Oaths, Vows and Dedications
Sefer Hafla’ah, the Book of Separation · commandments 209–233
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What a person binds upon himself by word: oaths, vows, the Nazirite’s separation, and things valued or devoted to the Lord.
On this page: Oaths (209–213) · Vows (214–216) · The Nazirite (217–226) · Valuations and Devoted Things (227–233)
Oaths
Shevuot · 5 commandments
209. Not to swear falsely by the Name of the Lord. DO NOT — Christ’s teaching: 9
You shall not swear by My name for an unjust cause, and you shall not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:12
210. Not to take the Name of the Lord in vain. DO NOT — Christ’s teaching: 9
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not clear anyone who takes His name in vain.
Exodus 20:7
211. Not to deny what has been entrusted to you. DO NOT
You shall not steal. You shall not lie. No one shall defraud his neighbor.
Leviticus 19:11
212. Not to lie in swearing about another’s property. DO NOT — the same verse, Leviticus 19:11
213. To swear by His Name when an oath is required. DO — Christ’s teaching: 9
Fear the Lord your God, serve Him, cling to Him, and swear by His name.
Deuteronomy 10:20
Vows
Nedarim · 3 commandments
214. To keep what has gone out of your lips. DO — Christ’s teaching: 9, 16
Keep and perform what passes your lips, just as you vowed a gift to the Lord your God that you spoke with your mouth.
Deuteronomy 23:24
215. Not to break your word. DO NOT — Christ’s teaching: 9
Any person who vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath, or imposes a restriction upon himself, shall not profane his word. He shall do everything that comes from his mouth.
Numbers 30:3
216. To follow the law by which a vow may be set aside. DO
But if her father refuses her on the day he hears, none of her vows or restrictions that she imposed upon herself shall stand. The Lord will cleanse her, because her father refused her.
Numbers 30:6
The Nazirite
Nezirut · 10 commandments
217. The Nazirite is to let the hair of his head grow. DO
Throughout the days of the vow of purification, no razor shall come upon their head. Until the days vowed to the Lord are fulfilled, they shall be holy, growing the hair of their head long.
Numbers 6:5
218. No razor is to pass over his head. DO NOT — the same verse, Numbers 6:5
219. He must not drink wine, strong drink or vinegar of wine. DO NOT
From wine and strong drink they shall be set apart: they shall not drink wine, wine vinegar, strong-drink vinegar, or anything prepared from grapes, and shall not eat fresh grapes or raisins.
Numbers 6:3
220. He must not eat fresh grapes. DO NOT — the same verse, Numbers 6:3
221. He must not eat dried grapes. DO NOT — the same verse, Numbers 6:3
222. He must not eat grape seeds. DO NOT
Throughout the days of the vow, they shall consume nothing produced by the vine—wine, from pressed grape skins to seed.
Numbers 6:4
223. He must not eat grape skins. DO NOT — the same verse, Numbers 6:4
224. He must not go near a dead body. DO NOT
Throughout the days of the vow to the Lord, they shall not enter where any dead person is.
Numbers 6:6
225. He must not make himself unclean even for his closest kin. DO NOT
They shall not become defiled for their father, mother, brother, or sister when they die, because the vow to their God is upon them, upon their head.
Numbers 6:7
226. He is to shave his head when the days of his separation are fulfilled. DO
The person who has vowed shall shave the head of the vow at the doors of the Tent of Testimony and put the hair on the fire under the sacrifice of deliverance.
Numbers 6:18
Valuations and Devoted Things
Arakhin va-Charamim · 7 commandments
227. To value persons vowed to the Lord as the Law prescribes. DO
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: If anyone vows a vow for the valuation of his own person to the Lord,
Leviticus 27:2
228. To value a consecrated animal. DO
The priest shall value it, between good and bad. As the priest values it, so it shall stand. If he does ransom it, he shall add a fifth to its valuation.
Leviticus 27:12–13
229. To value a consecrated house. DO
If a man consecrates his house as holy to the Lord, the priest shall value it, between good and bad. As the priest values it, so it shall stand.
Leviticus 27:14
230. To value a consecrated field. DO
If a man consecrates to the Lord part of the field of his possession, the valuation shall be according to its seed: fifty didrachmas of silver for a kor of barley.
Leviticus 27:16
231. To carry out the law of things devoted to the Lord. DO
Any devoted thing that a man dedicates to the Lord from all that he has—from human being to animal, or from the field of his possession—he shall neither sell nor ransom it. Every devoted thing shall be most holy to the Lord.
Leviticus 27:28
232. A devoted thing must not be sold. DO NOT — the same verse, Leviticus 27:28
233. A devoted thing must not be redeemed. DO NOT — the same verse, Leviticus 27:28
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Saints Translation · The Commandments · the traditional count of 613 after Maimonides; statements in our own words; verses quoted from the Saints Translation · working draft awaiting specialist review.