Reply To: Short & Sweet

Matos: Your Mouth Matters

The Torah uses an interesting turn of phrase when instructing us to keep any נדר or שבועה that we make. The passuk first says לא יחל דברו, “he should not make his words mundane”, and only then tells us that ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה, “he should do whatever he has said”. But why do we need the first instruction not to make our words mundane, if the passuk is separately commanding us to keep our word?

The Chida quotes a homiletic interpretation from R’ Chaim Vital and R’ Shimon Tirano that addresses this point. לא יחל דברו, do not make your speech about דברי חולין, mundane matters. ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה, for all of your words have an effect in the heavens.

The fact that a person can create a new מצוה דרורייתא by making a neder shows us just how much a person’s words can change in the heavens. Every word of Torah and Tefilah can have an enormous effect, both high up in the heavens and deep down within one’s heart. What a shame it would be to waste that ability.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום