Power of Speech

This week we complete the Book of Bamidbar with the reading of מטות-מסעי. We are in the second week of ג׳ דפורענותא, the three Shabbats of rebuke in the Haftarah. Parshat מטות begins with the subject of making vows and fulfilling them. The Netivot Shalom has an interesting take on the words, לא יחל דברו, that one should not make his words profane, and he should fulfill all that comes out of his mouth. We learn from here the power of speech. Words that come out of our mouths can be holy when used for making blessings, or reciting our prayers. Discussing Torah thoughts is also a positive use of speech. The Torah is warning us not to make our speech profane. We can do this by speaking Lashon Hara, or using vulgar language. This might also explain why Kol Nidrei is considered one of the most sacred prayers of the year. We cannot enter the Fast of Yom Kippur with the knowledge that we did not fulfill all that we said we would. The goal is never to even conduct שיחת חולין, mundane conversation. The great Torah giants were careful with their words. We must emulate their example and use the power of speech for good.