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Orchard of Delights

at all. Since permission to make vows opens up the possibility of
people making vows they cannot, should not, or will not keep, the Va’etchanan ןַּנ ַח ְת ֶאָו
Sages strongly warned against making vows in the first place. The
Sages understood that in too many instances vows are made in the
heat of the moment, in a fit of anger, or under extreme stress, and
therefore do not reflect peoples’ real desires or attitudes. Perhaps the
Torah itself stresses the importance of keeping one’s word because it ££The Potency of Prayer£££The Potency of PrayerThe Potency of Prayer
£
recognized these particular dangers: “If a man makes a vow to God,
or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break
his word, he shall do according to all that proceeds from his mouth” At the beginning of Va’etchanan, Moses recounts how he pleaded
(Numbers 30:3). Given this state of affairs, the following question with God to let him enter the Land of Israel:
should obviously be asked: Why then does the Torah allow vows at
all? In answering this question, we will also shed light on why this And I implored (va’etchanan) God at that time saying,
set of laws is introduced by words specifying that “this is the matter “My God, you have begun to show Your servant Your
that God has commanded.” greatness and Your strong hand, for what power is there

Although it is true that many, if not most, vows are made in in the heaven or on earth that can perform according to
moments of weakness or under psychological pressure, sometimes your deeds and according to your mighty acts? Let me
vows can have a positive effect. Sometimes vows provide people with now cross and see the good land that is on the other side
the necessary resolve needed to change a relationship, a situation of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon”
they find themselves in, or even their very lives. Every strategy and (Deuteronomy 3:23).
plan they have tried has failed and they desperately need something
to cling to that will get them through the day, that will lead them As Moses relates in the very next verse, God while not accepting his
to a new morning. When all other options have failed and all the plea, did allow him to see the Promised Land from afar.
rulebooks and law books have not shown the way, the Torah permits The numerical value of “va’etchanan,” 515, is a remez, a hint to the
Jews to make personal vows to steel themselves to achieve their 515 different prayers of supplication Moses prayed (Devarim Rabbah
goals. 11:6). Rashi adds that the word “va’etchanan” is one of ten Hebrew
words for praying. Amazingly the generic Hebrew word for prayer
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach taught that even though the Torah is a
constant source of inspiration and advice and is an incredible guide (tefillah) also has the numerical value of 515. Yet after all his efforts
to navigating the realities of this world, sometimes the answers to the Moses was not granted his greatest aspiration. We could then ask: if
most important questions in life cannot be found neatly formulated Moses, the greatest prophet and leader, was not granted his request
in the black and white laws of the Torah. For example, the Torah after 515 prayers, what can we expect to gain from praying?
does not tell us precisely who and when to marry, where to live, or The Slonimer Rebbe writes that Moses was not really praying on
what profession to pursue. Even when the Torah does provide sound his own behalf; rather, he was praying on behalf of the Jewish people
advice (as it does so much of the time), it is not always so easy to and the entire world. His fervent desire to enter the Land arose
integrate that wisdom into our decision-making process or to change because he knew that if he led the people into the Land, he would
our deeply ingrained attitudes. For these reasons, the Torah allows be the Mashiach, the Temple would be built and never destroyed,

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