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Week 70 - Friday - 30 March 2001

NEDARIM: CHAPTER 6: MISHNAH 10

From cabbage, he is forbidden ispargos; from ispargos, he is permitted cabbage; from grits, he is forbidden pottage; but Rabbi Yose permits; from pottage, he is permitted grits; from pottage, he is forbidden garlic; but Rabbi Yose permits; from garlic, he is permitted pottage; from lentils, he is forbidden ashishin; but Rabbi Yose permits; from ashishin, he is permitted lentils. "Wheat grains, wheat grains that I do not taste" -- he is forbidden them, whether flour or bread. "Grit, grits that I do not taste" -- he is prohibited from them, whether raw or cooked. Rabbi Yehudah says, "Konam grit or wheat that I do not taste," he is permitted to chew them raw.

Kehati

After having learned in the previous mishnah that although scallions are a type of leek, one prohibited by vow from leek is nevertheless permitted scallions, since they have their own name, this mishnah teaches about other foods, that even though they have their own names, they nevertheless are included in the general name of their type.

If one prohibited himself by vow -- From cabbage, he is forbidden ispargos -- since it is included in cabbage; but if one prohibited himself by vow -- from ispargos, he is permitted cabbage -- because cabbage is not included in the name "ispargos." According to Rashi, ispargos is a vegetable of the cabbage family, while according to Rambam, it is the water in which cabbage is cooked. If one prohibited himself by vow -- from grits -- beans which have been ground in half, he is forbidden pottage -- a dish of food cooked from grits;

But Rabbi Yose permits -- since the cooked food is called "the pottage of grits," and not "grits," as he had vowed, he therefore is permitted the pottage;

From pottage, he is permitted grits -- according to all opinions, because he did not prohibit himself by vow from grits, but rather from the pottage of grits. If one prohibited himself by vow -- from pottage, he is forbidden garlic -- which was put in the pottage; but Rabbi Yose permits -- since in his vow he prohibited himself only from pottage, and not garlic.

But if one prohibited himself by vow --

From garlic, he is permitted pottage -- according to all opinions.

If one prohibited himself by a vow -- from lentils, he is forbidden ashishin -- the waste of lentils (Rabbeinu Asher); or, bread mixed with flour (Rashi); but Rabbi Yose permits -- for he holds that ashishin are not included in lentils.

If one says, "Wheat grain, wheat grains that I do not taste" -- he took a vow with two wordings, "wheat" in the singular and "wheat" in the plural, he is forbidden them -- wheat, whether flour or bread -- i.e., he is prohibited from tasting either flour or bread. A baraita quoted in the Gemara explains "wheat" grain (sing.) refers to bread baked from wheat, while "wheat" (pl.) refers to chewing wheat kernels. Therefore, if one says in his vow, "Wheat grain [s.]. wheat grains [pl.]," he forbids himself wheat in any form whatsoever, and is prohibited from both flour or bread.

Similarly, if one says, "Grit, grits that I do not taste" -- he took a vow using the dual language of "Grit, grits," he is prohibited from -- tasting -- them -- grits, whether raw or cooked -- for the same reason which was explained regarding "Wheat grain, wheat grains."

Rabbi Yehudah says -- if one takes a vow in the following wording: "Konam grit or wheat that I do not taste" -- saying, "Konam grit that I do not taste," or "Konam wheat grain [s.] that I do not taste," he is permitted to chew raw -- he is permitted to eat raw grits and wheat grains (eating not in the normal manner is called kasas). Rabbi Yehudah does not disagree with the Tanna Kamma; he teaches that one who takes a vow in the singular -- "grit" or "wheat grain" -- has in mind only cooked food or bread.

NEDARIM: CHAPTER 7: MISHNAH 1

If one prohibits himself by vow from vegetables, is permitted gourds; and Rabbi Akiva prohibits. they said to Rabbi Akiva, Does not a man say to his agent: "Buy for me vegetables," and he says, "I only found gourds." He said to them, This is indeed so, or does he say to him, "I only found legumes?" But gourds are included in vegetables, and legumes are not included in vegetables. And he is forbidden fresh Egyptian beans, but is permitted dry.

Kehati

This mishnah deals with the wording of a vow whose meaning can be interpreted according to the agent's understanding of his sender's words. For if the sender said to his agent, "Buy me a vegetable," and the agent went and found something which is included in the category of vegetables, such as lettuce or spinach, he normally brings it to his sender, without consulting him, for it is clear to him that the item he found is included in the words of the sender. The opposite is also true: if the agent did not find anything belonging to the category of "vegetable," but rather something from an entirely different category, such as legumes or grain, he will also not consult the sender, and does not bring it, since it is clear to him that the item he found is not included in the words of the sender. If, however, the agent found something whose inclusion in the category of "vegetable" is in doubt, such as a gourd, which is both a vegetable and a fruit, and is not eaten raw like other vegetables but rather cooked: in such a case, the agent does not take the gourd, but returns to the sender and consults him first. This mishnah discusses whether an item concerning which the agent usually consults with the sender is included in the words of the person prohibiting himself by a vow or not.

If one prohibits himself by vow from vegetables, he is permitted -- to eat -- gourds -- since they are not included in the category of "vegetables"; and Rabbi Akiva prohibits -- gourds to the one prohibited by vow from vegetables. The Gemara explains that our mishnah refers to a case in which one says, "Konam may a vegetable which is cooked in a pot before me." Rabbi Akiva accordingly holds that his vow also includes vegetables which are not eaten raw such as gourds, as was explained above.

They -- the Sages who disagree with Rabbi Akiva, said to Rabbi Akiva, Does not a man say to his agent: "Buy for me vegetables," and he -- the agent, says -- to his sender, "I only found gourds" -- and I have come to ask whether to buy them; implying that gourds are not included in the category of vegetables in popular usage.

He -- Rabbi Akiva, said to them -- the Sages, This is indeed so -- that the agent sent to purchase vegetables normally consults with is sender whether to purchase gourds; this is specifically proof for my position that the person who prohibits himself by vow from vegetables is prohibited gourds, or perhaps he says to him, "I only found legumes" -- for does the agent sent to purchase vegetables consult with his sender, when he found only legumes, whether to purchase them?

But gourds are included in vegetables, and legumes are not included in vegetables -- Rabbi Akiva holds that an agent only consults his sender concerning something which is included in the same category mentioned by his sender, but not something which is not included in the same category; since we say that an agent sent to purchase a vegetable consults his sender whether to purchase gourds, this implies that gourds are included in the category of vegetables. The Sages, however, hold that something concerning which the agent must consult his sender is not included in this same category, therefore gourds are not included in the category of "vegetable."

And he -- the person prohibited by vow from vegetables, is forbidden fresh Egyptian beans -- Egyptian beans when they are still moist, for this is then considered to be a vegetable, but he is permitted dry -- Egyptian beans; it was the custom to pile this up in a heap on the threshing-floor, as if it were a type of grain, and it therefore is not included in the category of vegetables.

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