Parshiot Mattot & Mas’ai 5759

“Vows”
Rabbi Ari Kahn
The Parsha of Mattot begins with a section which deals with vows
and oaths. Although the meanings of the English terms may be
similar, to the point of being indistinguishable, the two concepts in
Hebrew – neder and shvu’a- indicate two distinct institutions. The
shvu’a is more conventional to the western mind; it effects a
responsibility on the part of the individual who utters the oath. The
neder, however, has more power, as it effects an object on a
fundamental, qualitative level.1

And Moshe told the people of Israel according to all that the Lord commanded
Moshe. And Moshe spoke to the chiefs of the tribes concerning the People of
Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord has commanded. If a man
vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he
shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his
mouth. (Bamidbar 30: 1-3)

This is not the first time the idea of a neder appears in the Torah.
Vows are found both in narrative and in legal sections.2 The first
person who utters a vow is Ya’akov. When he is on the run from his
bloodthirsty brother, he spends a memorable night under the stars.
Ya’akov has a dream, a vision an epiphany of angels ascending and
descending.

And Ya’akov awoke from his sleep, and he said, “Surely the Lord is in this
place; and I knew it not.” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this
place! This is no other but the house of G-d, and this is the gate of heaven.”
And Ya’akov rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put
for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon its top. And he
called the name of that place Beit-El; but the name of that city was called Luz
at the first. And Ya’akov vowed a vow, saying, “If G-d will be with me, and
will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and garment
to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace; then shall the
Lord be my G-d. And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be G-d’s
house; and of all that you shall give me I will surely give the tenth to you.
(Bereishit 28:16-22)

Ya’akov, overwhelmed by the awe of the situation, seems to strike a

deal with G-d. In his vow Ya’akov asks for the bare necessities, and
to return home unscathed. In turn he will build a house for G-d, and
separate a tenth of his income for holy causes. The Midrash
ascribes particular significance to the fact that it is Ya’akov who
utters the first vow in the Torah. Rather than an incidental fact, this
1
See Rabenu Bachye Bamidbar 30:3 and notes cited.
2
Bereishit 28:20, 31,13 Vayikra 7:16, 22:21, 27:2, Bamidbar 6:2,5, 15:3,8 21:2,

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is part of the essence of the vow. There is a tradition, attributed to
Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin, that when an idea appears in the
Torah numerous times, the first time is of particular significance in
determining the essence of the concept.3

Ya’acov was the first to utter a vow, therefore when one vows he should refer
the vow to him. R. Abbahu said: It is written, “How he swore unto the Lord,
and vowed unto the Mighty One of Ya’akov” (Tehilim 132, 2). It does not say,
the Mighty One of Abraham or Isaac, but ’Unto the Mighty One of Ya’akov’,
thus referring the vow to him who was the first to give it utterance. (Midrash
Rabbah - Bereishit 70:1)

The reference is based on David’s speech. When a vow needs to be

said, the memory of Ya’akov is conjured. He, who was first to say a
vow, should be recalled when future vows are said. This is was how
David made a vow:

A Song of Maalot. Lord, remember in David’s favor all his afflictions. How he
swore to the Lord, and vowed to the mighty G-d of Ya’akov. “Surely I will not
come into the tent of my house, nor get into my bed. I will not give sleep to my
eyes, or slumber to my eyelids. Until I find out a place for the Lord, a
habitation for the mighty One of Ya’akov. (Tehilim 132:1-5)

The Midrash also notes that the impetus of Ya’akov’s vow should
serve as a sign for future generations: As Ya’akov vowed, so should
others. When a person is in distress, as Ya’akov was when he turned
to G-d in prayer, supplication and vow, so should others:

‘And Ya’akov vowed a vow, saying, etc.’ (Bereishit 28:20). It is written, “I will
perform unto Thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth has
spoken, when I was in distress” (Tehilim 66, 13 f.). R. Isaac the Babylonian
said: ‘It is meritorious to vow [in a time of trouble].’ What is the significance
of “[And Ya’akov vowed a vow], saying”? Saying to the future generations
that they too should vow in times of distress. (Midrash Rabbah - Bereishit
70:1)

Although these references seem to indicate apparently that the

sages regarded the vow as a positive religious expression,
elsewhere the Talmud warns that a vow is a dangerous tool, best
avoided. The particular formulation of the Talmud is quite
challenging, for it compares the vow maker, with an idolater – even
if he succeeds in keeping his word!

