AND MOSES CALLED ALL ISRAEL. The purport thereof is that after he finished telling them the words of the covenant he called them again, saying, “Hear, O Israel, Ye have seen etc.,” for they had not left him, since these sections are all connected.

YE HAVE NOT EATEN BREAD, NEITHER HAVE YE DRUNK WINE OR STRONG DRINK. The meaning thereof is “You have not eaten [sufficiently] thereof that you should be able to live by it,” for their principal sustenance was the manna. THAT YE MIGHT KNOW THAT I AM THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D Who keeps you alive miraculously. Now, it could not mean that they did not eat bread at all, as Scripture [says of Moses], I did neither eat bread nor drink water¹⁵¹ for on some occasions Israel did have bread in the wilderness, as it is written, Thou shalt sell me food for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink; as the children of Esau that dwell in Seir, and the Moabites that dwell in Ar, did unto me.¹⁵², 2:28-29. And our Rabbis mentioned¹⁵³ that the merchants of the peoples of the world brought them [various foods] in the desert. It is further possible that from the time the manna descended until they came to Seir they did not eat bread at all, for they travelled through the great and dreadful wilderness.¹⁵⁴ But in the fortieth year they approached inhabited land, and it was said to them, *Ye are to pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau;*¹⁵⁵, 2:4. Ye shall purchase food of them.¹⁵⁶, Verse 6. There it is written, these forty years the Eternal thy G-d hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.¹⁵⁷, Verse 7. And from that time on, the Edomites and the Moabites¹⁵⁸ met them with food and drink and prominent Israelites would buy from them for pleasure, not for necessity, nor for satiety, because their principal sustenance was [still] the manna. Nitzavim

footnotes: ¹⁵¹ Above 9:9. ¹⁵² Ibid. ¹⁵³ Yoma 75 b. ¹⁵⁴ Above, 8:15. ¹⁵⁵ Ibid. ¹⁵⁶ Ibid. ¹⁵⁷ Ibid. ¹⁵⁸ See Ramban above, 23:5.

YE ARE STANDING THIS DAY ALL OF YOU BEFORE THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D. The meaning thereof is that you are standing and ready before G-d to be initiated into His covenant. For, in order to accept the Torah with its interpretation, they had gathered before him [Moses], or they may have stood before the ark of G-d. The covenant was the oath and imprecation which he mentioned — that thou shouldest enter into the covenant of the Eternal thy G-d, and into His oath.¹ It is possible that he made another covenant with them like the first covenant which he made with them at Mount Sinai,² namely, that he offered a burnt-offering on their behalf, and took half of the blood to sprinkle upon the altar and he sprinkled half of the blood upon the people, but it was unnecessary for him to mention this. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], I have already informed you of [the secret of] this covenant.³

footnotes: ¹ Verse 11. ² Exodus 24:4-5. ³ See Ramban to Leviticus 26:12.

