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Dvar Torah for Parshat Matot-MasseiA rendering of Likutey Halakhot, Hilkhot Birkhat HaShachar 5:90
"Parshat Matot speaks about vows. Through the mitzvah of making vows we can see and understand the awesome power of speech. For immediately upon expressing the vow one is obligated to fulfill the words that have left his mouth. "For in truth, vows are an awesome PLiAh (wonder); 'When a man or woman maPhLeA. (expresses) a Nazarite vow...' (Numbers 6:2 30:3). This is because they manifest a wondrous wisdom, namely the greatness of a person, who has free will, who through his mouth has the ability to make for himself new mitzvot which he was not commanded. "For example, a person may take a vow forbidding himself to eat some permissible food. Immediately, that food becomes forbidden to him as if it were explicitly written in the Torah! This is amazing. For in fact this food, in its spiritual root, is not at all forbidden. Nonetheless, immediately upon expressing his words that it be forbidden to him - even without mentioning God's name! - it becomes as forbidden to him as any full fledged Torah prohibition. "This is an indication of how much potential a person, who has free will, has. The majority of this strength stems from one's mouth and heart. When one's heart yearns, for example, to sanctify himself with a particular type of sanctity or separation from lust, and one orally expresses that yearning, it becomes Torah. For now, that object that he has forsworn becomes prohibited to him just as those things proscribed by the Torah are prohibited, "The reason for this is that the Jewish soul, in its root, is a cheilek Eloka mimaal (a part of God on high), and is itself an aspect of Torah. 'For the Holy One, Blessed be He, Torah and Israel are one' (3 Zohar 73a). Thus a person had the ability to take a vow and make for himself mitzvot according to his soul's desire. "The main purpose of making a vow is to sanctify oneself and to separate oneself from the lusts of this world. This is what our Sages teach, 'Vows are a fence for abstinence' (Avot 3:13). Such vows are a mitzvah to make for, 'It is permitted for a person to make a vow to give his soul a boost' (Nedarim 20a). [Editor's note: See Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, His Praises #15.] Although one can make a commitment in his heart it has the power of a vow when he expresses it orally. "People who are motivated to grow their sanctity use speech for this very powerful effect that it can have, namely, to help one overcome temptation. This is quite a curious phenomenon. For if one can overcome the temptation why does he need to take a vow? And if one is afraid that he cannot overcome the temptation what good will a vow a do? "The answer is that the vow reaches up to a very high level, pliot chokhmah, which is the source of free will. By taking the vow a person draws extra strength which enables him to overcome the temptation. However, one still has free will and has to be very, very careful to be on guard against the temptation to stray. This is why the Torah severely warns us to keep our promises and fulfill our vows. "The important thing to remember is that a vow gives one much more strength to overcome temptation. Thus we find Boaz said to Ruth, 'As God lives! Sleep till the morning' (Ruth 3:13). "'As God lives!' - Boaz swore to overcome his evil inclination" (Ruth Rabbah 6:4, end)." [The Midrash: "Rebbe Yehudah says, 'That entire night Boaz's evil inclination was tempting him: Your single and want to get married. She's single and wants to get married. Go "consumate" the marriage and she'll be your wife. Boaz finally swore 'As God lives! I won't touch her!'"] agutn Shabbos. |
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