(ב) וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הַמַּטּ֔וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ג) אִישׁ֩ כִּֽי־יִדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר לַֽיהֹוָ֗ה אֽוֹ־הִשָּׁ֤בַע שְׁבֻעָה֙ לֶאְסֹ֤ר אִסָּר֙ עַל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכׇל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (ד) וְאִשָּׁ֕ה כִּֽי־תִדֹּ֥ר נֶ֖דֶר לַיהֹוָ֑ה וְאָסְרָ֥ה אִסָּ֛ר בְּבֵ֥ית אָבִ֖יהָ בִּנְעֻרֶֽיהָ׃ (ה) וְשָׁמַ֨ע אָבִ֜יהָ אֶת־נִדְרָ֗הּ וֶֽאֱסָרָהּ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽסְרָ֣ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֔הּ וְהֶחֱרִ֥ישׁ לָ֖הּ אָבִ֑יהָ וְקָ֙מוּ֙ כׇּל־נְדָרֶ֔יהָ וְכׇל־אִסָּ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אָסְרָ֥ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֖הּ יָקֽוּם׃ (ו) וְאִם־הֵנִ֨יא אָבִ֣יהָ אֹתָהּ֮ בְּי֣וֹם שׇׁמְעוֹ֒ כׇּל־נְדָרֶ֗יהָ וֶֽאֱסָרֶ֛יהָ אֲשֶׁר־אָסְרָ֥ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֖הּ לֹ֣א יָק֑וּם וַֽיהֹוָה֙ יִֽסְלַח־לָ֔הּ כִּי־הֵנִ֥יא אָבִ֖יהָ אֹתָֽהּ׃ (ז) וְאִם־הָי֤וֹ תִֽהְיֶה֙ לְאִ֔ישׁ וּנְדָרֶ֖יהָ עָלֶ֑יהָ א֚וֹ מִבְטָ֣א שְׂפָתֶ֔יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָסְרָ֖ה עַל־נַפְשָֽׁהּ׃ (ח) וְשָׁמַ֥ע אִישָׁ֛הּ בְּי֥וֹם שׇׁמְע֖וֹ וְהֶחֱרִ֣ישׁ לָ֑הּ וְקָ֣מוּ נְדָרֶ֗יהָ וֶֽאֱסָרֶ֛הָ אֲשֶׁר־אָסְרָ֥ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֖הּ יָקֻֽמוּ׃ (ט) וְ֠אִ֠ם בְּי֨וֹם שְׁמֹ֣עַ אִישָׁהּ֮ יָנִ֣יא אוֹתָהּ֒ וְהֵפֵ֗ר אֶת־נִדְרָהּ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ וְאֵת֙ מִבְטָ֣א שְׂפָתֶ֔יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָסְרָ֖ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֑הּ וַיהֹוָ֖ה יִֽסְלַֽח־לָֽהּ׃ (י) וְנֵ֥דֶר אַלְמָנָ֖ה וּגְרוּשָׁ֑ה כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אָסְרָ֥ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֖הּ יָק֥וּם עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (יא) וְאִם־בֵּ֥ית אִישָׁ֖הּ נָדָ֑רָה אֽוֹ־אָסְרָ֥ה אִסָּ֛ר עַל־נַפְשָׁ֖הּ בִּשְׁבֻעָֽה׃ (יב) וְשָׁמַ֤ע אִישָׁהּ֙ וְהֶחֱרִ֣שׁ לָ֔הּ לֹ֥א הֵנִ֖יא אֹתָ֑הּ וְקָ֙מוּ֙ כׇּל־נְדָרֶ֔יהָ וְכׇל־אִסָּ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אָסְרָ֥ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֖הּ יָקֽוּם׃ (יג) וְאִם־הָפֵר֩ יָפֵ֨ר אֹתָ֥ם ׀ אִישָׁהּ֮ בְּי֣וֹם שׇׁמְעוֹ֒ כׇּל־מוֹצָ֨א שְׂפָתֶ֧יהָ לִנְדָרֶ֛יהָ וּלְאִסַּ֥ר נַפְשָׁ֖הּ לֹ֣א יָק֑וּם אִישָׁ֣הּ הֲפֵרָ֔ם וַיהֹוָ֖ה יִֽסְלַֽח־לָֽהּ׃ (יד) כׇּל־נֵ֛דֶר וְכׇל־שְׁבֻעַ֥ת אִסָּ֖ר לְעַנֹּ֣ת נָ֑פֶשׁ אִישָׁ֥הּ יְקִימֶ֖נּוּ וְאִישָׁ֥הּ יְפֵרֶֽנּוּ׃ (טו) וְאִם־הַחֲרֵשׁ֩ יַחֲרִ֨ישׁ לָ֥הּ אִישָׁהּ֮ מִיּ֣וֹם אֶל־יוֹם֒ וְהֵקִים֙ אֶת־כׇּל־נְדָרֶ֔יהָ א֥וֹ אֶת־כׇּל־אֱסָרֶ֖יהָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלֶ֑יהָ הֵקִ֣ים אֹתָ֔ם כִּי־הֶחֱרִ֥שׁ לָ֖הּ בְּי֥וֹם שׇׁמְעֽוֹ׃ (טז) וְאִם־הָפֵ֥ר יָפֵ֛ר אֹתָ֖ם אַחֲרֵ֣י שׇׁמְע֑וֹ וְנָשָׂ֖א אֶת־עֲוֺנָֽהּ׃ (יז) אֵ֣לֶּה הַֽחֻקִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֵּ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ לְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ בֵּֽין־אָ֣ב לְבִתּ֔וֹ בִּנְעֻרֶ֖יהָ בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽיהָ׃ {פ}
We are going to look at this text thru several different lenses: first the greatly missed Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l.
