Parshat Mattot; Numbers 30:2-32:42 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger
This week’s torah reading opens with a discussion of vows and oaths. These are serious business within Jewish tradition. In fact all words are serious business. God creates the world through words. The Ten Commandments and the Torah were revealed through speech. There are many passages in the Torah and Tanach that teach us the importance of words and the sins of lies, falsehoods, and insults.
In this passage we are reminded that vows and oaths must be fulfilled. The text says, “He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” Vows and oaths are sworn aloud and not just in the recesses of the mind. They are formal and solemn and according to our tradition to be taken seriously. Most vows and oaths however, are sworn in moments of turmoil or trouble. Our vows to act in a certain way or take upon ourselves additional obligations often invite God to rescue us from our situation. Vows and oaths are often the deal we make to be liberated from a difficult moment. This is best illustrated by the saying; “There are no atheists in a foxhole.”
The vows and oaths that we make also have the force and power of a commandment from the Torah. Just as we are bound to the mitzvot, we are bound to fulfill our vow. That is how the sages understood the importance of the neder or vow.
In addition to the neder-or vow and sh’vuah-oath, is a third kind of vow called an issar. This bond or pledge is usually a negative vow to resist or abstain from doing something that is allowable. In each of these cases whether it is to do something or to not do something, one’s word is sacred and transforms the individual who makes the vow, oath or pledge.
For most people, the only time they come into contact with the power of an oath or vow is both in legal proceedings swearing to tell the truth and at weddings when brides and grooms often exchange vows. But time and again we see that perjury and lying under oath eats away at the power of swearing an oath. It used to be that a person’s character was judged by his word—how he or she kept her word. But in today’s world all we have to do is scan the headlines to read of the broken promises that line the pages of the morning newspaper whether from politicians who pledge one thing during the campaign and then do something else once elected or from corporation who pledged to take care of workers only to raid their pensions. And certainly among brides and grooms the vows to honor one another come to a screeching halt as more than half of all marriages end in divorce.
Thus it is an important reminder to us all that the words we use and the promises and vows we make still matter. They matter to our society and we believe they matter to God. Thus when we pray, May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, O God, My Rock and My Redeemer,” let it help us remember that our words are not just empty vessels, but sacred vessels that connect us to God and our covenant more closely. Let our vows be upheld and our oath be fulfilled. If we do so we can restore some of the sanity to our world and integrity to our society.
Posted by Lee at July 25, 2005 09:20 AM
