Ramban on the Torah

Discussion of Ramban - 31:13 - at what age are children brought to Hakhel: as toddlers, or only once they will have some understanding (6-7 years old).

Explantion of Ramban - 23:5, 23:7 - debate between Ibn Ezra and Ramban whether Moav gave the Jewish people food and water, and what it means not to offer them peace.

Explanation of Ramban - 20:10, 20:11 - debate between Rashi vs. Rambam/Ramban whether Canaanite nations can surrender, and discussion of why the Gibeonites had to lie to surrender and not do so openly? Rambam, Tosafos and Ramban's answers.

Explanation of Ramban - 1) 17:6 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban regarding why the Torah mentions "three witnesses"? 2) 19:19 - Ramban and other commentators' explanations for why if the victim is killed the lying witnesses get no punishment, whereas if he's still alive they get killed?

Explanation of Ramban - 15:1 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban what "miketz" means, and when hakhel and cancelling the debts in shemitah happens.

Explanation of Ramban - 10:1 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban whether there were one or two arks in the desert.

Explanation of Ramban - 1) 5:15, 16:12 - debate between Rashi/Ibn Ezra versus Rambam/Ramban regarding the two different reasons for Shabbos in the Ten Commandments. 2) 4:19, 32:12, Shemos 12:12, Vayikra 18:25, Bamidbar 11:16, 14:9, 23:23 - Ramban's theory about the mistake of idolatry.

Explanation of Ramban - 1:1, 1:2 - debate between Rashi versus Ibn Ezra/Ramban how to read the first four verses in Devarim and what they are trying to accomplish and setup.

Explanation of Ramban - 33:1 - who cites Rashi and Rambam's explanations for why the Torah lists the locations where the Jewish people stopped in the desert.

Explanation of Ramban - 32:33, 32:40 - debate between Ramban versus Ibn Ezra over the role of the half tribe of Menashe in the story in ch. 32, including the debate between Ramban and Rashi what percentage of Menashe lived outside Israel, and the debate between Meshech Chochma versus the Brisker Rav whether the half tribe of Mhenashe had the same status as the tribes of Reuven and Gad

Explantion of Ramban - 1) 26:46 - what made Serach bat Asher so unique? Three approaches of Rashi, Onkelos and Ramban. 2) 26:13 - discussion of Rashi (and R. Moshe Hadarshan) and Ramban what criteria the Torah used to identify and divide the families in the census.

Explanation of Ramban - 22:5, 22:31, 23:4, 23:16, 23:23, 24:1 - debate over what Bilam's abilities were: Rashi (prophet) vs. Ibn Ezra (astrologer) vs. Ramban (magician), and discussion of Bilam's prophetic abilities compared to Moshe.

Explanation of Ramban - 22:13, 19 - debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban about the book cited in 21:14, and the meaning of the two poems recorded in the Sixth Aliyah.

Explanation of Ramban - 16:1, 4, 5 - 1) Debate between Ibn Ezra versus Ramban whether Korach's rebellion was before or after the spies, 2) Who joined Korach's rebellion and why? A) Rashi - Korach wanted power, and got his neighbors from Reuven to join. B) Rabbenu Chananel - Korach led Leviim in rebelling against the Kohanim's elevation. C) Ibn Ezra - Korach led firstborns in rebelling against the Leviim's elevation. D) Ramban - It was a disunited group, Korach wanted power, some people from Reuven opposed Moshe's leadership, and some firstborns opposed the Leviim's elevation

Explantion of Ramban - 1) 13:2 debate between Rashi vs. Ramban about what the mission of the spies was, and whether sending spies was a mistake to begin with, 2) 13:27, 13:32, 14:37 - Ramban's theory that the spies told lies about the land of Israel

Explanation of Ramban - Introduction, 5:2, 5:6, 8:1, 9:1 - Ramban's comprehensive theory, versus Rashi and Ibn Ezra, for the order and central themes of Sefer Bamidbar, particularly the placement of Sotah, Nazir, Menorah, and Pesach Sheni.

Explanation of Ramban - 5:18, 5:20 - 1) Debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban what the Torah means in calling the Sotah water 'bitter', and the debate over what the Ibn Ezra's secret is. 2) Ramban's explanation that Sotah only happens when the Jewish people are worthy of a miracle

Explanation of Ramban - 3:14 - Ramban's two explanations for why the Leviim were the smallest tribe, and discussion of Ohr Hachaim and Klei Yakar's (3:39) approach.

Explanation of Ramban - 26:16, Devarim 28:48 - discussion of Ramban's theory that the Vayikra tochacha refers to the first exile, and the Devarim tochacha refers to the second (current) exile, versus R. Avraham bar Chiya who argues precisely the opposite.

Explanation of Ramban - 25:1, 16:1 - when were parshas Behar (shemita) and Bechukosai (tochacha) said? Three way debate between Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Ramban where these parshas fit in chronologically.