‘A vow taken before God, in the Name of God, or over any of the existing sacred scriptures should be scrupulously kept. Thus, marriage vows are very divinely binding and you should never break such vows so as not to become your own killer.’
‘Beware of making any promises that you might not be able to keep in the future. The law of faithfulness in a marriage appeals to your sense of freedom. You are free when you are making a vow. Know and value that freedom, and do not let any carnal feelings control you. Instead, be the master of yourself and of your feelings.’
‘However, no matter how strong you are in keeping vows, feelings of love cannot be forced. So it was divinely decreed and permitted to annul vows and to peacefully divorce a partner with whom a vow had been taken. Therefore it is necessary to vow to be faithful to your partner for as long as love unites you, and as long as that vow keeps you both together. The annulment of the vow and the divorce should be undertaken as happily as the marriage and vow were entered into.’
‘We, ourselves, have found that it is possible to have feelings of love for more than one person. We have always felt free to show love to all those persons, without making any promises to them, or taking any vows with them. In acting that way, we are also making use of our freedom of decision. So unless you are capable of having true feelings for another person, feelings that can last a lifetime, do not selfishly gamble with another being’s feelings.’
‘Always be sincere with them, explaining that you are only capable for loving for the moment and for as long as the feeling lasts. There is, and there should be no divinely binding laws amongst you, such as the ‘indissoluble bounds of matrimony’ imposed on anyone. No religious or civil authority should enforce such a regulation, because God does not ask that of you.’
‘Any love that has died should be laid to rest. Any marriage that has broken down should be dissolved, so that both partners may love other people and remain friends with each other, much more so if children were produced within such a marriage.’
‘When children have been produced in a marriage, though the vows may be immediately annulled to allow both partners to be free to love other persons, the couple should never live in separate dwellings until the children have become adults, and have experienced love for themselves. They should always be told of any annulment of vows immediately, but the family unit should never be broken until the children are ready to leave home.’
‘However, a family unit in which there exists violence should be immediately split, for the well-being of the children, and for both spouses peace of mind. No children should be permitted to remain with a brutal or abusive parent. And when the abuse takes place between the spouses only, they could only be better parents for their children when they live apart. That is the concession for this Commandment.’
‘But while you are tied by a vow, keep it holy until it is annulled; and do never commit adultery or perjury of any kind; especially when you have taken the Vow of Nazirite in order to Realize your Divinity. That is how we, Elyonin deal with the seventh commandment.’