12-06-2010, 04:46 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-17-2010, 07:10 PM by Director Michael.)
Thank you for pointing this out! Dedicating a specific good deed that you're about to do for the purposes you've described is a worthy thing to do.
However, actually vowing to do good deeds into the future is not appropriate, because one never knows what the next minute or even hour may bring. The Talmud tells of a Kohain Gadol (High Priest) who served in righteousness for 80 years, and then he abandoned his faith. Thus we promise only what we can guarantee: a good deed or charity at that moment. Or one can make a righteous commitment (a "good resolution") to do such-and-such in the future without a vow.
However, actually vowing to do good deeds into the future is not appropriate, because one never knows what the next minute or even hour may bring. The Talmud tells of a Kohain Gadol (High Priest) who served in righteousness for 80 years, and then he abandoned his faith. Thus we promise only what we can guarantee: a good deed or charity at that moment. Or one can make a righteous commitment (a "good resolution") to do such-and-such in the future without a vow.
Rabbi Yitz