RASHEICHEM SHIVTEICHEM.’ In the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra this means rasheichem rashei shivteichem (“your heads, the heads of your tribes”),⁴ cannot mean “your heads of.” Therefore Ibn Ezra adds the words rashei, interpreting the phrase as “your heads, ‘the heads of’ your tribes.” See Vol. IV, p. 115, Note 283 for the same principle as applied to another example. like and the prophecy of Oded the prophet⁵ indicating the definite article. Hence the word v’hanevuah cannot mean “and the prophecy of.” We must therefore add the word nevuath, meaning: “and the prophecy, ‘a prophecy of’ Oded.” See Vol. IV, p. 115, Note 284 where the same example is mentioned. [which means “and the prophecy, the prophecy of Oded the prophet”].⁵ indicating the definite article. Hence the word v’hanevuah cannot mean “and the prophecy of.” We must therefore add the word nevuath, meaning: “and the prophecy, ‘a prophecy of’ Oded.” See Vol. IV, p. 115, Note 284 where the same example is mentioned. In my opinion the verse generalizes and then specifies. The generalization is: “your heads and all your tribes,” and then it specifies your elders, and your officers who are your heads, for the elder and the man of rank, he is the head.⁶ Similarly, he stated Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers,⁷ for any person who has authority and appointive power over the public is called rosh (head). Thus it is said of the princes [of the tribes], they were ‘the heads of’ the thousands of Israel,⁸ for they were the highest rank of all the thousands of Israel. And it is stated of the spies, [all of them were] ‘heads of’ the children of Israel,⁹, 13:3. meaning they were “among” the heads of the children of Israel, not the heads of all the children of Israel — and they were all included in the term your heads. He then stated again even all the men of Israel who comprise your tribes. Then he mentioned further the little children, the women, the strangers, the hewers of wood and drawers of water¹⁰ whom they had from among the mixed multitude.¹¹ He had made them bring the little ones, in order to include them in the covenant, for he made the covenant even with the future generations,¹² or [the children may have been brought] to make them [i.e., the parents] deserving of Divine reward for bringing them, like the reason the Rabbis gave regarding [the commandment of] the Assembly.¹³ And our Rabbis have said¹⁴ that some Canaanites [posing as proselytes] came in Moses’ days just as they came in Joshua’s days¹⁵ and Moses made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the Tabernacle of G-d.¹⁶, Verse 27. The verse there states: for ‘the altar of’ G-d. Now, the intent of the Rabbis is not to state that these Canaanites deceived Moses [as they misled Joshua]; instead, they came to him to make peace with him, for such is the law as we have explained.¹⁷ Thus I found in Midrash Tanchuma:¹⁸ 2. “This teaches you that they [the Canaanites] came before Moses and he did not accept them.” That is to say, they could not deceive him into making a covenant with them, but he immediately made them hewers of wood and drawers of water.

footnotes: ⁴ Since a noun in the construct form cannot have a pronoun suffix, the term rasheichem ⁵ Chronicles 15:8. Here the point is that a noun in the construct form cannot have the prefix hei ⁵ Chronicles 15:8. Here the point is that a noun in the construct form cannot have the prefix hei ⁶ Isaiah 9:14. ⁷ Further 31:28. ⁸ Numbers 1:16. ⁹ Ibid. ¹⁰ Verse 10. ¹¹ Exodus 12:38. ¹² Verses 13-14. ¹³ See Ramban further 31:13. ¹⁴ So mentioned by Rashi. Ramban himself further on refers to a similar text from the Tanchuma. See further, Note 18. ¹⁵ Joshua 9:2-27. ¹⁶ Ibid. ¹⁷ See above, 20:11. ¹⁸ Tanchuma, Nitzavim

AND ALSO WITH HIM THAT IS NOT WITH US THIS DAY — “that is, also with the future generations.

FOR YE KNOW HOW WE DWELT IN THE LAND OF EGYPT etc. AND YE HAVE SEEN THEIR ABOMINATIONS. Because you have seen the nations that worship idols, and perhaps the heart of one of you might beguile him to follow them.

LEST THERE SHOULD BE AMONG YOU etc. Therefore, I must place you under an oath.” Thus far is Rashi’s language. He has commented well. And the purport thereof is to state, “I must bring you now into this covenant with an imprecation and an oath on account of my fear that perhaps the hearts of some of you have been beguiled into following the abominations of Egypt as you did at the [affair of the golden] calf, or the abominations of Ammon and Moab that you saw on the road when you had the affair with Baal-peor,” for at the first covenant at the time of the Giving of the Torah there were no imprecations and curses. He stated [lest there should be among you] man or woman because a woman is frivolous [and can easily be led into idol-worship]. He stated a similar expression in [the chapter dealing with an individual] worshipping the idols.¹⁹ He mentioned individuals, family, and tribe [lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe] meaning a multitude, but he did not say it [lest they should worship the idols] concerning all of them, out of respect [to them]. Or it may be that it was impossible for the hearts of all of them to turn to the idols on that day, because, if so, they would not have come into the covenant of G-d and His oath, for who could have compelled them. A family or tribe, however, might have come into the covenant for fear of the majority. He stated lest there should be among you [man, or woman etc.] whose heart turneth away this day referring to him who has already been beguiled to idol-worship and who secretly believes in them that day. Or lest there should be among you an evil root that will blossom and grow and in the coming days will bring forth poisonous buds and grow bitter herbs. This refers back to him that is not here with us this day,²⁰ for the father is the root and the son is the twig that shall grow forth out of his roots.²¹ He mentioned the root in order to state that he can bring the coming generations into this oath, for the root from which the coming generations will grow is before him this day, and it comes within this covenant and oath. He stated a root that beareth gall to suggest that from a sweet root no bitter plant will issue, and that all those whose hearts are perfect with the Glorious Name²² and gave no thought to the idols, will not give birth to a child, who will avow idolatry. Now, do not refute me in this matter on the basis of the verse If he [a man who is just, and does that which is lawful and right] beget a son that is a robber,²³ for the matter is true, there being a great secret therein which I cannot explain.²⁴

