Parshat Matos Masei 5777
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read this week in parshat Matos the laws of Nedarim, the laws involved in making vows. The Torah commands that one may not violate his vow, as the pasuk states (Chapter 30, Pasuk 3), Lo Yachel Devaro, One may not violate his words. Immediately after the Torah continues and commands K'Chol Asher Yeitzei M'Piv Ya'ase, everything which comes out from his mouth he shall fulfill. Surely if one is not to violate his words then he is commanded to fulfill his words. Why does the Torah need to add the positive command of fulfilling one's words after commanding not to violate them?
The Torah uses an unusual term, Lo Yachel rather than the more typical Lo Ya'avor, which is a more standard way of expressing the notion of not violating. Rashi explains that this is because the words Lo Yachel mean, do not make your words Chulin. Chulin is used in contradistinction to Kodesh, something which is holy. The pasuk is teaching us that one's words are meant to be holy. When one makes a vow and doesn't keep his word, he is profaning the ability of his mouth to create holiness.
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avos (Chapter 1, Mishnah 17) teaches that one's mouth is similar to a Kli Shareis, one of the vessels used in the service in the Beis Hamikdash. When the flour of a meal offering, for example, is placed in the vessel it becomes Hekdesh. Similarly one has to be conscious of the fact that his words have the same ability for creating Kedushah. One of the ways he can create Kedushah is by making a Neder. This is why when one doesn't stick to his words they become Chulin.
The Gemara in Nedarim 35A asks the following question. There is a prohibition of Me'ilah in the Torah which prohibits benefiting from something which is Hekdesh. Included in the procedure for one who violated this issur is the obligation to bring a Karban Asham, a guilt offering. The Gemara asks, when one makes a private vow, does it have the status similar to a Karban so that Me'ilah applies and one has to bring a Karban Asham. And the Gemara concludes that the prohibition of Me'ilah applies to a private vow as well.
The Ran on the Gemara asks an additional question on the Gemara's conclusion. When one violates the prohibition of Me'ilah and gets benefit from a Karban, it automatically becomes Chulin. It no longer maintains its status of Hekdesh. The Ran asks, do we say the same thing regarding vows? If there is an issur of Me'ilah by Nedarim, then if one violates his vow, i.e. he says he won't eat from a certain loaf of bread and then he does eat, does that mean his vow no longer applies? Is the loaf of bread now permissible for him to eat? The Ran asks this question and leaves it unanswered.
The Meshech Chachmah answers the question from our pasuk. Basing himself on a Medrash, he teaches that this is what the words in the pasuk mean. Lo Yachel Devaro, one may not make his words Chulin, he may not violate his words. And if he does make them Chulin, then we have the next words in the pasuk, K'Chol Asher Yetzei M'Piv Ya'ase. He still must keep his words. Nedarim are not like Karbanos which become Chulin after the issur of Me'ilah takes place. By Nedarim one must still keep his vow. The holiness of his words is maintained even after he slips up and violates his words.
We see from this a stringency by Nedarim which doesn't apply to Karbanos. Perhaps the explanation is from an idea taught by the Sfas Emes. He says the word Neder comes from the word Dirah, a dwelling place. The pasuk we quoted above begins with the words Ki Yidor Neder L'Hashem. When one makes a vow, its Kedushah is established by Hashem, so to speak, "dwelling in his words". The first Neder was made by Yaakov Avinu who said (Bereishis, Chapter 28, Pasuk 22), V'Ha'Even Hazos Asher Samti Matzeivah Yihyeh Beis Elokim. Yaakov's vow is that a permanent structure of service to Hashem will be established by his vow.
We can now expand on the words of Rashi. When one makes a vow he establishes Kedushah and may not violate that holiness. But he does more than that. Because his words have Kedushah, they also have permanence; they are compared to a permanent structure. The holiness of Hashem dwells in his words. And even when one violates his original vow, the Kedushah of his words are permanent and therefore maintained and he still must be careful to fulfill them. This is why he still is commanded K'Chol Asher Yetzei M'Piv Ya'ase.
Good Shabbos
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