One would expect to find this pasuk located at the very end of this parsha, which is the culmination of Sefer Vayikra. This pasuk would then serve as a separation to distinguish the laws of Sefer Vayikra which were given at Mount Sinai – from those of Sefer Bamidbar, which were communicated in the Ohel Moed on the plains of Moav. Instead of concluding Sefer Vayikra at this point, however, the Torah continues the chapter to relate the vows that a person may make to donate to the Bais Hamikdash the monetary value which the Torah assigns to a person his age.
The significance in this change of topic lies in the concern that a person might become demoralized after the frightening punishments revealed in this chapter, feeling that he has no self-worth. The guilt feelings which envelop him may interfere with his ability to continue his life-style with equanimity. The Torah‘s message to the individual is that he will always have worth as an individual. In fact, the Torah suggests that in moments of distress a person should make a vow to Hashem, as Yaakov did when he left his father’s home. This sign of solidarity with Hashem serves as a source of encouragement and reassurance. Consequently, the Torah begins the next chapter with the phrase ” If a man articulates a vow.”
