוּא הָעִקָּר:

2Scripture states dabeir [— in the singular — dabeir (speak) unto the children of Israel] and not dabru [in the plural, although the section begins: And the Eternal spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron], because Moses was the main [person who spoke to the people, “or it may mean that G-d spoke to Moses that he should tell it to Aaron, as our Rabbis have explained” (see a similar case in Leviticus 13:1) and in this sense Moses was the main person involved in the Divine communication].

גוְטַעַם אֵלֶיךָ, שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵן בַּמִּדְבָּר לִשְׁעָתָם, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן (במדבר י״ט:י׳) יְצַוֶּה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלַגֵּר לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם, שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵן לְדוֹרוֹתָם. וְכֵן ״וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ״ וְגוֹ' (שמות כז כ), וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן ״חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתָם״ (שם פסוק כא). וְאָמַר וּנְתַתֶּם וְלֹא ״וְנָתַתָּ״ לְהַכְנִיס אַהֲרֹן עִמּוֹ לִכְבוֹדוֹ, כִּי שְׁנֵיהֶם יְצַוּוּ לְאֶלְעָזָר לִשְׁחֹט לְפָנָיו. אוֹ אָמַר וּנְתַתֶּם לָרַבִּים, עַכְשָׁיו וּלְדוֹרוֹת. וְהַטַּעַם כִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַשּׁוֹחֵט מִיַּד בֵּית דִּין יִקָּחֶנָּה, שֶׁיִּתְּנוּהָ לוֹ שֶׁתֵּעָשֶׂה בְּהֶכְשֵׁר וְעַל דַּעְתָּם, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ (פרה פ״ג מ״ה): וּמִי עֲשָׂאָן? הָרִאשׁוֹנָה עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה עָשָׂה עֶזְרָא. שֶׁבַע מֵעֶזְרָא וְאֵילָךְ. וּמִי עֲשָׂאָן? שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק וְיוֹחָנָן כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל עָשׂוּ שְׁתַּיִם שְׁתַּיִם וְכוּ':

3THEY SHALL TAKE UNTO THEE. The reason [why the verse says] “unto thee” [Moses] is [because G-d first commanded] that they should do this in the wilderness for that particular time, and afterwards He commanded that it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them for a statute for ever,¹⁵ meaning that they should do so throughout their generations. Similarly [we find the expression unto thee in the following verses]: that they bring ‘unto thee’ pure olive oil,¹⁶ and afterwards it says, it shall be a statute for ever throughout their generations.¹⁷, Verse 21. Here too, the original command was for Moses’ lifetime [hence “unto thee”], and afterwards it was repeated to make it obligatory throughout the generations.Scripture states: And ‘ye’ shall give,¹² and not “and ‘thou’ shalt give,” in order to include Aaron together with Moses and thereby to honor him [Aaron], for both of them were to command Eleazar to have it slaughtered before him. Or it may be that He said and ‘ye’ shall give [because it refers] to many [givers] — those now and those of subsequent generations, and the meaning is that Eleazar who [was in charge of it being] slaughtered [although it could actually be slaughtered by anybody, as explained above] was to take it from the possession of the court, and they were to give it to him so that it should be done properly and in accordance with their intention; in a similar manner to that which we have been taught [in a Mishnah]:¹⁸ “And who prepared them [the ashes of the Red Heifer]? The first one was prepared by Moses our teacher;¹⁹ the second one was prepared by Ezra, and seven were prepared after Ezra’s time. And who prepared them? Simon the Just²⁰ and Jochanan the High Priest prepared two each etc.”²¹, 3:4).