parshaמפרשי הפרשה

רמב"ן — זכור את אשר עשה ה' אלהיך למרים בדרך

Rashi reads "זכור את אשר עשה ה' אלהיך למרים" as practical advice: if you want to avoid tzaraat, remember Miriam and avoid lashon hara. Ramban disagrees sharply. Why, and what changes?

ולפי דעתי שהיא מצות עשה ממש, כמו 'זכור את יום השבת לקדשו', 'זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים', 'זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק', כולם מצוה, אם כן גם זה כמותם. והיא אזהרה מלדבר לשון הרע, יצוה במצות עשה שנזכור העונש הגדול שעשה ה' לצדקת הנביאה, שלא דברה אלא באחיה גמול חסדה אשר אהבתו כנפשה.

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רמב"ן

רמב"ן על דברים כ״ד:ט׳

Ramban on Deuteronomy 24:9

Q — Rashi reads "זכור את אשר עשה ה' אלהיך למרים" as practical advice: if you want to avoid tzaraat, remember Miriam and avoid lashon hara. Ramban disagrees sharply. Why, and what changes?

A — Ramban: this is a real mitzvat aseh, parallel to "זכור את יום השבת," "זכור את היום הזה," "זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק" — all of which are real חיובים. And per the Sifrei, the fulfillment is verbal: "שתהא שונה בפיך" — not mental recall but a chiyuv to RECOUNT Miriam's story to our children. The Torah commanded this public exposure even at the cost of speaking בגנותם של צדיקים — knowing that Miriam was nevia, spoke only to "אחיה הקדוש" Aharon, only privately, only about her beloved brother — and was still struck — is precisely the deterrent that keeps אזהרת לשון הרע "שומה בפיהם." (Bonus: same parsha — "ונשמרת מכל דבר רע" includes a special prohibition on lashon hara IN THE MACHANE, "כדי שלא ירבו ביניהם מחלוקת" — internal strife is more dangerous than external enemies.)

ולפי דעתי שהיא מצות עשה ממש, כמו 'זכור את יום השבת לקדשו', 'זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים', 'זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק', כולם מצוה, אם כן גם זה כמותם. והיא אזהרה מלדבר לשון הרע, יצוה במצות עשה שנזכור העונש הגדול שעשה ה' לצדקת הנביאה, שלא דברה אלא באחיה גמול חסדה אשר אהבתו כנפשה.

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