November 27, 2020
A Time to Vow
Vayeitzei, 5781
This week our congregation’s daf yomi group began tractate Pesachim. The tractate begins with the words, “or le-arbah asar bodkin et hachametz.” These words tell us that there is an obligation to search our house for chametz on the “or learbah asar.” Based upon our common practice we know that this means that we must search our homes for chametz on the night of the fourteenth. But the Talmud records a discussion that suggests that maybe the word or means the “day of the fourteenth,” as opposed to the “night of the fourteenth”—meaning that maybe the obligation to search the homes for chametz is during the 14th day and not the night before.
The Talmud thus sets out to prove that or means night. One of the proof texts comes from the verse, “Hallelulhu kol kochvei or, let all the stars of the “or” praise Hashem (Psalms 148:3). Since stars are only visible at night, the Talmud argues that we should translate this as, “let all the stars of the night praise Hashem.” Thus “or” means night. The Talmud rejects this proof because, argues the Talmud, perhaps this verse just means, “Let the stars of light praise Hashem.” In this reading the verse is teaching us that the light of stars is considered light. Why would we need to know this seemingly irrelevant piece of data that the light of stars is considered light? Explains the Talmud, the reason we might need to know this is if lets say one would take a vow (neder) not to have any benefit from light, then –now that we know that the light of stars is considered light--such a person would be prohibited to derive any benefit from the light of the stars.
Of course, this begs the question, why would anyone ever take such a neder in the first place? And what is a neder?
A neder in Jewish law is a declaration that is legally binding. They are not as common today because rabbinic Judaism generally discourages nedarim, but in the ancient world declaring a neder was seen as a powerful religious expression of a commitment to Hashem.
Yaakov Avinu takes a neder in our portion as he sets out on his journey to Charan. He is penniless and a refugee. He turns to Hashem and makes a neder that if Hashem will provide for him bread and water then he in return will worship Hashem and tithe to Hashem.
“Jacob then made a vow, saying, “If God remains with me, if He protects me on this journey that I am making, and gives me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safe to my father’s house—the LORD shall be my God. And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, shall be God’s abode; and of all that You give me, I will set aside a tithe for You” (Genesis 28:20-21).
Some modern commentators who distrust Yaakov might view this neder of Yaakov as further proof that he is in reality an unfaithful wheeler-dealer who is hedging his bets and is not at all certain that Gd will actually protect him. After all, the text says, “if Gd will be with me.” Yaakov is not sure that Hashem will be with him so he uses the word “if.”
The rabbinic approach recoils at this view of Yaakov. Just the opposite. The rabbinic approach sees in this vow of Yaakov an act of great piety. Ramban writes that Yaakov’s use of the word “if” is not out of concern that Gd will fail him, but that he will fail Gd by sinning and thereby being unworthy of Hashem’s protection. AS Ramban writes: “The reason for the conditional is in the case that sin not interfere” (Ramban, ad loc).
The rabbis praise Yaakov for making this neder. Generally speaking we are supposed to avoid vows because the human being will too often fall short of one’s view. As the verse states: “It is better not to vow, than to vow and not pay” (Kohelet 5:5).[1] However, in this specific case Yaakov is praised for making a neder because his vow is meant to teach us a important lesson. Writes Chizkuni (12th century, Northern France):
“Yaakov made a vow: if you were to ask that according to the Talmud in Chulin, 2 (based on Kohelet 5,4) that it is better not to make any vows than to make vows and not pay them on time, so why did Yaakov make such a vow? The word: לאמור which follows the quote above was added in the Torah to show that Yaakov, who was in dire circumstances, made the vow due to his desperate situation; we are to learn from this that in such circumstances G-d even welcomes a vow, as it is proof that the person making it has turned to Him for help (ad loc., translation from Sefaria, ad loc).
Chizkuni is citing an early midrash that declares that Yaakov specifically made a neder as he was heading out into the great unknown in order to teach future generations that in times of distress (et tsarah) a person is supposed to make a vow (Bereishit Rabbah: 70; cited by Alshikh ad locum).
Torah Temimah goes even further and says that in a time of great distress it is a mitzvah to make a vow (commentary to 28:20:20).
There is a strong tradition of our sages throughout the generations following in Yaakov’s footsteps.
For example, one of the greatest rabbis in history is Rabbi Jacob Joshua Falk (1680-1756), author of the classic work, Penei Yehoshua writes about a neder that he himself made in an et tsarah.
In the introduction to the Penei Yehoshua , Rav Falk explains that he wasn’t always destined to be a great rabbi and author.
