In Parshat Ki Tetze, Devarim 23:22 we read the following: “When you make a vow (neder) to God, you shall not be late in paying it, for God will demand it of you and there will be a sin in you. If you refrain from vowing, there will be no sin in you. You shall observe and carry out what emerges from your lips, just as you vowed a voluntary gift to God, whatever you spoke of your mouth”.
If you make a pledge, how much time do you have to pay it off before you are considered “late in paying it”?
According to Rashi, you can wait until all three of the Shalosh Regalim (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot) have passed before you are considered “late”.
Why would a person make a pledge to give Tzedaka and not follow through?
Sometimes people are just forgetful. Some charities therefore like to send a lot of reminders (which can be problematic since they are costly and can also really annoy the person who made the pledge).
Others may feel obligated to get up during a synagogue appeal in order to show off with a large pledge that they later realize was too high. One good reason to go to a different shul on a day when your shul is having an appeal! After the holiday, you can quietly send in a donation that you are comfortable with.
