[Avodah] The Ramban on the Ibn Ezra

[Zev Sero]

I find the entire idea that RABE's "secret of twelve" was a secret 
heresy to be without foundation, and think it more likely that this is 
wishful thinking by heretics who would like to find "a great tree" on 
which to hang their heresy.  We don't know what the secret was, because 
it was a secret, but his comment on Vayishlach makes it unlikely to be 
what the "bible critics" claim it is.

On Bereshis 12:6, he simply says:   "If it is not so, then there is a 
secret here, and the intelligent person should be silent".  On Bereshis 
22:14, and Devarim 3:11 and 31:22 he makes no comment at all, and indeed 
there's nothing unusual to hint at, no reason to even suppose these 
pesukim might not have been written at the same time as what surrounds 
them.

The "secret of the twelve" is in Devarim 1:1, on the words "Eleven days 
out of Chorev", which makes me think whatever this secret is relates to 
that, and perhaps to a mystical "twelfth day".  It's there that he 
cryptically mentions these four pesukim, with no context or explanation; 
the theory that he was hinting at a deep secret heresy in his heart is 
therefore pure speculation and should be rejected.

The Ramban's (or whoever wrote it) comment in Shir Hashirim only means 
that there existed such heretics in his day; there is not even the hint 
of a hint that RABE might have been among them.  These are the same 
heretics who claimed him; there's no reason to suppose the Ramban agreed 
with that claim.

-- 
Zev Sero            A prosperous and healthy 2018 to all
zev at sero.name       Seek Jerusalem's peace; may all who love you prosper