As a young man he had moved from Cracow to Lemberg (also known as Lvov or Lviv). There he married the daughter of a very successful member of the community. Rav Falk soon became very wealthy and an influential leader in Lemberg. But then tragedy struck. In 1702 a gunpowder storehouse exploded and instantly killed his wife, young daughter, and in-laws. Rav Falk himself was trapped under a fiery log for many hours in a burning building. At that moment he made a neder. He vowed that if he ever was able to survive this situation he would dedicate his life to the study of Talmud and especially to defending Rashi from all the questions raised against him by Tosafot.
After he was miraculously saved he did indeed uphold his vow and became a prolific scholar, a great rabbi, and author of the Penei Yehoshua.
Rav Falk’s vow is an example of a great rabbi taking seriously this idea that in a time of distress we should make a vow.
What is the spiritual significance of a making vow in a time of distress?
I don’t believe that this idea of a neder in an et tsarah is predominantly based upon the concept of making a deal with Hashem. “Oh God, You help me and I will be good in return.“ A vow in a time of distress is much more than a prayer for the miraculous. It is actually a recognition that we need to live our lives by improving spiritually.
During a time of great distress we all have tremendous anxiety and concerns. But it also affords us the opportunity to have clarity. Thanks to this clarity we often have the insight and ability to look at our lives and make important decisions about who we are and what we want to live for. The power of a neder in those moments reminds us not to lose the feelings and passions for the clear path that we see when we have such clarity. Thanks to our neder we commit to a long term life that is consistent with our true values. In an et tsarah we should take the stress of the moment as an opportunity to reevaluate the direction of our lives and ask ourselves how we can grow spiritually.
What was Yaakov’s neder about?
Our tradition –in line with Ramban’s approach—views Yaakov’s neder as a spiritual reexamination of his life and an attempt to try and be a better servant of Hashem.
The text says that Yaakov asked for “bread to eat and garments to wear” (28:20).
According to the Tanya, the request for bread does not refer simply to mere food. Instead, it refers to the study of Torah. When we study Torah we are ingesting the holy words and concepts that will sustain us and gives us fuel. The request for “bread” is therefore really a request for something to sustain Yaakov and give him the spiritual energy necessary to live. Similarly, the Tanya says that request for clothing does not refer to actual clothing but rather, it refers to the desire to perform the commandments properly. When we perform a mitzvah we are taking something external to our body and using it as a shield to warm us and protect us from the negative forces in the world. By asking for clothing Yaakov was really asking to achieve an even higher spiritual level and be embraced by the loving warmth of Hashem (Tanya, chapter 5).
Another suggestion of what Yaakov was seeking comes from the Chofetz Chayim. He cites the Midrash that Yaakov’s neder was a request that Hashem help him refrain from gossiping about others. Since Yaakov knew that he was on his way to the home of Lavan, he expected to be challenged spiritually in the area of sinful speech. His neder was really a prayer to Hashem for spiritual help in the area of the words we use (Bereishit Rabbah, 70:4; Shemiras Halashon, 2:10).
A prayer for help in the area of the words we use doesn’t just mean refraining from gossip. It also means that when we choose words it is appropriate to always speak in positive terminology—in an upbeat, optimistic manner so as to inspire others and inspire ourselves. The Talmud tells us that for this reason the tractate Pesachim does not begin with the common Hebrew word for night—lailah--and instead uses the word or, since or is a euphemism and therefore a more positive and optimistic term (Pesachim, 3a).
The rabbinic approach to an et tsarah is that we should use it as an opportunity for spiritual improvement.
We are all living through an et tsarah. This pandemic has killed many people and has isolated millions. It is a time of incredible pressures.
One response to the entrance of this pandemic into our lives is that we should seek to improve ourselves spiritually. Combining the suggestions of Ramban, Tanya, and Chofetz Chayim, we should seek improvement in the areas of Torah study, observance of the mitzvoth, and through our choice of words. By acting in this way we can inspire ourselves and bring hope and inspiration to those around us.
This week our world celebrated Thanksgiving. I always love Thanksgiving because it is a beautiful spiritual day. People express their thanks to each other and to Gd. The whole character of our country changes on this day. People are nicer and upbeat and there is a general sense that we are all in this world together. As Jews it is our job to bring this feeling into the world every single day. We can do so by first following in the footsteps of Yaakov avinu and committing to improve our own lives spiritually.
[1] Indeed, due to Judaism’s general lack of enthusiasm for vows, Rashba argues that Yaakov never actually made a vow. Although it says the word neder, Rashba says that in this context it only means that Yaakov gave thanks and praise to Hashem (Chidushei Rashba to Nedarim, 9a).
Shmuel Herzfeld
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