R. Nathan said, ‘If a man makes a vow it is as if he has built a ‘bama’ [Rashi:
at the time when bamot were prohibited, for he is a sinner] and if he fulfils it,
it is as if he has offered up a sacrifice upon it’ [Rashi: In which case he has

3
See Or Gedalyahu Parshat Mattot

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 broken two prohibitions; rather, let him go to a wise man and have the vow
annulled] (Yevamot 109b)

Even Ya’akov, the archetypical “vower” suffered greatly due to his

vow.

“And ya’akov vowed a vow, etc.” Four made vows; two vowed and lost
thereby, and two vowed and profited. Yisrael and Hannah profited; Yiftah
vowed and lost, Ya’akov vowed and lost. (Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 70:3)

While Ya’akov’s suffering is not immediately apparent in the text of

the Torah, analysis of the text through the eyes of the Midrashic
tradition clearly shows the negative consequences of Ya’akov’s vow.

Ya’akov said that if G-d would care for him he would build a “house
for G-d” upon his return. However, Ya’akov returns to Israel, the land
of his fathers, and does not keep his word. Instead, G-d appears to
him and enjoins him to fulfill his vow:

And G-d said to Ya’akov, “Arise, go up to Beit-El, and live there; and make
there an altar to G-d, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of
Esav your brother.” Then Ya’akov said to his household, and to all who were
with him, “Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and
change your garments. And let us arise, and go up to Beit-El; and I will make
there an altar to G-d, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was
with me in the way which I went”… And he built there an altar, and called the
place El-Beit-El; because there G-d appeared to him, when he fled from the
face of his brother. (Bereishit 35:1-3,7)

Immediately prior to this revelation is the episode with Dina;

immediately following this revelation is the death of Rachel. The
Midrash draws our attention to the fact that contextually, the
command to return to Beit El is sandwiched by these two tragic
occurrences. The implication is that both these and other tragedies
could have been avoided had Ya’akov kept his vow:

“And G-d said to Ya’akov: ‘arise, go up to Beit-El (35:1).” … Said R. Yannai:

If a man delays to fulfil his vow, his ledger is examined. … The proof is this:
Because our father Ya’akov delayed the fulfillment of his vow, his ledger was
examined: And G-d said to Ya’akov: arise, go up to Beit-El, etc. (Midrash
Rabbah - Bereishit 81:1)

When his ledger was examined, it was found lacking:

R. Shmuel b. Nachman said: If any one makes a vow and delays to fulfil it, he
will ultimately be involved in the worship of idols, in sexual immorality, in
bloodshed, in slander. From whom can you infer all this? From Ya’akov, who,
because he had made a vow and delayed to fulfil it, came to be involved in all
these. Whence do we know this of idol-worship? “Then Ya’akov said unto his
household... Put away the strange gods” (Breishit 35:2). Whence of sexual

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 immorality? From Dina, of whom it says, “And Dina... went out, etc.”
(Bereishit 34:1). Whence of bloodshed? From the fact that it says, “And it
came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that the two sons of
Ya’akov... slew all the males” (34:25). Whence of slander? From the fact that
it says, “And he heard the words of Lavan's sons, saying: ‘Ya’akov has taken
away all that was our father's’ “ (31:1). Our Rabbis say that if anyone vows
and delays to fulfil it, he will bury his wife. This is proved by the text, “And as
for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me” (Bereishit 48:7).
(Midrash Rabbah - Vayikra 37:1)

The Zohar expresses the same idea:

