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“If a man takes a vow to Hashem… to prohibit a prohibition upon himself, he shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

Chochmas HaMitzpon draws a penetrating analogy from the laws of Nedarim, vows, and the Torah’s admonition to keep one’s word to the regular prohibitions of the Torah. It is well- known that if one is ill with a serious disease, he will seek out a specialist in that field. Even specialists have various levels of experience. Commensurate with the gravity of the illness, one will make every effort to see the most qualified practitioner. There seems to be a parallel between the physician’s level of expertise and the seriousness of the disease. The more qualified the physician one seeks, the…

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“He shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

Horav Mendel, z.l., m’Kosov rendered this pasuk homiletically: Hashem will fulfill the blessing of the person who guards his mouth, who does not make his words chullin, mundane. In other words: if one sanctifies his speech, if he does not waste his words and everything that he says is of a holy nature, Hashem will make it His priority to fulfill this individual’s blessings. It is told that Horav Yisrael Abuchatzeira, z.l., the Baba Sali, went to Ashdod in 1966 together with his father-in-law, Horav David Yehudiaf, z.l., to visit a venerable sage. The Baba Sali encouraged his father-in-law to…

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“A thousand from a tribe, a thousand from a tribe, for all the tribes of Yisrael shall you send to the legion.” (31:4)

The Midrash discusses the number of soldiers who went out to battle. According to one point of view, each tribe sent two thousand men, while the other view contends that each tribe sent three thousand men. The men were divided into three groups: twelve thousand were soldiers who fought in battle; twelve thousand were in charge of the various vessels and weapons; twelve thousand were there to pray. We wonder why there was a need to have an equal number of men designated specifically for prayer. This was Hashem’s war; He commanded Bnei Yisrael to wage war on the Midyanim,…

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“And he shall revoke the vow that is upon her.” (30:9)

Chazal differentiate between a court’s hatarah, annulment, of a vow and a husband or father’s hafarah, revocation, of a vow. Hatarah  is  made  with  reason, based  upon  the premise  that  the  vow was made either in error or in ignorance. For example, had the individual making the vow been aware of certain circumstances, he would never have made it. Therefore, the annulment is retroactive, indicating that it was all in error. Hafarah, on the other hand, is not retroactive. It is a power given to the husband or father to revoke the vow for the future – without reason, simply because…

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They approached him and said, “Pens for the flock shall we build here for our livestock and cities for our small children”… Moshe said to them… “Build for yourselves cities for your small children and pens for your flock.” (32:16,20,24)

The halachah regarding reciting a brachah over two fruits that are not from the seven species of fruit with which Eretz Yisrael is blessed is clear: One first makes the brachah upon the fruit which one likes more. What if he likes one more, but the second fruit has more therapeutic value, more vitamins in it? Horav Avigdor HaLevi Nebentzhal, Shlita, contends that the fruit which is qualitatively better for the person is  the one that takes precedence in regard to the blessing. The source for this halachah can be derived from Moshe Rabbeinu’s dialogue with Bnei Gad  and Bnei Reuven….

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“If a man takes a vow to Hashem… to prohibit a prohibition upon himself, he shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

Chochmas HaMitzpon draws a penetrating analogy from the laws of Nedarim, vows, and the Torah’s admonition to keep one’s word to the regular prohibitions of the Torah. It is well- known that if one is ill with a serious disease, he will seek out a specialist in that field. Even specialists have various levels of experience. Commensurate with the gravity of the illness, one will make every effort to see the most qualified practitioner. There seems to be a parallel between the physician’s level of expertise and the seriousness of the disease. The more qualified the physician one seeks, the…

Continue Reading

“He shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

Horav Mendel, z.l., m’Kosov rendered this pasuk homiletically: Hashem will fulfill the blessing of the person who guards his mouth, who does not make his words chullin, mundane. In other words: if one sanctifies his speech, if he does not waste his words and everything that he says is of a holy nature, Hashem will make it His priority to fulfill this individual’s blessings. It is told that Horav Yisrael Abuchatzeira, z.l., the Baba Sali, went to Ashdod in 1966 together with his father-in-law, Horav David Yehudiaf, z.l., to visit a venerable sage. The Baba Sali encouraged his father-in-law to…

Continue Reading

“A thousand from a tribe, a thousand from a tribe, for all the tribes of Yisrael shall you send to the legion.” (31:4)

The Midrash discusses the number of soldiers who went out to battle. According to one point of view, each tribe sent two thousand men, while the other view contends that each tribe sent three thousand men. The men were divided into three groups: twelve thousand were soldiers who fought in battle; twelve thousand were in charge of the various vessels and weapons; twelve thousand were there to pray. We wonder why there was a need to have an equal number of men designated specifically for prayer. This was Hashem’s war; He commanded Bnei Yisrael to wage war on the Midyanim,…

Continue Reading

“If a man takes a vow to Hashem… to prohibit a prohibition upon himself, he shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

Chochmas HaMitzpon draws a penetrating analogy from the laws of Nedarim, vows, and the Torah’s admonition to keep one’s word to the regular prohibitions of the Torah. It is well- known that if one is ill with a serious disease, he will seek out a specialist in that field. Even specialists have various levels of experience. Commensurate with the gravity of the illness, one will make every effort to see the most qualified practitioner. There seems to be a parallel between the physician’s level of expertise and the seriousness of the disease. The more qualified the physician one seeks, the…

Continue Reading

“He shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

Horav Mendel, z.l., m’Kosov rendered this pasuk homiletically: Hashem will fulfill the blessing of the person who guards his mouth, who does not make his words chullin, mundane. In other words: if one sanctifies his speech, if he does not waste his words and everything that he says is of a holy nature, Hashem will make it His priority to fulfill this individual’s blessings. It is told that Horav Yisrael Abuchatzeira, z.l., the Baba Sali, went to Ashdod in 1966 together with his father-in-law, Horav David Yehudiaf, z.l., to visit a venerable sage. The Baba Sali encouraged his father-in-law to…

Continue Reading

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