Parshas Ki Seitze 5784

The Torah tells us (Vayikra 23:22-24) “If you make a vow to Hashem, your G-d, do not delay in discharging it; for Hashem, your G-d, will surely demand it from you, and you will be at fault. But if you refrain from vowing, no fault will be found with you. That which is gone out of your lips you shalt keep and perform.” The Torah seems to discourage making נדרים  (vows). Rashi (reflecting the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah 6a), understands that not fulfilling a vow is a very serious matter, as it violates both a positive and negative commandment. In fact, the Torah explicitly says that you are better off not making any vows at all because at least then, “no fault will be found with you.” (23:23). Rav Dimi (Nedarim 77b) goes further, making the inference that if you do not refrain from making vows, there is sin.

The question is, why do Chazal interpret the Torah’s perspective toward vows in such a negative manner? One could legitimately desire to make a vow in order to better motivate oneself to avoid sin, to move to a higher level of observance or to deal with a painful chapter in one’s life. (See the Torah Temimah 23:24, note 122). Why does there appear to be such a strong attitude against making vows?

The Ramban writes that the problem lies in the psychological state of the person making the vow. People often do not consider when they make a vow the possibility that they may not be able to properly fulfill the vow. They focus on the positives of making the vow, and fail to think about all the possible circumstances which might make it difficult or impossible to fulfill the vow. Moreover, the Ramban says that people believe that Hashem will credit them with their good intentions when they made the vow, even if they are unable to fulfill the vow. In other words, they think that if things go wrong, “Hashem will understand.”

This attitude appears to stem from a lack of understanding in how serious the Torah considers our power of speech. Rabbenu Bachye says that even outside of the context of vows, one is obligated to fulfill whatever comes out of one’s mouth. Indeed, the Rabbis instituted a curse (מי שפרע) for one who reneges on his word, whether in business or any type of commitment. The text of the curse is: “He who punished (מי שפרע) the generation of the Flood will exact payment from one who does not keep his word.” (Bava Metzia 47b). Rabbenu Bachye adds that we are all Hashem’s children, and we are sanctified with the “covenant of the mouth” just as we are sanctified with “the covenant of the bris milah.”

As we are now nearly midway through the month of Elul, we should reflect on the holiness of the power of speech that Hashem gave us and how we should aspire to the highest levels of integrity in our commitments. The custom on Rosh Hashanah is to undo our vows, and we similarly start Yom Kippur with Kol Nidrei, reflecting the importance of the commitments that we make during this time. We should merit to be sincere in all our words and in our teshuvah, and in that merit be worthy of a כתיבה וחתימה טובה (written and sealed for a good year), for us and all the Jewish people.