Nedarim 26a

נדרים כ״ו ע״א

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Topic

נדרים 26a: רבא's explanation of the מחלוקת between בית שמאי and בית הלל about a vow that accidentally included one's father, and רב פפא's challenge from רבי עקיבא's rule of נדר שהותר מקצתו הותר כולו

Overview

The משנה describes a man who forbade a group of people from eating his figs and then found out that his father was among them. רבא explains exactly where בית שמאי and בית הלל argue. If the man says he would have named the others and said 'father is permitted,' everyone agrees the whole vow falls away. They argue only if he says he would have said 'all of you are forbidden except father.' רבא ties this to the argument between רבי מאיר, who says the first words count, and רבי יוסי, who says the end of the sentence counts. רב פפא then challenges רבא from a משנה about רבי עקיבא's rule that a vow which is partly undone is fully undone. That משנה has one case where everyone becomes permitted and one where only the last person is permitted. רב פפא shows that רבה, who holds the opposite of רבא, can fit both parts. He then grants that רבא can explain the first part, setting up the problem with the last part, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (7)

1. Statementרבא defines where בית שמאי and בית הלל really argue
2. Statementבית שמאי follow רבי מאיר: hold on to the first words
3. Statementבית הלל follow רבי יוסי: the end of the sentence counts
4. Challengeרב פפא challenges רבא with רבי עקיבא's rule: 'all of you'
5. ChallengeThe quoted משנה continues: 'this one and that one'
6. ChallengeAccording to רבה, both parts of the משנה fit
7. ChallengeAccording to רבא, the first part fits