Parshios Haazinu/Yom Kippur

The Power Of Speech

By Rabbi Yochanan Zweig

“If a man makes a vow to Hashem…” (Bamidbar, 30:3)

In most communities, the Yom Kippur liturgy begins with Kol Nidrei, a service which dates back to the ninth century.[1] The Kol Nidrei emphasizes the gravity that the Torah attaches to vows and oaths. Why is the most solemn day of the Jewish year introduced with the concept of oaths and vows?

The Rambam records that the primary focus of the mitzva of repentance is the “viduy” - “confession; a person must verbalize the feelings of repentance which he harbors in his heart.[2] Why is verbalization such an important facet of the repentance process?

Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi, compiler of the Mishna, placed the Tractate of Nedarim – vows in the Order of Nashim, the Order which deals primarily with marriage and other interpersonal relationships. What connection does Nedarim have to marriage?

The Ramban records a Sifri which states that making a vow is akin to grasping “the life of the king” - “chayei hamelech”, i.e. Hashem. What message is the Sifri attempting to convey?[3]

When Hashem created Adam, the verse records that Hashem blew his soul into his nostrils. The Targum explains that this action imbued man with the ability to speak.[4] Anthropomorphically, the Torah is conveying the message that Hashem blew part of Himself into man. Just as “the heaven was created with the words of Hashem” - “bedevar Hashem shamayim na’asu”, man, through his Divinely imbued speech, can create new realities.[5] It is this ability that enables man to take an object previously permitted to him and change its reality to one that is prohibited to him. Therefore, it is essential for a person who is repenting to verbalize his feelings, for it is the verbalization which creates his transformation, actualizing what he would like to become. Incredibly, by making an earnest verbal commitment he becomes a penitent; no trial period is necessary. Through speech alone, man can transform his reality.

The message of Kol Nidrei is that through our speech, we can effectuate our own transformation. Therefore, the concept of vows defines the nature of Yom Kippur, the day when we beseech Hashem to transform usthrough his forgiveness.

The only transaction in Jewish law which requires speech is the marriage ceremony, for communication is the most essential element of the entire relationship. Communication is the component necessary to transform two individuals into one reality. This is the message that Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi was conveying when he placed the Tractate of Nedarim, i.e. the ability to transform reality through speech, in the Order of Nashim, the laws of marriage and interpersonal relationships.

1.Seder of Rav Amram Gaon 2.Yad Hilchos Teshuva 1:1 3.30:3 4.Bereishis 2:7 5.Tehillim 33:6

Family Ties

“...Ask your father and he will relate it to you, and your elders and they will tell you” (32:7)

The Torah relates that to prevent us from stumbling into the same pitfalls which caused us to err in the past, Moshe pleaded with Bnei Yisroel to take council with those who could educate and guide us: “Sh’al avicha veyageidcha, z’keinecha v’yomru lach”. The Targum translates the verse as follows: “Ask your father and he will show you, your grandfather and he will tell you.”[1] However, Rashi translates “avicha” as “prophets” and “z’keinecha” as “scholars”.[2] Why are prophets described as “fathers” and scholars as “grandfathers”? Why is the message of the father or prophet described as “haggada” while the message of the grandfather or scholar as “amira”?

The Baal Haturim comments that since the verse mentions three generations of Torah study, grandfather, father and son, such a bond with Torah can never be severed.[3] To which unique method of education is the verse referring, that prevents the abandonment of Torah study?

The difference between “haggada” and “amira” is the following: Haggada denotes imparting information through the imposition of authority. Amira refers to relaying information through explanation and understanding. A father has the responsibility to ensure that his child does not deviate from the path which he is required to follow. Since the father is accountable for the actions of his child there is a degree of inflexibility in the message which he delivers. Similarly, the function of the prophet is to relay Hashem’s message to the people. He is not saddled with the task of ensuring that they understand why Hashem requires them to abide by His instructions, only that they obey them. Therefore, there can also be a level inflexibility in the deliverance of the message. The grandfather accepts upon himself to educate the child, but he is not accountable for the child refusing to accept the message. He therefore has the flexibility to deliver the message in a manner which appeals to the child’s understanding, and is not pressured into forcing the child to accept it at all costs. The scholar too, perceives his role as one who must attempt to explain Hashem’s message in a manner which aids the people in their observance of the precepts. While the danger that the people might not accept his explanations always exists, it is not his responsibility if such a situation were to arise.

Each of these methods on its own cannot succeed. However, if they exist side-by-side, they dovetail with one another to deliver the complete educational package. Allowing a child the flexibility to use his intellectual capacities in his service of Hashem, while at the same time enforcing the notion that not everything must be understood in order to be observed, is the unique method of education which, as the Baal Haturim states, guarantees that Torah study will not be abandoned.

1.32:7 2.Ibid 3.Ibid