407. Your Word is Your Bond: The prohibition against breaking an oath or a vow

A shevuah is an oath and a neder is a vow. This mitzvah forbids us to break our word and the referent is a vow. That is to say, when we commit to do something, we should follow through and not profane our words. This includes pledging money to charity but not paying one’s pledge. One should even be careful to keep his word to his friend, since the Torah tells us to distance ourselves from everything false (Exodus 23:7).

The reason underlying this mitzvah is as we have said, that our words have power, which we should not abuse.

This mitzvah applies to both men and women in all times and places. In the Talmud, it is discussed in tractate Nedarim, as well as in the third chapter of tractate Shevous. This mitzvah is codified in the Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh Deah 203. It is #157 of the 365 negative mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos and #184 of the 194 negative mitzvos that can be observed today in the Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar of the Chofetz Chaim.