Shabbos Parashas Ki Seitzei - 5775

Shabbos Parashas Ki Seitzei - 5775

Rabbi Hal Miller

When you make a vow to Hashem your G-d, you shall not be late in paying it, for Hashem

your G-d will demand it of you, and there will be a sin in you. If you will refrain from vowing,

there will be no sin in you. [Devarim 23:22-23]

We are often taught that we must go as far out of our way as need be to perform mitzvos,

and that we should jump to perform them immediately as they become available to us. There

are many commandments about oaths and vows in various places throughout the Torah. Why

is our verse here telling us to avoid these mitzvos? Our verse says that if we avoid vows,

there will be no sin. In fact, in the case of a subcategory, the Nazir, one who takes such a

vow is actually called a sinner!

We must ask why vows and oaths are associated with sin. A number of answers appear

in the various commentaries, but they can be generically classified in two camps.

The first is that taking a vow is denying ourselves something which would otherwise be

permitted. While this sounds like personal choice, it is also a denial of G-d's authority. It

is He who permitted the thing that we have elected to prohibit. Like the story of Rav Hirsch

and the Alps that I've told here before, G-d gave us things that He wants us to enjoy. It

is not for us to deny His wishes.

The second camp is that vows are likely to set us up for sin. This can happen in a

variety of ways:

- a vow is an obligation to something specific in a future that is always uncertain to us.

We do not know what conditions may be in place at the time we need to fulfill the vow,

which is part of the opening that Torah scholars use when nullifying vows, but such a

nullification is not guaranteed.

- we might forget to fulfill a vow on time.

- we might be prevented, even against our best efforts, from fulfilling the vow on time.

- some might actually change their mind and "blow off" the vow, intentionally not

fulfilling it.

- we might not properly understand how to fulfill the vow, and thus even when we make

all effort, we may fail.

Lack of knowledge may bite us in other ways too. For instance, if we vow to do something

that we are already obligated to do, we might have committed ourselves to accomplish

it twice, or perhaps in a different fashion. We might have run afoul of blessings made

in vain.

Aside from the matter of possible sin, we must also ask what the benefit of a vow would

be. If we vow to do what we are already obligated to do, there is clearly no value. If we

vow to do something wrong, or to refrain from doing what we are obligated to do, the

vow is either invalid, or a commitment to a sin. In the case where we choose to do something

that is optional, there may be value in accomplishing that, but the fact that we vow to do

or refrain does not add to that value. Are we allowed to put our good name into something

that has no value?

As Sforno puts it, "You are expected to honor your undertakings without reinforcing them

in the form of a vow or oath."

Whether because of possible sin, or mere lack of value, the Torah is teaching us that

making a vow is not a good thing to do in most instances. If one vows, our verse teaches

further that the vower is committed and must fulfill the vow.

The lesson to us is to be careful what we say. This applies even beyond the world of

vows and oaths.