אִ ישׁ כִּ י ֹרּיִד נֶ דֶ ר לַי־הוה אוֹ ָ בַ עּהִ שׁ שְׁ בֻ עָ ה לֶ אְ סֹר אִ סּ ָ ר עַל נַ פְ שׁ וֹ לֹא יַחֵ ל ְ בָ רוֹּד כְּ כׇל ֹצֵאּהַ י מִ פּ ִ י ו יַעֲשֶׂ ה׃ )מטות ל, ג (
“If a man makes a vow to Havayah or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips.” (Numbers 30:3)
First Reading: Serving God During Exile
The section on vows appears at the beginning of Parashat Matot at the end of the Book of Numbers. The section opens with the words, "This is the thing which Havayah has commanded," and Rashi provides an explanation for this expression—which appears in other places as well—saying that it is the special phrase that distinguishes Moses from other prophets who prophesied with "Thus says Havayah." There is something about the section on vows where the uniqueness of Moses over other prophets is revealed, in that he prophesied with a clear vision and with the power of the sage to annul vows. The sage is an extension of Moses in every generation and a spark of the Mashiach. Likewise, a husband in relation to his wife and a father to his daughter have a similar power in the annulment of vows.
This section is very much connected to women, as it primarily deals with the vows of women under the authority of their fathers or husbands, or in their own authority. Only one verse in the section deals with the vows of men, thus there is a special rectification of the woman's mode of Divine service here.
Before we begin, let's preface by saying that the making of a vow or an oath reveals a power that was not previously disclosed, and it is connected to the revelation of the spark of the Mashiach within each person. We have 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments, but surprisingly, a Jew who makes a vow (a neder) has the power to add a prohibition or an obligation beyond what the Torah prescribed. It is as if he or she is , in a manner of speaking, akin to the Almighty who gives us commandments.
