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<p>From today's OU Halacha Yomis</p>
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<strong>Q. Why do many people say <em>Bli Neder</em> (without making a vow) whenever they say they will donate money to
<em>tzedakah</em>?</strong></td>
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<p><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'arial','sans-serif'">A. There is a Biblical requirement to fulfill ones vow, as detailed in the beginning of
<em>Parashas Mattos</em> (<em>Bemidbar</em> 30:3). Ordinarily, to be considered a vow a person must explicitly say, I swear (or vow) to do such and such. However, if a person pledges to do a
<em>mitzvah</em>, it is considered a vow even if the person did not use the phrase I swear. Similarly, if a person performed a good deed three times, it attains the status of a vow. Because of the risk inherent in not fulfilling a vow, the
<em>Shulchan Aruch</em> (YD 203:4) recommends adding the words <em>Bli Neder</em> (without making a
<em>neder</em>) whenever one pledges to give <em>tzedakah</em>. Even when adding
<em>Bli Neder</em>, the pledge should be fulfilled in any event. Nonetheless, if one inadvertently forgot to give the
<em>tzedakah</em>, a vow is not violated if one said <em>Bli Neder</em>.</span></p>
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