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Week 70 - Thursday - 29 March 2001

NEDARIM: CHAPTER 6: MISHNAH 8

If one prohibits himself by vow from dates, he is permitted date honey; from autumn-grapes, he is permitted autumn-grape vinegar. Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says, Everything whose derivative is named after it, and one prohibits himself by vow from it -- is prohibited also from the derivative; but the Sages permit.

Kehati

As a continuation of the previous mishnah, this mishnah discusses whether one who prohibits himself by vow from specific fruits is permitted the derivative. The previous mishnah dealt with grapes and olives, fruits whose derivatives have special names: "wine," "oil." This mishnah, on the other hand, deals with fruits whose derivatives are named as the fruits, e.g., "date honey."

If one prohibits himself by vow from dates, he is permitted date honey -- since the person taking the vow had in mind only the fruit, and not its derivative; if one prohibits himself by a vow -- from autumn-grapes -- inferior grapes which ripen only in the autumn, and which are used to make vinegar, and not wine, he is permitted autumn-grape vinegar -- even though the autumn-grapes themselves are not fit to be eaten and are only fit for vinegar, we do not say that one who prohibited himself by vow from the autumn-grapes had in mind vinegar, but rather, since he said in his vow, "autumn-grapes," he is forbidden only the autumn-grapes themselves, and not the vinegar derivative.

Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says, Everything whose derivative is named after it -- every fruit whose derivative is named after this fruit, such as "date honey" and "autumn-grape vinegar," which are not called simply "honey" or "vinegar," and one prohibits himself by vow from it -- the fruit, he is prohibited also from the derivative -- therefore, one who prohibits himself by a vow from dates is also prohibited dated honey, and one who prohibits himself by a vow from autumn-grapes is also prohibited autumn-grape vinegar;

But the Sages permit -- the Gemara explains that the Sages' statement refers to one who is prohibited by vow from the autumn-grapes, who, according to the First Tanna, is permitted autumn-grape vinegar and prohibited the autumn-grapes themselves. The Sages disagree, and permit the autumn-grapes and prohibit the autumn-grape vinegar, for the Sages hold, if a person prohibits himself by a vow from something of which only the derivative is eaten, and not the item itself, he is permitted the item itself and not the derivative, for the one taking the vow had in mind only that which is normally eaten. Regarding one who prohibits himself by vow from dates, however, even the Sages agree that he is permitted date honey and prohibited dates, since the dates themselves are fit to be eaten.

NEDARIM: CHAPTER 6: MISHNAH 9

If one prohibits himself by vow from wine, he is permitted apple wine; from oil, is permitted sesame oil; from honey, he is permitted date honey; from vinegar, he is permitted autumn-grape vinegar; from leeks, he is permitted scallions; from vegetables, he is permitted wild vegetables, since they have an associate name.

Kehati

This mishnah teaches that one who prohibited himself by vow from a specific food is permitted a similar food, which also bears the same name, but has a by-name.

If one prohibits himself by vow from wine -- e.g., he said, "Konam wine for me,"he is permitted apple wine -- since unqualified "wine" is grape wine, and not apple wine; if one prohibits himself by vow -- from oil, is permitted sesame oil -- for unqualified "oil" is olive oil, and not sesame oil. The Gemara states that this law applies only in Eretz Yisrael; in Babylon, however, where sesame oil was mainly used, if one prohibited himself by vow from oil, he is prohibited sesame oil, and is permitted olive oil; if one prohibits himself by vow --

From honey, he is permitted date honey -- since the unqualified word "honey" in popular usage means bee honey, and not date honey; if one prohibits himself by vow -- from vinegar, he is permitted autumn-grape vinegar -- since unqualified "vinegar" is wine which has soured; if one prohibits himself by vow -- from leeks -- a vegetable resembling onions, he is permitted scallions -- although they are a type of leek, since they have a name of their own, they are not included in his vow; if one prohibits himself by vow --

From vegetables, he is permitted wild vegetables, since they have a by-name -- for wild vegetables are not called simply "vegetables." One who prohibits himself by a vow from unqualified "vegetables" therefore has his mind only on cultivated vegetables. If, however, one prohibits himself by vow from greens during the Sabbatical year -- since cultivated vegetables are not to be found, for they do not grow without cultivation, and people make do with wild vegetables which grow by themselves -- he is prohibited wild vegetables, and is permitted cultivated vegetables. This applies where vegetables are not imported from outside Eretz Yisrael; however, where vegetables are imported from outside Eretz Yisrael, he is also forbidden cultivated vegetables (Gemara). According to Rabbeinu Asher, the last clause in this mishnah, "since they have an associate name," is the reason for all the rulings taught in this mishnah.

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