Observe that the accuser attacks a man only in time of danger; and so it was
on account of Ya’akov having delayed to fulfil his vows which he had made to
G-d that the accuser came forward against him, selecting the moment when
Rachel's life was in danger. “Behold,” he said, “Ya’akov has made vows and
has not paid them; he has wealth and children and is short of nothing, yet he
has not paid his vow that he made before Thee; and Thou has not punished
him.” Then straightway “Rachel travailed and she had hard labor”, the term
“hard” indicating that a severe doom was issued on high at the instigation of
the angel of death.’ … And here Rachel was punished at the hand of the evil
prompter, who availed himself of the moment of danger and brought
accusations against her; and Ya’akov was punished for not having paid his
vow. Ya’akov felt this blow more acutely than all the other sufferings that
befell him. That her death was due to him we learn from his words: “Rachel
died upon me” (Bereishit 48:7), or, as we may translate, “on account of me”,
i.e. through my not having paid my vows. R. Yosi said: ‘It is written: “the
curse that is causeless shall come home” (Mishlei 24:2). This signifies that
the curse of a righteous man, even if pronounced under a misapprehension,
once uttered is caught up by the evil prompter to be used at a moment of
danger. Now Ya’akov said to Lavan: “With whomsoever you find your gods,
he shall not live” (Bereishit 31:32); and although he was unaware that it was
Rachel who had stolen them, the Satan (adversary) who perpetually dogs the
footsteps of the sons of men, seized on that utterance. Hence we are taught
that a man should “never open his mouth for the Satan”, inasmuch as the
latter is sure to take hold of his utterance and use it to bring accusations on
high and below. All the more so if it is the utterance of a righteous man or a
sage. These, then, were the true causes of Rachel's death.’(Zohar Bereishit
174b-175a)

If the result of the vow was so negative, why would David turn
toward Ya’akov as inspiration for his own vow? Why would vows be a
part of religious consciousness and expression?

Numerous sources, while hesitant at best because of the possibility

of a failed vow, see the successful vow as a great religious
endeavor. Vows may be seen as a double-edged sword:

R. Shmuel son of R. Yitzchak said: If any one makes a vow and pays it, he has
reward for the vow and for the payment, as it says: 'Vow, and pay unto the

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 Lord your G-d.’ While if anyone vows and delays to fulfil it, he brings death
upon himself; as it is written, ‘For the Lord thy G-d will surely require it of
thee’ (D’varim 23:22), which means: It will be exacted of “thee” not of thy
wealth. (Midrash Rabbah - Vayikra 37:1)

While the implications and ramifications of vows have become clear,

the essence of the vow still remains somewhat elusive. Therefore,
let us return to this first vow taken by Ya’akov. The content of his
vow was the construction of a House of G-d. Ya’akov wished to
create a home where the Divine presence could rest. This is directly
related to his prophetic dream; Ya’akov witnessed a ladder reaching
up toward heaven, and saw that the ladder was a spiritual conduit.
He perceived the possibility of bringing spirituality down to earth.
This is what Ya’akov verbalizes upon awakening:

And Ya’akov awoke from his sleep, and he said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this
place; and I knew it not.’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this
place! This is no other but the house of G-d, and this is the gate of heaven.’
(Bereishit 28:16,17)

The realization that this was a house of G-d inspired Ya’akov to build a more
permanent house upon his return. Ya’akov’s vow becomes clear:

And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be G-d’s house; and of all
that you shall give me I will surely give the tenth to you. (Bereishit 28:22)

This, then, is the essence of the vow: the dedication of something to

G-d, the separating of a mundane object and imbuing it with
sanctity, is accomplished by the vow. While an oath can create a
legal responsibility on the part of the person who takes the oath,
spirituality is not necessarily the result. The very word “neder” has
been translated by Rabbeu Bachya as being derived etymologically
from the root DR or DIRA, which means “abode”. A neder or vow is
the process of building an abode for G-d, and therefore a way of
bringing more holiness into this world.4

This explains the passage in Tehilim cited above:

A Song of Maalot. Lord, remember in David’s favor all his afflictions. How he
swore to the Lord, and vowed to the mighty G-d of Ya’akov. Surely I will not
come into the tent of my house, nor get into my bed. I will not give sleep to my
eyes, or slumber to my eyelids. Until I find out a place for the Lord, a
habitation for the mighty One of Ya’akov. (Tehilim Chapter 132:1-5)

David’s concern was identical with that of Ya’akov, therefore he

spoke of a vow and referred to Ya’akov. David, too, was concerned
with building a place for the Shechina to dwell. However, David
expresses a profound wish that he will not rest in his own house

4
Rabenu Bachye Bamidbar 30:3

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until this is accomplished, and a House of G-d is built. We see clearly
that David is inspired by Ya’akov on the one hand, while on the other
hand has learned the lesson of tarrying in the quest to fulfill the
vow.5

Ya’akov’s desire to build a “house” for G-d and the Shechina

resulted in a reciprocal gesture on the part of G-d.

