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Nedarim 31a

נדרים ל״א ע״א

Learn Nedarim 31a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Vows against groups of people (those who rest on שבת, בני נח, זרע אברהם, Jews) and who benefits in a sale

Overview

This amud has several short משניות about vows not to benefit from groups of people. In the first, a vow against 'those who rest on שבת' or 'those who eat garlic' covers Jews and כותים, but a vow against 'those who go up to ירושלים' covers only Jews. אביי explains that the משנה means people who are both commanded and actually do the מצוה. Next, a vow against 'בני נח' covers only non-Jews, because once אברהם was made holy, Jews are called by his name. A vow against 'זרע אברהם' covers only Jews: a פסוק counts the seed through יצחק, which leaves out ישמעאל, and only through part of יצחק, which leaves out עשו. A final משנה teaches how someone under a benefit vow can still buy and sell with Jews by making sure the forbidden side never gets a good deal. The גמרא tests שמואל's view, that the buyer gets the main benefit of a sale, against this משנה. It tries splitting the cases into goods nobody wants and goods in high demand, and then starts a new answer that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳

MISHNAH:

הַנּוֹדֵר מִשּׁוֹבְתֵי שַׁבָּת —

One who vows [not to benefit] from those who rest on Shabbat —

אָסוּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָסוּר בַּכּוּתִים.

is forbidden [to benefit] from a Jew and forbidden from Kutim.

מֵאוֹכְלֵי שׁוּם —

[If he vowed] from those who eat garlic —

The steps (23)

  1. StatementThe משנה: vows against those who keep שבת, eat garlic, or go up to ירושלים
  2. QuestionWhat does 'those who rest on שבת' mean?
  3. RejectionIt can't mean people who actually keep שבת
  4. ResponseIt means people commanded to keep שבת
  5. ChallengeBut כותים are also commanded to go up to ירושלים
  6. Resolutionאביי: the משנה means people who are commanded and actually do it
  7. StatementA vow not to benefit from the descendants of נח
  8. ChallengeBut Jews also come from נח
  9. ResolutionJews are called by אברהם's name
  10. StatementA vow not to benefit from אברהם's offspring
  11. ChallengeBut ישמעאל is also אברהם's son
  12. ResolutionOnly through יצחק is the seed called אברהם's
  13. ChallengeBut עשו is a son of יצחק
  14. ResolutionThrough יצחק, but not all of יצחק
  15. StatementHow to do business when a vow forbids benefit
  16. Statementשמואל: the examiner pays, so the buyer has the main benefit
  17. ChallengeThe משנה forbids selling at fair price
  18. ResolutionThe משנה speaks of merchandise nobody wants
  19. ChallengeThen why must he buy for more?
  20. ChallengeThen why must he sell for more?
  21. ResolutionThe last part of the משנה is about goods in high demand
  22. ChallengeThen why must he buy for less?
  23. ResolutionRather: the גמרא starts a new answer