Matot-Masei 5786

Parshat Matot begins with the laws of vows and oaths just as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land because a free society depends on trust. The Torah presents a middle path between chaos and oppression: a society that is both free and orderly, built not by force but by people keeping their commitments.

Judaism teaches that words do more than describe reality—they create it. Just as God created the world through speech, human beings create relationships, obligations, and communities through promises, vows, and covenants. Keeping our word turns language into a sacred act of creation.

As Israel prepared to build a covenantal society, they were reminded that freedom can survive only when people honour their promises. Trust is the foundation of society, and every promise kept brings order, strengthens relationships, and helps create the world as it ought to be.

This is based on the teachings of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, as well as insights from Rabbi Isaac Abarbanel and Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.