Vayikra 5:4 · unit 3

Parashas Vayikra · Aliyah 6 · Passuk 5:4 · Unit 3 of 14

Complete Passuk

אוֹ נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תִשָּׁבַע לְבַטֵּא בִשְׂפָתַיִם לְהָרַע אוֹ לְהֵיטִיב לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יְבַטֵּא הָאָדָם בִּשְׁבֻעָה וְנֶעְלַם מִמֶּנּוּ וְהוּא־יָדַע וְאָשֵׁם לְאַחַת מֵאֵלֶּה׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Shevuos 26b.

Sefaria — Shevuos 26b
E-Daf · Shevuos 26b

Core Text — Shevuos 26b
לְבַטֵּא בִשְׂפָתַיִם — דְּבָרִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם הֲרָעָה וְהֲטָבָה.

“To express with the lips” — matters that involve harm or benefit.

The verse’s “lehara or leheitiv” limits the oath to statements that can be framed as harming or benefiting; empty words with no practical content fall outside the oleh ve-yored of shevu’as bitui.

Type of Learning: Miyut — the oath must concern something that can be framed as harming or benefiting.
What Is Learned: Shevu’as bitui of this verse covers future-oriented harm/benefit statements (I will eat / I will not eat), not empty words with no practical content. The verse’s language of “lehara or leheitiv” supplies the limitation.