The Israelites are now about to enter the Promised Land and build a society based on covenant and freedom: unlike anyother that existed at the time. How do you get people to obey the laws?
1. Power give up freedom and you have China, Iran etc.
2. Self interest: give people stuff: this promotes greed and envy and ultimately dissolution of the society
3. Covenant: moral obligation, the binding power of a promise.
He quotes Nietche: Human beings are able to promise, to create things with words, not just describing what is but a performance utterance; which creates something that goes on past the utterance, for example the words said at a marriage ceremony doesn't describe the ceremony but creates a new status for all the people involved.
A covenanted society is a religion of holy words. In order for such a society to endure there must be deep trust. Promises, commitments made must be honored and others must be able to rely on those promises. If the pressure is too great, the promises will ultimately be reneged on, and chaos will ensue, or people will rebel in search of a system that gives them freedom in some areas and structure within which to operate, cooperate, and build an enduring society.
G-d used words to create order out of chaos and we, in the image of G-d do the same. Other creatures may have some form of language but only humans use words to create something new.
Lens 2
Sefat Emet: R. Yehudah Leib Alter of Ger approx 1902
You shall swear by the living God in truth, judgment and righteousness" (Jer 4:2)
These three are parallel to "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might "(Deut 6:5)
"Truth refers to soul, which is the life within.
Judgment applies to the heart, for it has two directions and needs proper balance
Righteousness" applies to might, wealth, tsedakah means both righteousness and charity.
Only then can it say "These words which I command you this day shal be upon your heart"j(Deut 6:6)Only after both body and soul have been set aright can we receive words of Torah.
By accepting Gods kingdom each day, verbally, the words help our deeds to fall into line with our acceptance "I have sworn and I shall fulfill it (Ps 119:106). One may take an oath to fulfill the commandments and that oath may be of help. Such an oath of acceptance can greatly aide our proper deeds.
Swearing by G-d's name is meant to help the one who serves God.
We must "fear the lord your God, serve God, be attached to God (Deut:10:20). Only afterwards doesit say "and swear by his name."
So the power of oaths is here given to the heads of the tribes, but the acceptance of God's kingdom, recited y ordinary Jews every single day is also an oath: the Shema and its 7 blessings)
Just as God renews Creation each day so is this oath renews on a daialy basis "which I command you this day" Deut 6:6), but this depends upon our awareness"You have affirmed the Lord your God, and the Lord your God has affirmed you (Deut 26:17-18.
Lens 3Shmuel Goldin: Unlocking the Torah Text.
In our "liberated society", some aspects of the laws of vows seem difficult to accept:
Why the distinction between vows of men and women?
Are these laws proof positive about Torah bias against women?
Should we just accept them because they are written in the written Torah?
How can we challenge them?
Some things in Torah: ex slavery, korbanot (sacrifices), priestly garments, apply in historical context, but are not relevant today, but the laws of voes, while seldom applied, remain on the books to this day. With the continuing drive towards women"s equality we confront the challenge of explaining these and similar laws.
There are severe limitations over the rights of a husband or father to revoke a woman's vows. "Bamidbar 30:14 "Any vow and any oath prohibition to cause affliction of the soul, her husband may let it stand and her husband may revoke it", the Mishna maintians tat he may only rescind vows that would deny his wife one of life's permitted pleasures. The rights of the father or husband over her vows is limited to the day that hefirst hears of the vow. Nedarim 770a
In sharp contrast to the extensive halachic literature dealing with the technical boundaries of these laws, almost no information is found in classical commentaries concerning their rational? Why the clear asymmetry between the roles of men and women reflected in these laws. Were they reflective of the clear public differention between men and women in their day?
Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch: A man is the independent maker of his position in life. If, therefore a man vows to take abnormal restrictions upon himself, he alone must make the necessary arrangements to allow these condition to be met.
The greatness of a woman's calling in life, lies in her entering and assuming a position now of her own creathon. The woman herself does not provide the house, She enters the home provided by the man and rules in it as the happiness-bringing administrator of all that is to be found there in the sanctity of manners, the morals and the feelings directed toward God. She occupies the central role upon which others become dependent.to fulfill her responsibilities a woman must be free of external constrainst that could stand in the way . The Torah therefore grants limited veto rights to the father or husband to any vows that could prevent her from fulfilling her primary religious duties.
Golden: Perhaps by granting a father the right to cancel his daughters vows during the 6 month period followiing onset of puberty, The Torah provides him a unique opportunity to exercise parental control and direction in a turbulent part of her life.
Greater emotionality in women make her more likely to impulsively take on a vow.
Golden recognizes that this "crosses the lines of political correctness but acknowledges there are differences between the sexes.
When the Torah itself provides no explanation for its laws, we are left with possibilities rather than certainty.