Nedarim 19b

נדרים י״ט ע״ב

Learn Nedarim 19b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nedarim 19b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How רבי יהודה treats doubtful vows: two answers to the contradiction from the pile case (רבא and רב אשי), and אביי splitting the תרומה and חרמים clauses of the משנה between two תנאים.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a contradiction between two rulings of רבי יהודה. He is strict on an unclear vow of תרומה, yet lenient on a doubtful נזירות in the pile (כרי) case. רבא answers that in נזירות the doubt is harsher than certainty. A doubtful נזיר can never shave or bring offerings, so a person does not mean to put himself into that doubt. רב הונא בר יהודה tests this with a נזיר עולם, and רבא shows the doubt is harsher there too. He then asks about a נזיר שמשון. רבא first says no such vow is taught. Then he accepts that if it is taught, there the doubtful vow would take hold. רב אשי gives a different answer: the lenient pile ruling is רבי יהודה quoting רבי טרפון, who holds that נזירות needs a clear statement. Finally the גמרא sees a new contradiction in the משנה between תרומה (doubt treated strictly) and חרמים (doubt treated leniently). אביי solves it by showing, from a ברייתא, that the חרמים clause belongs to רבי אלעזר ברבי צדוק.

Opening lines

The steps (16)

1. ChallengeThe end of the contradiction: where people are familiar, it is forbidden
2. Resolutionרבא: when the doubt is harsher than certainty, a person does not enter it
3. Challengeרב הונא בר יהודה asks about a lifelong נזיר
4. ResolutionEven a lifelong נזיר's doubt is harsher
5. ChallengeWhat about a vow to be a נזיר like שמשון?
6. Resolutionרבא: a vow of נזיר שמשון is not taught
7. ChallengeBut רב אדא בר אהבה says it is taught
8. Conclusionרבא accepts: if it is taught, it is taught
9. Resolutionרב אשי: that view is really רבי טרפון's
10. ProofThe ברייתא: נזירות needs a clear statement
11. ChallengeThen why does the case say the pile was stolen or lost?
12. ResolutionThe detail shows how far רבי שמעון goes
13. StatementFrom the תרומה case: a doubtful vow is treated strictly
14. ChallengeThe חרמים case seems to treat doubt leniently
15. Resolutionאביי: the חרמים clause belongs to a different תנא
16. ProofA ברייתא shows the two clauses come from two Sages