footnotes: ¹⁹ Above, 17:2: man or woman … ²⁰ Verse 14. ²¹ Isaiah 11:1. ²² Above, 28:58. ²³ Ezekiel 18:10. And, as the verses state on this subject, this son is a murderer and idolator, and yet his father was a perfectly righteous man! ²⁴ In Abusaula’s mystic commentary on Ramban the subject is explained, based on the doctrine of the transmigration of souls.

‘Rosh v’la’anah’ (gall and wormwood) are bitter or poisonous herbs. These are their names in the Sacred Language. Or it may be that they are surnames, one called rosh (“the head”) because it is the head of the bitter herbs, the bitterest of all, and the second is called la’anah, from the expression ‘lei’anoth’ (to humble thyself) before Me,²⁵ for he who eats it becomes oppressed and is humbled, because he eats it only in order to afflict his soul.

footnotes: ²⁵ Exodus 10:3.

AND HE BLESS HIMSELF IN HIS HEART, SAYING: [‘I SHALL HAVE PEACE’]. When he will hear others imprecating themselves with these oaths, he will in his imagination bless himself, saying in his heart, “I shall have peace from any curse when I follow the desire of my heart.” G-d will not pardon him; instead, His anger will then be kindled against him²⁶ whenever he sins, in that generation or [when his descendants sin] in later generations.²⁷ applies to one who has already been beguiled after the idols; or lest there should be among you an evil root refers to the descendants. It is with reference to these two types of idol-worshippers that Ramban says here that G-d’s anger will be kindled when he sins in that generation, or when his descendants sin in future generations (Kur Zahav). Or the sense of the verses may be as follows: “Because he says [publicly]: I shall have peace, since in my heart I do not accept the oath upon myself, for I shall walk in the stubborness of my heart all my days and carry out all my desires. And the Eternal will not be willing to pardon him²⁶ because he did not accept His imprecation; instead, His anger will be kindled against him²⁶ since he came into the covenant in My presence with all [the people of] Israel.” [Therefore the refusal of an individual to accept the covenant constitutes a punishable defiance.] A desire that grows stronger and more in one’s heart is termed [in Hebrew] shriruth [‘ki bishriruth libi eileich’ — for I shall walk in ‘the stubborness’ of my heart], similar to the expression of the Sages:²⁸ “sharir (strong) and established.” So also, ‘bishrirei’ (in the muscles of) his body.²⁹

footnotes: ²⁶ Verse 19. ²⁷ This is to be understood in the light of Ramban’s explanation above, that the expression whose heart turneth away this day ²⁶ Verse 19. ²⁶ Verse 19. ²⁸ Baba Bathra 160b. ²⁹ Job 40:16.

