From our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Mattot) we read: zeh ha’davar asher tzivah Adonai (זה הדבר אשׁר צוה יהוה), “This is the thing the LORD has commanded” (Num. 30:1). The language here seems to suggest that there is only one matter that God has commanded, namely, to speak truth and to be faithful in our promises (Num. 30:2). This is because the sacredness of our word is the foundation for all our other responsibilities. After all, if our word is equivocal, it is unclear, unreliable, undecided, and therefore ultimately meaningless…. Insincere words are without genuine commitment, and the lack of decisiveness undermines all Torah. זה הדבר אשׁר צוה יהוה – “This is the thing the LORD has commanded,” namely, to accept your duty to honor the truth; to keep your faith in God’s word; and to hold sacred your commitment before God.
