פרשת כי תצא תשי"ט - נדרים

But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt observe and do; according as thou hast vowed freely unto the LORD thy God, even that which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

§ The Sages taught in a baraita: The verse states: “That which is gone out of your lips you shall keep and do; as you have vowed as a gift to the Lord your God, which you have promised with your mouth” (Deuteronomy 23:24). “That which is gone out of your lips”; this is a positive mitzva. “You shall keep”; this is a prohibition, as the phrase “you shall keep” is a warning to keep oneself from sinning. “And do”; this is an admonition to the court to make you fulfill your vow. “As you have vowed”; this is referring to a vow-offering. “To the Lord your God”; this is referring to sin-offerings, guilt-offerings, burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings, teaching that one must keep his word and bring them. “As a gift”; this is understood in its literal sense to be referring to a gift-offering. “Which you have promised”; this is referring to objects consecrated for Temple maintenance. “With your mouth”; this is referring to vows of charity, to which one commits himself with his mouth.

מוצא שפתיך תשמר THAT WHICH HATH GONE OUT OF THY LIPS THOU SHALT KEEP — This is intended to add a positive command to the prohibition of delaying one’s vows (mentioned in the previous verse) (Rosh Hashanah 6a).

לא יבא אל תוך המחנה HE SHALL NOT COME WITHIN THE CAMP — This is a prohibition (Sifrei Devarim 255:4). He is forbidden to enter the “camp of the Levites”, and all the more so, the "camp of the Shechinah". (cf. Sifrei Devarim 255:5; Pesachim 68a and Rashi on Numbers 5:2).

ולא יגלה כנף אביו AND HE SHALL NOT UNCOVER HIS FATHER’S SKIRT — This refers to the שומרת יבם of his father (the widow of his father’s brother who died without issue, and who is waiting (שומרת) for her brother-in-law (יבם) either to marry her or to put her through the ceremony of release, חליצה), who is thus destined for his father. But has he not already been prohibited about her (i.e. forbidden to marry her) on account of the law (Leviticus 18:14) “the nakedness of thy father’s brother [thou shalt not uncover]”?! But the prohibition is repeated here in order to make him transgress two negative commands if he takes her (Yevamot 4a), and in order to put into juxtaposition to it the law (v. 2) “one born of incest or adultery (ממזר) shall not come [into the assembly of the Lord]”, and thereby to teach that one is termed ממזר only if he is born from those liable to the penalty of excision on account of the intercourse between them, as is the case with one who take’s his father’s שומרת יבם, who is forbidden to him under the penalty of כרת as אשת אחי אביו; cf. Leviticus 18:14 and Leviticus 18:29 (but not if he was born of a woman intercourse with whom involves only flagellation), and it logically follows that the term applies also to one born from those liable to one of the death penalties by sentence of the court, for amongst the cases of forbidden intercourse there is none punishable with death by the sentence of the court which does not involve the penalty of excision (if it was not preceded by a warning) (Yevamot 49a; cf. also Rashi on Kiddushin 67b s. v. מהנ״מ).

ולא יגלה כנף אביו AND HE SHALL NOT UNCOVER HIS FATHER’S SKIRT — This refers to the שומרת יבם of his father (the widow of his father’s brother who died without issue, and who is waiting (שומרת) for her brother-in-law (יבם) either to marry her or to put her through the ceremony of release, חליצה), who is thus destined for his father. But has he not already been prohibited about her (i.e. forbidden to marry her) on account of the law (Leviticus 18:14) “the nakedness of thy father’s brother [thou shalt not uncover]”?! But the prohibition is repeated here in order to make him transgress two negative commands if he takes her (Yevamot 4a), and in order to put into juxtaposition to it the law (v. 2) “one born of incest or adultery (ממזר) shall not come [into the assembly of the Lord]”, and thereby to teach that one is termed ממזר only if he is born from those liable to the penalty of excision on account of the intercourse between them, as is the case with one who take’s his father’s שומרת יבם, who is forbidden to him under the penalty of כרת as אשת אחי אביו; cf. Leviticus 18:14 and Leviticus 18:29 (but not if he was born of a woman intercourse with whom involves only flagellation), and it logically follows that the term applies also to one born from those liable to one of the death penalties by sentence of the court, for amongst the cases of forbidden intercourse there is none punishable with death by the sentence of the court which does not involve the penalty of excision (if it was not preceded by a warning) (Yevamot 49a; cf. also Rashi on Kiddushin 67b s. v. מהנ״מ).

מוצא שפתיך תשמר THAT WHICH HATH GONE OUT OF THY LIPS THOU SHALT KEEP — This is intended to add a positive command to the prohibition of delaying one’s vows (mentioned in the previous verse) (Rosh Hashanah 6a).

will require it Scripture makes an analogy to a human being, who is sure to seek after that which you have promised.

which you spoke with your mouth Once the words have been uttered you may not take them back.