MATOT – A PROMISE TO G-D · Sukkat Shalom B'nei Noach

בס”ד

Sometimes we want something very much.
Maybe too much.

In the Torah, we learn about a promise.
A promise is saying, “I will really do this,” or “I will not do this.”

Sometimes a person makes a promise to help themselves.

For example:

David eats a lot of candy.
His mother tells him not to eat so much.
But every day he takes more candy.

Then David says,
“This week I will not eat candy.”

That promise helps him become stronger.
He learns how to say “no.”

But making a promise is not the most important thing.

The best thing is to learn to make good choices by yourself.
Then you do not need a special promise anymore.

God wants us to use the good things in the world in the right way.
We can enjoy nice things, but we should stay in control of our choices.

And if we make a promise, we should keep our word.

By Rabbi Moshe Bernstein and Angelique Sijbolts

Source: Numbers 30:3. Rashi on Numbers 30:3. Likutei Sichos, Volume 13, p. 107. Sefer Mitzvot Hashem by Rabbi Yonatan Steif, p. 187 & p. 55. Sheva Mitzvot Hashem by Rabbi Moshe Wiener, p. 232, Hebrew edition. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5.

If you want more questions for contemplation, SEE THE OTHER BLOGS FROM RABBI MOSHE BERNSTEIN