L’MA’AN’ (THAT) THE WATERED BE SWEPT AWAY WITH THE THIRSTY. The meaning thereof is “‘to supplement’ the watered with the thirsty,” for the satisfied soul is called ravah (satiated), similar to, *And I will ‘satiate the soul’ of the priests with fatness, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness;*³⁰ and their soul shall be as a watered garden,³¹, Verse 11. while the desiring soul is called tz’meiah (thirsty): My ‘soul thirsteth’ for Thee.³² Therefore, the sense of the verse is: when into a person’s satisfied soul — one that does not desire harmful things — there comes a slight craving, and he satisfies his lust, then there will grow in his soul a craving even greater than the original one, for the thing that he ate or that he did, and it [the soul] will lust [even] after evil things for which he never craved at first. Thus, if someone craves for lewdness with beautiful women and becomes carried away in unchastity, his lust will ultimately bring him to sodomy and to bestiality and the like with other forms of lust. This is akin to what the Sages have mentioned [with respect to sexual craving]:³³ “The more one satisfies it, the more it hungers, the more one starves it, the more it is satisfied.” Therefore Scripture states concerning him who follows the stubborness of his heart, that if he will satisfy his soul with those stubborn and overpowering desires for which it thirsts, his soul “will add the watered to the thirsty,” for then he will desire and thirst after things for which he had been satisfied, and with which his soul was satiated [meaning that, up to then, he felt no desire for them]. And, because he used the expression ‘shoresh poreh’ (a root that beareth),³⁴ he follows this usage, saying that this root shall add a branch that will be satiated and leafy to the thirsty one and they will all become thirsty. Thus the word l’ma’an (that) in this place does not refer to the reason [i.e., “so that”]: “I will go in the stubborness of my heart so that I supplement the watered with the thirsty.” Instead its meaning is like “to add” — Scripture is saying that because of his conduct, this will be the result.³⁵ (so that) I supplement the watered etc.” but it is Scripture which declares “L’ma’an etc.” that “to add” the watered etc., will result from his conduct. For in every result of a particular action, Scripture uses the term l’ma’an, whether the responsible person does it intentionally to effect that result, as ‘l’ma’an’ (so that) it may be well with us,³⁶ is not found there in connection with this expression. or whether the person effecting the result does so unintentionally, as in the expressions: ‘l’ma’an’ (that) *their heart may melt;*³⁷ ‘l’ma’an’ (that) *your altars may be laid waste;*³⁸, 6:6. Of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, ‘l’ma’an’ (that) they may be cut off,³⁹ and many other similar verses. In my opinion this is the best and most correct of all that has been written about this verse from many aspects. It is also possible to explain that the phrase [that the watered …] refers back to the expression a root that beareth gall and wormwood,³³ the verse stating that he will bless himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace,’ so that his watered branch, on which grow and sprout the wormwood and gall, should be added to the thirsty one on which nothing has grown.⁴⁰ Or the watered may be a surname for the aforementioned wormwood, meaning that the watered wormwood which sprouts and grows exceedingly will be added to the thirsty which until now has grown but little — so that now both will sprout. Thus the intent is to state that anyone who will hear the imprecation and will imagine himself to be immune against it, holding strongly to [this] stubborness, and, as a result, his thoughts will bring him to [further] sin sprouting transgressions greater than the first [the Eternal will not be willing to pardon him etc.].²⁶ This also is a correct interpretation.

footnotes: ³⁰ Jeremiah 31:13. ³¹ Ibid. ³² Psalms 63:2. ³³ Succah 52b. ³⁴ Verse 17. ³⁵ In other words, it is not the sinner who says: “L’ma’an ³⁶ Jeremiah 42:6. See my Hebrew commentary p. 478, Note 32, that the reference in the Hebrew text of Ramban is to above, 4:40, but the word l’ma’an ³⁷ Ezekiel 21:20. ³⁸ Ibid. ³⁹ Hosea 8:4. The result referred to in each of the last three verses is involuntary. Here, too, it cannot be said that they made idols of gold and silver “so that” they may be cut off. Rather, Scripture states that the undesired result will be that, in punishment, they will be cut off. ³³ Succah 52b. ⁴⁰ The difference between the two interpretations is: In the first interpretation “the watered” was not lustful — it was “the thirsty” that was the sinful part of the soul. In the second interpretation, however, the sinful aspect of the soul is “the watered” part, for on it has already grown “the gall and the wormwood;” and “the thirsty” is the pure part of the soul, for nothing evil has yet grown on it. The third explanation which follows is similar to the second with a minor change, as explained in the text (Kur Zahav). ²⁶ Verse 19.

THE ANGER OF THE ETERNAL AND HIS JEALOUSY SHALL BE KINDLED AGAINST THAT MAN — this refers to the curse against the individual sinner, man or woman.