R. Yehudah said: ‘The Holy One gave two vows to Ya’akov: One, that He
Himself would go down and stay with him in exile, and the second, that He
would let him come out of his grave to behold the joy of the holy host of
celestial beings who would dwell with his children in their captivity; as it is
written: “I will go down with thee into Egypt and I will surely bring thee up
again” (Bereishit 46:4); “I will cause you to come up out of your graves”
(Yehezkel 37:12); “Whither the tribes go up “ (Tehilim. 122:5).’ (Zohar
Sh’mot 16b)

As Ya’akov made a vow and attempted to make a home for the

Shechina in this world, even in the future when Ya’akov’s
descendents fail, and the house of G-d is destroyed, the Shechina,
once brought down, remains with the People – this is G-d’s vow.

R. Natan says: Beloved are Israel, for the Shechina was with them wherever
they were exiled. When they went as exiles to Egypt the Shechina was with
them; as it says, ‘Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they
were in Egypt?’ (I Sam. 2:27) When they went as exiles to Babylon, the
Shechina was with them, as it says, ‘For your sake I was sent to Babylon, etc.’
(Isa. 43:14). When they went as exiles to Elam the Shechina was with them, as
it says, ‘And I will set My throne in Elam’ (Yirmiyahu 49:38). When they went
as exiles to Edom the Shechinah was with them, as it says, ‘’Who is this that
comes from Edom?’’ (Yishayahu 43:1). Even if they are dispersed the Shechina
is also with them; for it says, ‘Then the Lord thy G-d will turn (veshav) thy
captivity’ (D’varim 30:3). It does not say veheshiv (and He will cause to turn
back), but ‘veshav’ (‘and He will turn back’). It also says, ‘Come with me from
Lebanon, my bride, etc.’ (Shir HaShirim 4:8). (Midrash Rabbah - Bamidbar
7:10)

This concept of the Shechina accompanying the Jews through all

their exiles, along the circuitous path of Jewish history, may be
discerned in the verse which describes the obligation to build the
Sanctuary:

And let them make me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell among them. (Sh’mot
25:8)

If the Jews build a Sanctuary, G-d says that He will in turn dwell
among the people. The power of building the Sanctuary is so
profound that it causes the Shechina to remain in this world even

5
See Sfat Emet Mattot 5760, where this idea is presented.

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when the sanctuary is destroyed. Ya’akov, lying under the stars, saw
this powerful image – a ladder to heaven, a conduit to bring holiness
down to earth. He decided that he must institutionalize this power,
and he did so in two ways. One was by making a vow; the other
was the content of the vow. G-d, in turn, made a vow of His own
which guaranteed that the Shechina would remain on earth.
Therefore, when the children of Ya’akov went down to Egypt, before
the Mishkan was built, the Shechina went into exile with them.

Rachel was the unwitting victim of Ya’akov’s vow. She was buried on
the side of the road. When the Jews were carried off into exile for
causing the Shechina to be expelled, they passed by her grave, and
Rachel shed tears for her children:

Thus says the Lord; ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter
weeping; Rachel weeping for her children and refused to be comforted
regarding her children, because they were gone. Thus says the Lord; Refrain
your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for there is a reward for
your actions, says the Lord, and they shall return from the land of the enemy.
And there is hope for your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come
again to their own border. (Yermiyahu 31:14 -16)

The day will come when the children will all return triumphantly,
together with the Shechina. They will then stop at Rachel’s grave
and shed tears:

And Ya’akov set up a pillar upon her grave … R. Yehudah said: ‘It means,
until the day when the Shechina will return with the exiles of Israel to that
spot, as it is written: “And there is hope for your future, says the Lord, that
your children shall come again to their own border” (Yirmiyahu 31:17). This
is the oath which G-d swore unto her; and Israel are destined, when they
return from exile, to stop at Rachel's grave and weep there as she wept over
Israel's exile. It is thus written: “They shall come with weeping, and with
supplications will I lead them” (Ibid. 9); also: “for there is a reward for your
actions,” (Ibid. 16). And at that time Rachel, who lies on the way, will rejoice
with Israel and with the Shechina.’ (Zohar, Bereishit, Page 175b)

On that day the tears will be tears of joy as the Children of Israel
return home, and as the Shechina returns to her abode, the Holy
Temple in Yerushalayim. On that day the vows of G-d and Ya’akov
will be fulfilled – forever.

© 1999 Rabbi Ari Kahn, All Rights Reserved