Is it always forbidden to swear to G-d, or does it depend on truth? I read somewhere that "in vain" means for something false or obvious. If someone doesn't believe me about something very important and asks me to swear to G-d, am I allowed?
Answer
The Seventh of the 613 Mitzvot according to the Rambam is:
והמצוה השביעית היא שצונו להשבע בשמו יתעלה כשנצטרך לקיים דבר מן הדברים או להכחישו כי בזה הגדולה לשם יתע' וכבוד ועילוי והוא אמרו (ואתחנן ו עקב י) ובשמו תשבע...
The seventh commandment is that we are commanded to take oaths in His holy name when we will need to establish or contradict something, for in this manner it is an honor to God [to use His name] as it says (Devarim 6:2) "And in His name you shall swear"...
So yes, there definitely are times to take oaths and there is even a mitzva to do so with God's name when one is taking an oath.
HOWEVER, I strongly caution against taking oaths unless absolutely neccasary as they are not undoable, and the punishment for breaking one is very strong. In the third of the Ten Commandments God himself says (immediately after the prohibition on idolatry) that he will not forgive one who takes his name in vain. So this is not something to be taken lightly.
Note that the Ramban in his critique of the Rambam's count argues that swearing with God's name when neccasary is not an obligatory act (חיוב) but rather an optional act (רשות). But even according to him it is permitted.
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