Ramban Devarim

by R. Gidon Rothstein Ramban, Parshat Ekev, Week Two: The Mysteries of Cause and Effect When Did Hashem Select the Levi’im? דברים י:ח בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗וא הִבְדִּ֤יל יְקֹוָק֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣בֶט הַלֵּוִ֔י לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־יְקֹוָ֑ק … Devarim 10;8: At that time, Hashem separated the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Covenant of Hashem… The opening phrase of the verse times ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein Ramban To Ekev, Week One: The Hidden Drama We Can Easily Miss Helps Society Function On the first verse of Parshat Ekev (7;12) דברים ז:יב וְהָיָ֣ה׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ יְקֹוָ֨ק אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ: Devarim 7;12:  And it will be, in return for your hearkening to these ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein Ramban to VaEtchanan, Week Two: Four Strategies to Serve Hashem What does it mean to serve Hashem? Moshe is described in the Torah as an eved Hashem, one who served Gd, which is seen as the highest compliment possible. Ramban to VaEtchanan gives examples of ways we can get closer to being such servants of our ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein Ramban to VaEtchanan, Week One: Techniques and Challenges of Sticking to the Path As Moshe stands at the end of his life, Ramban reads many of his statements in VaEtchanan as striving to help the new generation enter the Land with the best chances for success. The first examples are what are often today confused with ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein Ramban on Devarim, Week Two: Where Life Went Wrong Parashat Devarim, and the beginning of Parashat Va-Etchanan reviews the Jews’ time in the desert, Moshe pointing out to them where they misstepped or willfully violated Hashem’s Will. Ramban’s comment to the first verse reads this as prelude to the review of mitzvot, starting from the Aseret ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein Ramban to Devarim, Week One: Preparing a New Generation for Their Great Adventure I remember fellows in yeshiva pondering who was greater, Rashi or Rambam, since they seem to be the two most impactful scholars of the post-Talmudic Torah world. I don’t think I’m the first or only who would argue that Ramban belongs in that conversation, since ...