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א וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

ב דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אִ֕ישׁ כִּ֥י יַפְלִ֖א נֶ֑דֶר בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ נְפָשֹׁ֖ת לַֽיהוָֽה׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: If a man articulates a vow in accordance with the valuation of persons to the Lord, when one obligates himself to give to God the value of a certain person. With regard to the term erkekha , “valuation,” see commentary on 5:15.

RASHI

כי יפלא.יַפְרִישׁ בְּפִיו:

בערכך נפשת.לִתֵּן עֵרֶךְ נְפָשׁוֹת — לוֹמַר עֵרֶךְ דָּבָר שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ תְלוּיָה בוֹ עָלַי (עי' ספרא; ערכין ד'):

DISCUSSION

Articulates [ yafli] a vow

The word pele means a wonder, an event that is out of the ordinary, or an object outside the boundaries of the normal and the everyday (see Deuteronomy 30:11; Proverbs 30:18). One who articulates a vow expresses a clear, explicit promise that he is separating something from his control, his use, and the usage of others. Accordingly, a vow is an explicit declaration with regard to the demarcation of certain objects.

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