Does God Care About Our Broken Promises?

Rabbi Louis Finkelstein once said, "When I pray, I talk to God. When I study, God talks to me." I don't know if I always hear God's voice when studying, but I do hear echoes.

In particular, I hear those echoes when studying the ancient Jewish text known as the Talmud. The Talmud is a compendium of Jewish debates, laws, stories, and teachings. Its topics range from the mundane to the sublime, from the minuscule to the mighty.

Studying a page of Talmud a day brings it all together. Following this route allows us to complete the Talmud every seven years.

I've recently started this practice, and I plan to share the insights and gems I find with you. They will find their way into my regular articles.

I am also adding a special bonus for paid subscribers. Every Friday you'll get a summary of five key insights from that week's study. Just sign up below.

Yesterday the topic was broken promises. In fact, the entire volume I am currently studying is about making and breaking promises. It is called Nedarim, the Hebrew word for "vows."

What happens, the Jewish sages ask, when we make a vow but cannot fulfill it?

Let's say we make plans to have dinner with a friend but then need to cancel. Have we broken a vow and thereby need forgiveness?

It depends. What was the context of the obligation? Was it a casual agreement or a formal invitation? How did we phrase our vow?

And why did we cancel? Did we just change our mind? Or did an unexpected change in circumstances make it impossible for us to be there?

The Talmud goes into a host of possible reasons for a legitimate breaking of vows, many of which are strikingly relevant to us today.