Chasidut zu Rut 3:13
לִ֣ינִי ׀ הַלַּ֗יְלָה וְהָיָ֤ה בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ אִם־יִגְאָלֵ֥ךְ טוֹב֙ יִגְאָ֔ל וְאִם־לֹ֨א יַחְפֹּ֧ץ לְגָֽאֳלֵ֛ךְ וּגְאַלְתִּ֥יךְ אָנֹ֖כִי חַי־יְהוָ֑ה שִׁכְבִ֖י עַד־הַבֹּֽקֶר׃
Bleibe diese Nacht, und am Morgen, wenn er dich löset [heiratet], wohl, mag er dich lösen! Wenn er dich aber nicht zu lösen begehrt, so löse ich dich, so wahr der Herr lebt! Liege bis zum Morgen.
Kedushat Levi
“in order to impose a prohibition upon his person.”
From the wording of the Torah it seems clear that permission to utter vows or oaths is granted only if the person doing so did so in order to strengthen his ability to obey certain commandments that he was in danger of violating had he not reinforced his determination by means of a vow or oath. An example of such a vow is found in the Book of Ruth 3,13, where Boaz reinforces his undertaking to be Ruth’s redeemer if a closer relative refuses to marry her, by adding the words: חי ה', “by the Life of Hashem”. He did so in order to bolster his resistance to the evil urge that might advise him not to enter into such an (apparently) inappropriate marriage.
From the wording of the Torah it seems clear that permission to utter vows or oaths is granted only if the person doing so did so in order to strengthen his ability to obey certain commandments that he was in danger of violating had he not reinforced his determination by means of a vow or oath. An example of such a vow is found in the Book of Ruth 3,13, where Boaz reinforces his undertaking to be Ruth’s redeemer if a closer relative refuses to marry her, by adding the words: חי ה', “by the Life of Hashem”. He did so in order to bolster his resistance to the evil urge that might advise him not to enter into such an (apparently) inappropriate marriage.
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