The parashiyot that are read between Shiva Asar B’Tammuz and Tisha B’Av relate, on some level, to the Bein HaMetzarim. Parashat Matot discusses sins relating to speech. The Torah teaches that when one makes a vow, "He shall not break his pledge; he must fulfill all that crosses his lips"(Bamidbar 30:3). People often believe that while actions are serious, words don’t harm anyone. The Torah is teaching us that a person who takes a vow is bound by a mitzvah of the Torah! Similarly, if a person consecrates an animal or object, he is obligated to donate it to the Bet HaMikdash.
The Talmud (Yoma 9b) teaches that the Second Temple was destroyed because of sinat chinam (baseless hatred). The Gemara explains, based on a verse from Sefer Yechezkel (21:17), that in the time of the Second Temple, people would eat and drink with each other, but "they would stab each other with verbal barbs." In other words, the sinat chinam was expressed in how people spoke to each other. Before concluding our prayers each day, in the "Elokai netzor," we pray that G-d should protect us from this behavior.
Although the Talmud attributes the destruction of the Second Temple to this sin, the rabbis teach us that every generation in which the Temple is not rebuilt, it is as if it were destroyed in their days. Therefore, it is certainly no coincidence that we read of the sins of speech, the primary cause of the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash, during these three weeks.
The Midrash comments at the beginning of this parasha (Bamidbar 35:3), "And when a man takes a vow.” The verse (Kohelet 9:12) "A person does not know his end" refers to this verse in the Torah. What is the relationship between knowing one’s end and taking a vow? The Rabbis apparently see a connection between death, or mortality, and speech. Indeed, the very first sin recorded in the Torah (Bereishit 3), when Chava spoke to the serpent, resulted in introducing death to the world. Mortality is the result of the sins of speech.
Similarly, David Hamelech, in Tehillim (119:17-18), says, "Deal kindly with Your servant, that I may live to keep Your word. Open my eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Your teaching." David HaMelech was thankful for his long life and concluded that the secret to a long life is to "keep your word." And how did he know this? Some explain by the word "gal," whose numerical equivalence is thirty-three. What is the significance of thirty-three? The Rabbis explain that Yaakov Avinu died at age 147, thirty-three years younger than his father, Yitzhak, due to the ingratitude towards G-d he expressed in thirty-three words (Bereishit 47:8-9). David HaMelech realized the power of speech, which shortened Yaakov’s life by thirty-three years.
These parshiyot are read during this time of year in order to teach us the severity of the sins of speech. The Torah says that "one should not profane his word" because "all that comes from his mouth makes something." Once a word is uttered, it cannot be taken back. Of course, as the Rabbis teach us, "Lefum tzaara agara" – in accordance with one’s mouth is one’s anguish and also one’s reward. One can also do great things with one’s mouth. One of the most important things one can do with their mouth is limud Torah, and more specifically, limud Torah shebe’al peh.
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