Weekly Torah Portion: Parashot Matot-Masai 5784

Weekly Torah Portion: Be truthful to your words
In this week’s parshios of Matos /Masei, the Torah opens with the laws of vows. The Torah states in Bamidbar 30:3: “Ish Ki Yidor Neder LaHashem, O Hishava Shvua Lesor Isar Al Nofsho Lo Yacheil Dvaro, K’Chol HaYotzei MiPiv Yaaseh”: “If a man vows to God, or makes an oath which obligates himself, he must not break his word. He must do all that he expressed verbally.” Immediately, we take note of the negative ‘Do not break a word,’ followed by a positive ‘Do all that was expressed.’ There is a Mitzvas Asei (positive command) and a Lo SaAsei (negative command) associated with the same idea. Rav Yoel Schwartz, in his sefer Davar B’Ito, explains the mitzva to fulfill vows and oaths as a very serious matter. The world shook when God said, “Do not take my name in vain.” Words are to be taken seriously. Nevertheless, there are times when a person has regret for making a vow or just saying he will do such and such. Even though there is recourse that if he realizes later on that this was not what he wanted he can go to one sage or three ordinary individuals to annul the statement, vow, promise or custom that he was doing. However, someone who fulfills his word and does not annul it is praised.
There are two types of vows mentioned in the opening sidra՚ of this parasha, נֶדֶר (neder), and אִסָּר (՚issar). A neder is usually a vow whereby one promises to do something once something else has come about, e.g. someone might vow to donate a certain sum of money to a charitable organisation every time that YHWH grants them a child. While an ՚issar is a bond or an obligation, that someone binds upon himself or herself to carry out on a regular basis, for example to swear never to eat meat or drink wine until the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. When one makes a vow or swears a bond the wording must not be open to interpretation and should be clear as well as precise. Neither should one make a vow or swear a bond that is either stupid, nonsensical, or is not in one's power to fulfil, such as, "I vow to give all the gold in the world each and every time the sky turns green". Another form of vow or bond that is invalid is either one that is a negation of the commandments of the Torah, i.e. "I vow to drink blood", or one where the object of the vow is already incumbent upon us by virtue of the Torah, "I swear to refrain from working on the Shabbath". For a neder or for an ՚issar to become actual the name of YHWH has to be pronounced in the formula, "YHWH your God you shall revere Him you shall serve; and to Him you shall hold fast, and by His name you shall swear" (Deut. 10:20). Therefore, if one was to say, "By father and mother I will do so and so if thus and thus comes to pass," the vow is not binding, but if one was to say, "I vow by YHWH to do so and so if thus and thus will come to pass," then the vow is binding.
"If a man shall vow a vow to YHWH or swears an oath to bind a bond upon his soul/life-force, he shall not desecrate his word; according to all that goes out of his mouth he shall do" (Num. 30:3). For an adult male as well as for a woman who is either divorced or widowed, once they have made a neder or sworn an ՚issar it cannot be abrogated and its terms must be fulfilled. They cannot turn to a kohen to revoke it nor is there a formula in the Torah for its annulment; what comes out of their mouth has to be brought about. The commandments concerning vows and bonds teach a very important lesson, that being, "We are responsible for the words that emanate from our lips and are held accountable for the good or bad that they might cause as we are for the actions of our hands". Therefore, making a neder or swearing an ՚issar should not be taken lightly. If one swears an ՚issar before YHWH that they will never eat chocolate again for as long as they live, then no matter how much they might desire chocolate in the future they can never eat chocolate again.
The highest level of keeping one’s word is found in Makkos 24a, whereby a person should live up to the character of Rav Safra. Rav Safra spoke the truth from his heart. He once had an object for sale. While he was reciting the Shema, a buyer offered a price that Rav Safra found acceptable. However, the buyer thought that Rav Safra rejected the offer, because he received no answer from Rav Safra. In truth, however, Rav Safra could not answer because he was in the middle of Keri'as Shema. The buyer increased the offer. After he completed his prayers, Rav Safra refused the buyer's second offer and insisted upon accepting the first offer, which he had already accepted in his mind.
In Sfas Emes, Reb Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, explains the words “Do not desecrate your word” as follows: “Whoever does not desecrate his word, then everything that comes out of his mouth he will do. Hashem then listens and hears his prayers on the level of a Tzadik who declares and God fulfills. Read the remaining on: Kehilatbetayisrael.org