‘Parsha Growth Spurts’[1]
Rabbi Dani Staum
Parshas Matos-Masei 5773
“If a man will take a vow to Hashem or swear an oath…” (Bamidbar 30:3)
Rav Avrohom Shain (Birchas Ish) explains the Torah’s juxtaposition of the laws of the korbanos with the laws of oaths with the following parable:
A wagon-driver from a third world country, who has never seen electricity before, is invited by a relative to visit America. The first place his host brings him to is Niagra Falls. As the man stares at the incredible falls, he notices pipes running outwards in all directions at the bottom of the falls. When he asks what they are for, his host explains to him that the massive force of the falls supplies electricity to tens of thousands of homes in the vicinity, via those lines.
The man is skeptical; he cannot believe that those ordinary looking pipes could be the conduits of so much power. His host brings him to the bottom of a nearby mountain and shows him a track running up the side of the mountain. There is a line of train-cars at the bottom of the track. The host asks the visitor how many horses it would take to pull all of those cars to the top of the mountain. The visitor replies that it would require at least one hundred horses. The host then flips a switch. The visitor watches in disbelief as all of the cars slowly begin inching their way up the track without any horses. The host explains that the cars are moved by the power of electricity running through the tracks, and that it is that same force which is generated by the power lines which appear to be simple pipes at the bottom of the falls.
When a person utters a vow he may think his words don’t carry much weight; after all, how serious can a verbal utterance be? The Torah records the laws of vows after the laws of korbanos to demonstrate the extreme severity and seriousness of a verbal declaration. During the tri-annual festival pilgrimage to the Bais Hamikdash every Jew witnessed the incredible precision and alacrity that the kohanim demonstrated as they performed the avodah, and offer the sacrifices endemic to the holiday. Each sacrifice contained its own spiritual merit and provided metaphysical protection of the nation. All of that sanctity was invested in the animal with a mere verbal declaration of, “This (animal) will be a korban”. After that poignant demonstration of just how powerful words are, the Torah warns that “he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.”
The world claims that talk is cheap. In truth however, talk is easy, but it’s anything but cheap!
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“But if the killer will ever leave the border of his city of refuge to which he has fled… the avenger of the blood will kill the killer…” (Bamidbar 35:26)
If one kills another inadvertently he must seek refuge in an Ir Miklat until the death of the Kohain Gadol. Rashi explains that the Kohain Gadol possesses indirect liability for the inadvertent murder, because he should have davened more fervently on behalf of his generation that such tragedies not occur.
Rav Mordechai Rogov (Ateres Mordechai) notes that, prima facie, it seems punitive for the Kohain Gadol to bear such liability. The Kohain Gadol must contend with the killer’s constant prayers and hopes for his demise so the killer could return home to his family. But that is how the Torah views the responsibility of a Jew, and especially Jewish leaders. We have an obligation to daven on behalf of fellow Jews.
In a similar vein, when a person is found dead within the outlying parameter of a city, the elders of that city must offer an Eglah Arufah, which includes their declaring that they are not at all culpable for the man’s death. Here too, the elders are held somewhat responsible because, the very fact that such a tragedy occurred in the vicinity of their town, demonstrates that they lacked certain fervency in their prayers for the welfare of the residents and guests of their city.
Rav Rogov notes that this concept has frightening implications. When one stands before the celestial courts he may be held accountable for the sins of others. Even if he couldn’t have stopped the sinner from sinning he still could’ve davened on the sinner’s behalf.
Even when there is nothing we can do to help another, we can – and must – always daven! It is incumbent upon us to daven for those seeking shidduchim, children, health, etc.
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[1] This series was originally written for and published in Hamodia