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Week 73 - Monday - 16 April 2001

NEDARIM: CHAPTER 10: MISHNAH 8

The revocation of vows is the entire day. In this there can be leniency, or stringency. How so? If she took a vow on Shabbat eve, he may revoke on Shabbat eve, and on Shabbat day until nightfall. If she took a vow as it became dark, he may revoke until it is dark: for if it became dark and he did not revoke, he may not revoke.

Kehati

We have already mentioned that the father and the husband may revoke vows only on the day they hear them, as written, "But if her father revokes it on the day he hears it" (Num. 30:6), and similarly "But if on the day her husband hears of it, he revokes it" (Num. 30:9). Our mishnah teaches that the time at the disposal of the father to revoke his daughter's vows, or for a husband to revoke his wife's vows, is all that "day of hearing," until the end of the day. Although it is written, "But if her husband remains silent from one day to the next" (Num. 30:15), we do not interpret that the time period of revocation is a full 24-hours, from the time he heard the vow until the next day at the same time (as is the opinion of other Tannaim in a baraita cited in the Gemara); the law is rather that the period for revocation is only until nightfall. To what then does "from one day to the next" apply? If he heard her vow at the beginning of the night, he may revoke it both during the night and during the whole of the next day; hence there are cases in which the period of revocation is a 24-hour period.

The - period of - revocation of vows is the entire day - the whole of the same day on which the father or the husband heard the vow, until nightfall. In this there can be leniency, or stringency - there are cases in which the period for revocation is long, and there are cases in which it is short.

How so? If she took a vow on Shabbat eve - i.e., the father or the husband heard the vow on Shabbat eve, after nightfall - he may revoke - the vow - on Shabbat eve - all that night, and on Shabbat day - all during the next Shabbat day, for the day follows the night, as it is written, "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Gen. 1:5), until nightfall - this is a case where there is leniency, for the vow may be revoked during a long period.

If she took a vow as it became dark - i.e., he heard the vow on Shabbat, close to nightfall, he may revoke until it is dark - there is only a short time, until it becomes dark, for revoking the vow; this is a case where there is stringency; for if it became dark - Shabbat terminated, and he did not revoke - the vow, he may not revoke - any longer, for "the day that he hears" has already passed. Our mishnah states "Shabbat eve" to teach that vows may be revoked on Shabbat (see Shab. 24:5), even if this is not needed for Shabbat itself, but the same applies on weekdays, as was explained in the introduction to this mishnah. Only revocation of vows is permitted on Shabbat even if it is not needed for Shabbat itself; the annulment of vows by a Sage, however, is permitted on Shabbat only if the vow is of need for Shabbat itself. We have already mentioned that there is a difference between the revocation of vows and the annulment of vows: in the annulment of vows, the Sage annuls the vow retroactively, while regarding the revocation of vows, the revocation by the father or by the husband means that the prohibition of the vow is not effective from now on. The Gemara says that if the Sage uses the wording of revocation (hafarah), or the husband the wording of annulment (hatarah), then the vow is neither annulled nor revoked (Ned. 77b).

NEDARIM: CHAPTER 11: MISHNAH 1

And these are the vows that he may revoke: things which contain self-denial: "If I will wash," and "If I will not wash," "If I will adorn myself," and "If I will not adorn myself." Rabbi Yose said, These are not vows of self-denial.

Kehati

"Every vow, and every binding oath involving self-denial, her husband may confirm it, or her husband may revoke it" (Num. 30:14). Hence the husband may only revoke vows that contain "self-denial" for his wife; the Sages learned, however, from "between a man and a wife" (Num. 30:17) that the husband may also revoke vows that pertain to personal relations between him and her, even if they do not entail self-denial; and "matters between him and her" are vows which cause enmity between a man and his wife or which anguish the husband. There is a difference between the revocation of vows of self-denial and the revocation of vows between him and her: regarding vows of self-denial, the husband revokes them both for himself and others, i.e., the vows are entirely revoked, even if she was divorced and married another person, her vows are revoked, even for the other person; regarding vows between him and her, however, he may revoke the vows only in as much as they relate to him, but he may not revoke the vows in as much as they relate to others, and if the woman was divorced and married another person, the revocation by the first husband is not effective regarding the second, and she is prohibited from that which she prohibited herself in her vow.

Which vows may a father revoke for his daughter? Sifrei learns from "between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter" (Num. 30:17), that the father is equivalent to the husband, and that the father also may revoke only vows of self-denial and matters between him and her; and this is the ruling of the majority of the Rishonirn. Rambarn, however, rules that the father may revoke all his daughter's vows (Hil. Nedarirn 12:1; see the commentaries on Rambam there). Nevertheless, in order to facilitate the explanation of the mishnah, we will explain the mishnayot in this chapter as referring to revocation by the husband. This mishnah discusses whether a woman's taking a vow not to wash or to adorn herself is included in the definition of vows of self-denial; Rabbi Yose and the Sages disagree on this.

And these are the vows - oaths are also included (Gemara), that he - the husband, may revoke - for his wife, and his revocation is effective both for himself and for others: things which contain self-denial - e.g., she took a vow or an oath:

"If I will wash," and "If I will not wash" - i.e., the woman taking a vow says, "May the benefit of washing be prohibited to me forever if I will wash today," or the woman taking an oath says, "Shavu'ah that I will not wash," and similarly, "If I will adorn myself" - the woman taking a vow says, "May the benefit of adornment be prohibited to me forever if I will adorn myself today," and - or - "If I will not adorn myself" - the woman taking an oath says, "Shavu'ah that I will not adorn myself"; these are vows of self-denial, which the husband may revoke entirely, for himself and for others, as was explained above.

Rabbi Yose said, These are not vows of self-denial - Rabbi Yose disagrees with the Tanna Kamma, and holds that if she prohibits herself washing and adornment, these are not vows of self-denial, and the husband is not empowered to revoke them completely, for the revocation to be effective both for himself and others. Rabbi Yose admits, however, that these vows contain matters of personal relations, and the husband may revoke them for himself only (Gemara).

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