Throughout the Torah we have seen that the actions of individuals can literally add Mitzvot to the Torah. Because Shem ben Noach covered up the embarrassment of his father Noach, he merited to bring the Mitzvah of Tzitzit to the world. As a result of the determination of two righteous Jews who missed Pesach Rishon in the desert, they requested and were granted the Mitzvah of Pesach Sheni.
In Parshat Matot, Bnai Yisrael arrives to a new, remarkable spiritual plateau. The holy Baal Shel Tov teaches us that the depth making vows and oaths, found in our parsha, is that a Jew can introduce new obligations to the world. A neder or a shvua is not merely a personal responsibility it becomes a chidush, a novelty among the Mitzvot of the Torah. This aligns well with the approach of the Ibn Ezra who says that there are not just 613 Mitzvot, as one opinion in the gemara in Makot maintains, there are actually an endless amount of possible Mitzvot.
Hashem entrusted us not only to keep His Mitzvot but also to partner with Him to create new spiritual obligations when appropriate, when necessary. It must only be because a Jew’s enormous soul is Godly – chelek Eloka m’maal!
Shabbat Shalom
Shalom Tzvi
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