Q&A: The IDF Oath Ceremony
The IDF Oath Ceremony
Question
It is customary today that at the IDF oath ceremony they say, "I declare," and not "I swear." Is it really because that oath would be halakhically valid that they therefore do not say it?
Answer
I didn't understand the question. Which oath is valid? When they declare, or if they were to swear?
https://asif.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/zhr-11-1.pdf
Discussion on Answer
It's an article by Rabbi Benayahu Brunner in Tzohar 11: https://asif.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/zhr-11-1.pdf
Here is a response to the article: https://asif.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/zhr-13-13.pdf
I also updated the original link.
Thank you very much.
I just didn't understand one thing. According to Rabbi Rimon's comment immediately after the quote from Maimonides (page 3 of the article), apparently even saying "I declare" is problematic.
I haven't read it. But there is no oath here according to all opinions. It's not only that the wording of an oath is missing, but also the intention of an oath.
"From the words of Maimonides it emerges that answering 'Amen,' or another response whose meaning is acceptance of the oath, is considered as though he swore a full oath in every respect, even if a gentile or a minor administered the oath! From here, the response of the person being sworn is considered as though he himself swore…" (quote from Rabbi Rimon's article).
According to his view, does it come out that there is really no difference between swearing and declaring?
As I explained—no. There is no intention of an oath here, and no answering Amen.
Besides, the one administering the oath too (if there even is one; I think today there no longer is) does not intend it as an oath. After all, he is secular and the context is secular.
Okay, thank you very much.
Hello Rabbi, the attached link no longer opens.
Is there a halakhic problem with saying "I swear"? I don't really understand why.