Parshas Matos

וידבר משה אל ראשי המטות לבני ישראל לאמר זה הדבר אשר צוה ה'

Rashi quotes the Sifri: Moshe’s prophecy was כה אמר ה' בחצות הלילה, and other prophets also said כה אמר ה'.  Moshe had an additional degree of prophecy: זה הדבר אשר צוה ה'. 

The Avodas Hakodesh explains that זה refers to a clear vision in prophecy – אספקלריא המאירה, whereas כה refers to a lesser vision – אספקלריא שאינה מאירה.

Why was this higher level hinted at specifically here in the parsha of נדרים?    

The Medrash (ויקרא רבא) says “A fool says `Who is capable of learning Torah, thirty chapters of laws of damages (נזקין) and thirty chapters of laws of purity (כלים)?`  A wise man says `Others didn’t learn Torah.  I will learn two laws today, two laws tomorrow, until I learn the entire Torah`.”

In another place, the Medrash (דברים רבא) says “A fool comes into the study hall and sees them learning Torah.  He asks them `How can I learn Torah?`  They answer him `Start off with Alef-Beis, after that, Chumash, Neviim, Kesuvim, then go on to Mishnah, Gemarah and Halachos`.  When he hears that, he says `How will I ever accomplish all that?`, and turns around and leaves.  A wise man learns a chapter today, a chapter tomorrow, until he finishes the entire Torah”.

We can say that these Medrashim have a connection to the Parsha:  When a person makes a Neder to improve himself, a vital precondition is that he be certain he can follow through to the end.  It shouldn’t be something he decides in a moment of enthusiasm, only to discover later on that he can’t follow it through.  The loss in cases like this outweighs the gain.

The fools mentioned in the Medrashim wanted to learn the entire Torah “at once”.  Since they couldn’t follow through, they ended up dropping everything.  The wise men did things in a calculated way, in a way that they could follow it through, and   indeed accomplished what they started out to do.

The clear vision (אספקלריא המאירה) hinted at in the parsha of נדרים teaches us that when we take something upon ourselves, we should look ahead and try to be certain we can follow it through to the end.  If this isn’t the case,  מוטב שלא תדור מאשר תדור ולא תשלם (it is preferable not to take a vow than to take a vow and not follow through).

Pisgamei Oreisa, Parshas Matos 5763