Gemara Clarity

Nedarim 30b

נדרים ל׳ ע״ב

Learn Nedarim 30b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nedarim 30b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How the words of a נדר are understood: seafarers, 'those who see the sun,' 'the black-headed ones,' and ילודים and נולדים

Overview

The גמרא finishes explaining who counts as יורדי הים (seafarers) and who counts as יושבי היבשה (land-dwellers). In a second version, everyone counts as a land-dweller, because even sailors come back to land. Next comes a series of new משניות about the words people use in a נדר. A vow from 'those who see the sun' includes the blind, because it covers everyone the sun shines on. A vow from 'the black-headed ones' includes bald and gray-haired men but not women or children, because the name belongs to men. A vow from ילודים does not include נולדים, but a vow from נולדים includes ילודים. רבי מאיר disagrees, and the גמרא explains his opinion by saying the משנה is missing words. רב פפא and אביי then show from פסוקים that נולדים can mean either 'already born' or 'will be born,' so for vows we follow everyday speech. Finally, the חכמים's phrase 'whose nature is to be born' leaves out fish and birds.

Opening lines

הַהוֹלְכִים מֵעַכּוֹ לְיָפוֹ,

[not] those who travel from Akko to Jaffa,

דְּהָלֵין יוֹשְׁבֵי הַיַּבָּשָׁה נִינְהוּ,

for these are land-dwellers,

אֶלָּא מִמִּי שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לְפָרֵשׁ.

rather, [it means] from those whose way is to set sail.

וּמַאן דְּמַתְנֵי אַסֵּיפָא,

And the one who teaches it on the latter clause

The steps (20)

  1. StatementSeafarers means real sailors, not short coastal travelers
  2. StatementSecond version: even real sailors count as land-dwellers
  3. StatementNew משנה: a vow from those who see the sun includes the blind
  4. QuestionWhy are blind people included?
  5. ResponseAdding 'the sun' only leaves out fish and fetuses
  6. StatementThe משנה on vowing from 'the black-headed ones'
  7. QuestionWhy are bald people included?
  8. ResponseHe did not say 'people with hair'
  9. QuestionWhy are women and children excluded?
  10. ResponseMen's heads are sometimes covered and sometimes uncovered
  11. StatementThe משנה on vowing from 'those born' and 'those who will be born'
  12. Statementרבי מאיר and the חכמים argue about 'those who will be born'
  13. ChallengeIf רבי מאיר permits everyone, whom does the vow forbid?
  14. ResolutionThe משנה is missing words, and here is the full version
  15. Challengeרב פפא: a פסוק uses נולדים for sons already born
  16. ChallengeBut another פסוק uses נולד for someone not yet born
  17. ConclusionThe word means both; for vows, follow everyday speech
  18. StatementThe חכמים say the vow covers only creatures that are born
  19. QuestionWhat does 'whose nature is to be born' leave out?
  20. ResponseFish and birds are left out