In this week’s parsha, regarding the vows, the Torah says, לֹא יַחֵל דְּ בָרוֹ And Rashi comments: “he should not profane his word; [that is,] he should not make his words mundane.” The commentators ask why doesn’t the verse simply say ‘he should not transgress his word’? The Nesivos Shalom (Mattos, “Lo Yachel Devaro”) explains that with Rashi’s interpretation, the meaning of the verse has a deep meaning. A person’s words have kedusha and thus, he cannot make them mundane.
But from where did the words receive their kedusha? The answer is, from the person’s mouth. Nesivos Shalom cites the teachings of Rabbeinu Yona that a mouth of Jew takes a status of a כלי שרת (a dedicated vessel used for avodas Hashem) when he uses it in an upstanding way. The Nesivos Shalom asks: Why out of all parts of the body the mouth is the part that can have a status of a כלי שרת? He gives a remarkable answer:
The navi says (Yeshayahu 43:21): עַם־זוּ יָצַרְּ תִּי לִּי תְּהִּלָתִּי יְּסַפֵרוּ (This nation I created for Myself, [so that] it will tell about My praises). In other words, says the Nesivos Shalom, the purpose of Bnei Yisroel in the world is to talk about Hashem’s praises. Therefore, the mouth is unique and has a potential to become a כלי that’s dedicated for the sanctified work.
