Pledges and vows are not to be taken lightly. “Do not profane your word” [1] we are instructed, since ‘it is profaning the holy’ [2].
But what exactly is so ‘holy’ about our vows and pledges?
When an elderly man in a nursing home in Jerusalem overheard a young man visiting mention Lakewood, his eyes lit up and he sighed “Rav Aharon”.
The young man asked if he was a student of the Torah giant and builder of American Jewry, R’ Aharon Kotler, but he replied that he was not.
The old man explained that after he survived the war he went to America. He was despondent and didn’t know how he would continue. He would walk the streets of Brooklyn with his head down. Until one day he saw R’ Aharon Kotler. “He encouraged me,” the old man reminisced, “and promised me that he would dance at my daughter’s wedding”.
“At the time I didn’t even have a daughter,” he continued, “and didn’t understand what he could have meant. Nevertheless his words raised my spirits. Eventually I was indeed blessed with a daughter – she was my world and I couldn’t wait for her wedding when I would take revenge on Hitler: the continuation of the Jewish people! But one day, even before she was engaged R’ Aharon passed away. I was indeed disappointed.
A few years later at her wedding I was shocked that Rav Kotler’s son, Rav Shneur came to the wedding. I asked if he was there for the groom’s side, but he responded that he was not. He was there to dance. On his deathbed, Rav Aharon made his son promise that he would fulfil his promise on his behalf that he would dance at my daughter’s wedding!”
“G-d blew” – from Himself [3] – “into man a spirit of life” [4] – the gift of speech [5]. And so man was made in the ‘image’ of G-d [6] – through his speech; the “spirit of life” itself.
Our speech is indeed holy and we should think twice before profaning it.
Aside from emulating His ways in general [7] and specifically in the trait of holiness [8], G-d has instructed us to “be holy because I am holy” [9]. Why should we be holy BECAUSE He is holy? Because our speech is from Him. Just as His speech is holy, ours should be too.
We are currently in the three week mourning period over the destruction of the Temples. We have been taught that the Temple was destroyed because of our improper speech [10]. Perhaps now we can better understand the connection: improper speech is profaning our speech; profaning holiness. And so tit-for-tat the Temple, “the house of holiness”; “the house of G-d” [11] was profaned.
It is clear what we must do to rebuild it.
Keep holy; keep your word.
Have a holy Shabbos,
Dan.
Additional sources:
[1] Bamidbar 30:3
[2] Rashi, Bamidbar 30:3
[3] Zohar (brought in Sefer Tanya, ch. 2)
[4] Bereishis 2:7
[5] Onkelos, Bereishis 2:7
[6] Zohar, Tosafos 308a
[7] Devarim 28:9
[8] Rambam, Deos 1:6
[9] E.g. Vayikra 19:2
[10] Yuma 9a
[11] Tehillim 122:1
