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In describing the individual whose arrogance causes him to go astray, the Ramban writes, “Bad roots producing bad growths.” The Ramban views the father as the root and the son as the outgrowth of that root. A child learns to emulate what he sees at home. He values that which is highly regarded at home, and he denigrates that which is reviled by his parents.  What he hears, sees, and where he goes, leave a lasting impression on him. Indeed, the child is the proverbial “apple,” which usually does not fall far from the tree. Horav Moshe Swift, z.l., asserts…

The Ramban explains that the individual whose slight deviation will eventually grow into blatant evil is at present a pious Jew. He stands in seeming direct contradistinction to the full-fledged believer in paganism. Nonetheless, the Torah combines the two into one group. Indeed, their only point of divergence is intellectual belief. To the unknowing onlooker, they may appear to be two very different people. One is an obvious heretic, while the other acts like he should be grouped with the devout. The Torah says, however, that appearances are deceiving. The two individuals act distinctly, but their heresy is essentially similar….