Parashas Vaera - 5778 - The Parashah of Faithfulness

At the beginning of Parashas Vaera, HaShem informs Moshe that the time has come to fulfill His "Shavuah," His Oath to the "Avos," to Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov, regarding the Redemption of their descendants, the People of Israel, from slavery in Egypt, and the Oath to bequeath to their descendants the Land of Canaan.

When HaShem created the human being, He breathed within him a "Nefesh Chayah," a Living Soul, which Onkelos translates as a Speaking Being. A person is obligated to speak "Emes," the Truth, which is the Seal of HaShem, and the model for His creations. Otherwise, they desecrate HaShem's Holy Name. "Everything which comes out of his mouth, he shall fulfill." (BaMidbar 30:3)

The verbal instrument by which the Creator or His most worthy creation, the human being, confirms the truthfulness of His/his words, is called the  "Shevuah," the Oath. The Rambam in Mishneh Torah Hilchos Shavuos describes the Laws of Oaths affecting the human being , based on the Talmud:

There are four categories of "Shavuos:"

1. "Shevuas Bituy," an Oath regarding the past or the future; that the Oath-taker did or did not do something, e.g. eating or throwing a stone into the sea, or that he will do or will not do something, such as those items mentioned above. If the oath was false, this scenario is covered by the verse "Do not swear in My Name falsely" (VaYikra 19:12), and the penalty for purposeful lying is that he suffers "Makos," lashes; for accidental violation, he brings a "Korban Oleh VeYored." The expression "in My Name" alludes to the fact that an oath must be made in the Name of HaShem.

2. "Shevuas Shav," a Meaningless Oath, also of four types: When one swears to a statement that is clearly not true, e.g. that a man is a woman or vice versa, or When the oath affirms a patently obvious truth, e.g. that a man is a man or a stone is a stone, or When someone swears to cancel a Commandment, e.g. he swears that wearing Tefillin is not a sacred Command, or When the oath is that the taker of the oath will perform an action which no human being has the capability of performing, such as not sleeping for 72 hours or not tasting a morsel of food for seven consecutive days. Someone who utters such an oath, violates "Do not swear an oath which desecrates the Name of your G-d for no reason." If he did so on purpose, he is punished with "Makos;" if by accident, he is not punished.

3. "Shevuas HaPikadon," an Oath regarding a Bailment. If a person is in possession of money belonging to his fellow, and that fellow demands its restoration, and he swears an oath denying that it is in his possession, he has violated, "Do not lie to your fellow," this is a warning against swearing an oath denying falsely that one is in possession of someone else's money. And the punishment is payment of the basic amount plus a fifth. And the perpetrator must sacrifice an "Asham Vadai" whether the sin was on purpose or accidental.

4. "Shevuas HaEdus," the Oath Regarding Testimony. The case is as follows: Witnesses who knew testimony in a monetary case and the litigant requiring their testimony asked them to testify in his behalf, and they denied under oath having such knowledge. They are required to bring a "Korban Oleh VeYored" for violation of the Command, "If a person will sin: If he accepted a demand for an oath, and he is a witness - either he saw or he knew - if he does not testify, he shall bear his iniquity." (VaYikra 5:1)

Recall that HaShem had declared His culpability for His Oaths at the beginning of the Parashah. Now if His culpability follows approximately the same model as the human model, with the understanding that the concept of punishments, such as "Makos," has to be removed from the discussion, as well as any reference to "past" and "future," for HaShem is outside the realm of Time, nevertheless, the concept of "Shevuas Bituy" Oath of Expression, or Promise, may apply to Him and His Creations, with an elongated standard of time. Thus, the Promise of Redemption from slavery in Mitzrayim was 210 years, and, remembering that 1000 years is as the "blink of an eye" to HaShem, and that the State of Israel has made miraculous strides in recent years, the Promise of "Moshiach" and the Third "Bais HaMikdash" in about 2,000 years, is well within the bounds of reason.

L'Illuy Nishmas beni, Aharon Baruch Mordechai ben Pinchas Menachem