Parshas Matos
I Give My Word
A person’s word should be that person’s bond. In Jewish law, oral
agreements when properly witnessed are as binding as any written contract.
The Torah teaches us that “everything that comes forth from one’s mouth
requires that person’s fulfillment of his declaration.” Commitments, such
as vows, are viewed very seriously in Jewish law and the penalties
associated with breaking one’s commitment and/or vow are quite severe.
Because of this, King Solomon in Kohelet stated that “it is better not to
vow at all than to vow and fulfill that vow.” Due to the seriousness of
vows, it has become customary in Jewish life for one to qualify any
commitment that one may make, no matter how sincere and noble that
commitment may be, with the Hebrew words bli neder – this is not to be
construed as a vow.
In order to extricate people from vows already made, the halacha has
provided a legal mechanism that can retroactively annul vows. This
mechanism is founded on the principle that the vow was made in error,
under an erroneous assumption that circumstances would allow the vow to be
fulfilled. However, now, when it is apparent that because of changing or
unforeseen circumstances, the person is unable to execute his vow, then
the vow may be annulled retroactively. This is in reality the basis for
the famous and moving Kol Nidrei prayer that ushers in the holy day of Yom
Kippur.
We cannot ask for Divine forgiveness if we are yet burdened with
unfulfilled commitments and pledges. However, there are limitations on the
power of the Jewish court to annul vows and commitments. A vow or pledge
made publicly is not capable of being annulled in most instances. There
are other exceptions to the possibility of annulment of vows
retroactively. An entire tractate of the Talmud, Nedarim, is devoted to
the complexity of this subject. It is one of the “regular” tractates that
form the basic Talmud curriculum in the yeshivot of the world.
The name of this week’s parsha is Matot – the tribes. Moshe speaks to the
heads of the tribes of Israel and instructs them regarding the laws of
vows and oral commitments. Why is this the only place in the Torah that
these laws are given specifically to the heads of the tribes? Perhaps it
is a lesson that leaders have to be doubly careful in their words of
promises and commitments. We are well aware that in the election campaigns
that are currently mounted in the Western democratic world and here in
Israel as well, the words of the candidates must be greatly discounted.
People run on a certain platform of expressed views and commitments and
when elected often completely disregard their publicly stated pledges and
policies. If any private individual is held to one’s word by the Torah,
then how much more should public officials and elected leaders be held to
their statements, which after all, forms the basis for their election
victory. Therefore, Moshe first instructs the heads of the tribes, the
leaders of Israel, regarding these laws of the Torah. Only by fulfilling
one’s words can trust and confidence be achieved between the public and
its leaders.
Shabat shalom.
Rabbi Berel Wein