AND THE ETERNAL SHALL BLOT OUT HIS NAME — this is the curse against a whole family [if they all be sinners] for there is a common name to the head of their father’s house [and that name will be erased].

AND THE ETERNAL SHALL MARK HIM OFF FOR EVIL. This refers to a tribe from among the remaining tribes of Israel.

AND THE REMOTE GENERATION, YOUR CHILDREN THAT SHALL RISE UP AFTER YOU, SHALL SAY. For the tribes of Israel in the first generation already knew [the cause of the disaster] for they heard the imprecations of the covenant [and therefore he states that the future generation will inquire into the cause of the disaster]. It is possible that this verse refers back to the root that beareth gall and wormwood,³³ that when this occurs in future generations, they will inquire into its cause.

footnotes: ³³ Succah 52b.

GODS THAT THEY KNEW NOT — “gods in whom they had never experienced any Divine power. ‘V’LO CHALAK LAHEM’ (AND THAT HE HATH NOT ALLOTTED UNTO THEM) — He did not give these [gods] to them [Israel] to be their portion. And Onkelos rendered this expression: v’lo otiva l’hon, meaning, ‘they had not done them any good.’ [Onkelos thus explained] the term chalak as meaning, ‘that god which they have chosen for themselves has never chalak (apportioned) them any inheritance or portion.” This is Rashi’s language. The correct interpretation is: “gods that they knew not as gods, that is to say, [they worshipped gods] whom they knew not as having acted with any Divine power inherent to their essence. And the Eternal, the G-d of their fathers did not allot them [these gods] to them, meaning that He did not designate them as lords over Israel as He placed them over the nations.” I have already explained this.⁴¹

footnotes: ⁴¹ See Leviticus 18:25, and above, 4:19.

AND THE ETERNAL ROOTED THEM OUT OF THEIR LAND, for He will exile the tribe that will do evil in the sight of the Eternal, as it is stated, and he [the king of Assyria] carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Menasheh.⁴² The correct interpretation is that he is now alluding to the exile of all Israel, all of them being evil, and they will be banished in a complete exile. Similarly, the following chapter, And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee⁴³ is a reference to the exile of all Israel, as he said, among all the nations whither the Eternal thy G-d hath driven thee,⁴³ and so he concludes the entire chapter.

footnotes: ⁴² I Chronicles 5:26. ⁴³ Further, 30:1. ⁴³ Further, 30:1.

THE SECRET THINGS BELONG UNTO THE ETERNAL OUR G-D. In the opinion of the commentators⁴⁴ the verse states: “It is for the Eternal our G-d to execute judgment upon those who worship idols secretly, for all hidden matters are revealed before Him, but the things that are revealed are upon us and our children that we may do to them all the words of this Law — to smite the idol-worshippers in accordance with the law of the Torah. According to the interpretation of the Rabbis, too, it is so.⁴⁵ By way of the simple meaning of Scripture it is my opinion that the secret things are the sins that are hidden from those who commit them, as it is stated, Who can discern errors? Cleanse Thou me from hidden faults.⁴⁶ The verse states: “[Our] hidden sins belong to G-d alone; for them we bear no guilt for having transgressed [unknowingly]. But the things that are revealed, namely our conscious sins, belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this Law as an eternal statute. As such we accepted it, obligating the one who was present [when the covenant was made] and the one who was not present. And because he included in the imprecation [the obligation] to perform all the commandments, he excluded from the ban whoever commits a sin unintentionally, so that he should not be afflicted by this curse. The words of Onkelos indicate this, for he rendered it, “The secret things are before the Eternal our G-d,” [thus implying that we will not be punished for sins we have committed unknowingly], but if he agreed with the [aforementioned] interpretation of the commentators [that it is for G-d to punish conscious sins committed secretly] then Onkelos should have said, “The secret things are ‘to’ the Eternal our G-d” [to punish].

footnotes: ⁴⁴ Ibn Ezra and others. ⁴⁵ Sanhedrin 43b. ⁴⁶ Psalms 19:13.