Fulfill your Promises

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SMG

It is a positive Mitzva of the Torah that a person should fulfill his oath or promised pledged, as it says in the verse[i] מוצא שפתיך תשמר ועשית כאשר נדרת וגו’, and[1] as stated in the verse[ii] ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה. Therefore, if one forswears something permitted, whether he does so by saying [something like] ‘these things are forbidden to me’ or whether he says [something like] ‘these things are like a sacrifice to me’, using any phrase which implies that this thing is forbidden to him, even if he did so without swearing, he is thereby forbidden himself from those things. About this the Torah states[iii] לאסור איסר על נפשו – he has rendered permitted things forbidden to himself. Similarly, we have stated in the Gemara[iv] that if he said, ‘these things are forbidden to me’ these things become forbidden to him. The other rules about promised pledges are explained in the book on negative Mitzvos [see negative Mitzva 242]. Also included in this is the positive Mitzva [is the ability allowing for] obligating a person to bring a sacrifice that he would otherwise not be obligated to bring, whether stated using phrasing of a נדר, where he says [for example] ‘I am obligated to bring a עולה’ or whether stated using phrasing of a נדבה, where he says [for example] ‘this is [hereby designated as a sacrifice]’. [In either case] he is obligated to fulfill what left his lips, as will be explained in the laws of sacrifices.

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[1] Perhaps doubling the verses is because one is for oaths, and one for pledges.

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[i] Devarim 23:24

[ii] Bamidbar 30:3

[iii] Bamidbar

[iv] Gem. Shavuos 20a

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AMUDAY SHLOMO

[the Maharshal does not have a comment on this Mitzva, either because the manuscript is incomplete or this section was lost]

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RASHI

Rashi provides the following commentary on the verse:

• מוצא שפתיך תשמר – this provides a positive Mitzva in addition to the negative Mitzva [against swearing falsely.]

[See negative Mitzva 239 and 238]

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