parshaמפרשי הפרשה

רמב"ן — ושמרתם את חוקתי ואת משפטי / אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם

'אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם.' Chazal (Sifra, brought by Rashi): 'וחי בהם' refers to olam ha'ba — since in this world he eventually dies anyway.

ועל דרך הפשט, 'משפטי' כמשמען, הדינין האמורים בפרשת ואלה המשפטים ובכל התורה, ולכך יאמר אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם - כי הדינים ניתנו לחיי האדם בישוב המדינות ושלום האדם, ושלא יזיק איש את רעהו ולא ימיתנו.

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רמב"ן

רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ח:ג׳

Ramban on Leviticus 18:3

Achrei Mot

Q — 'אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם.' Chazal (Sifra, brought by Rashi): 'וחי בהם' refers to olam ha'ba — since in this world he eventually dies anyway.

A — Ramban offers a striking peshat alternative. 'משפטי' here means civil law — the dinim of parashat Mishpatim and throughout the Torah — laws between man and man. 'וחי בהם' is not a promise of afterlife reward but a direct this-worldly result: 'הדינים ניתנו לחיי האדם בישוב המדינות ושלום האדם, ושלא יזיק איש את רעהו ולא ימיתנו.' Keep the mishpatim and you live in peace — the social order is itself the life-giving reward. The implication for the gerusha of 'משפטי' and 'חוקותי': mishpatim have transparent rational benefit (and 'וחי בהם' is on their plain merits); chukim need separate justification.

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