Gemara Clarity

Nedarim 15a

נדרים ט״ו ע״א

Learn Nedarim 15a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nedarim 15a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Conditional vows about sleep and benefit: whether one must hold back now when a later act could make a vow take effect backward (רב יהודה)

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a rule: a person may be careless about a condition (תנאי), but he is careful about a direct איסור. The גמרא then tests רב יהודה against the משנה of 'קונם שאני ישן'. Read literally, that cannot be a valid נדר, because sleep has no substance. So the גמרא tries 'קונם עיני בשינה'. A vow with no time limit cannot be kept, as רבי יוחנן taught. The גמרא then tries 'tomorrow if I sleep today', but that clashes with the rule that people are careful with a direct איסור. The final wording, 'today if I sleep tomorrow', seems to refute רב יהודה, and the גמרא answers that the משנה only speaks after the fact. רבינא instead keeps the plain wording and says the בל יחל is only rabbinic, proving from customs that a rabbinic בל יחל exists. Finally, the גמרא challenges רב יהודה from a משנה about a wife's conditional vow. רבי אבא answers, and the last clause of that משנה pushes back again, continuing on the next amud.

Opening lines

כִּי לָא מִזְדְּהַיר — בִּתְנָאָה,

For when a person is not careful, it is with a condition,

אֲבָל בְּאִיסּוּרָא — מִזְדְּהַר.

but with a prohibition he is careful.

תְּנַן:

We learned:

קֻוֽנָּם שֶׁאֲנִי יָשֵׁן,

"Konam that I sleep,"

The steps (17)

  1. StatementPeople are careless with conditions but careful with prohibitions
  2. QuestionQuoting the משנה about vowing not to sleep, walk or speak
  3. ChallengeA vow on sleep should not work, since sleep has no substance
  4. ResolutionHe tied the vow to his eyes
  5. ChallengeA vow never to sleep cannot be kept
  6. ResolutionA vow about tomorrow, depending on sleeping today
  7. ChallengeBut you said a person is careful with a direct prohibition
  8. ResolutionFlipping the vow: today's sleep depends on tomorrow
  9. ChallengeThe new wording seems to refute רב יהודה
  10. ResolutionThe משנה means only after the fact
  11. Resolutionרבינא: the plain wording, with a rabbinic בל יחל
  12. QuestionIs there such a thing as a rabbinic בל יחל?
  13. ResponseProof from customs: rabbinic בל יחל exists
  14. StatementA משנה about a wife's conditional vow
  15. ChallengeIf she did not go, she may benefit
  16. Resolutionרבי אבא: Before she goes, still forbidden but no lashes
  17. ChallengeThe end of the משנה shows she benefited