Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 31:28/רמב"ן על במדבר ל״א:כ״ח
אוַהֲרֵמֹתָ מֶכֶס לַה' – גַּם הַמֶּכֶס הַזֶּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה הַשָּׁלָל הַזֶּה מִנִּקְמַת ה' בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם, אֲבָל בְּאֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג לֹא נָתְנוּ לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם מֵהֶם כְּלוּם, אֲבָל הוּזְהֲרוּ מֵהֶם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וְחֵלֶק לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּתוֹכָם" (במדבר י״ח:כ׳) אֲפִלּוּ בַּבִּזָּה:
1AND THOU SHALT LEVY A TRIBUTE UNTO THE ETERNAL. The reason for this tribute [given to the priests and Levites] was also because this spoil was taken from [a war constituting] the vengeance of the Eternal108 on a land that was not theirs. But [from the spoil taken] in the lands of Sihon and Og they did not give any part at all to the priests and Levites; [on the contrary], they were even warned against [taking of] it, as it is said, neither shalt thou [Aaron] have ‘any’ portion among them, even in the spoil.109, 18:20, according to the explanation of the Sifre, Korach 119.