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Nedarim 65b

נדרים ס״ה ע״ב

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Topic

Undoing vows: mistaken vows, a פתח from Torah commandments, and a פתח from the wife's כתובה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier discussion. רבי אבא quotes a later משנה about a נדר טעות (a mistaken vow) and asks why, according to רבי יוחנן, the משנה would teach the same law twice. The גמרא admits this is a real difficulty (קשיא). Next comes a new משנה with another way to open a vow (פתח), from רבי מאיר: the חכם asks the vower whether he would have vowed had he known he was breaking Torah commandments like 'Do not take revenge' and 'Love your neighbor', and that he can no longer help a poor fellow Jew. The גמרא asks why the vower can't simply give through the community charity fund. The answer is that a person sliding into poverty first needs private help, before he ever reaches the charity collector. Another משנה then teaches that a vow can be opened by pointing to the wife's כתובה, with a story about a man whom רבי עקיבא made pay the full כתובה 'even if you sell the hair on your head.' The גמרא explains that the כתובה was paid from land, and the hair was what he would sell afterward for food. It then asks whether this proves a debtor is not left his basic needs, and רב נחמן בר רבי יצחק begins to answer. His answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מֵתִיב רַבִּי אַבָּא:

Rabbi Abba raised an objection:

״קֻוֽנָּם שֶׁאֵינִי נוֹשֵׂא לִפְלוֹנִית כְּעוּרָה״,

"Konam that I will not marry ugly so-and-so,"

וַהֲרֵי הִיא נָאָה.

and in fact she is beautiful.

״שְׁחוֹרָה״, וַהֲרֵי הִיא לְבָנָה.

"Black," and in fact she is white.

The steps (14)

  1. ChallengeRabbi Abba quotes a later משנה about a mistaken vow
  2. ChallengeWhy would the משנה teach a mistaken vow twice?
  3. ConclusionThe challenge stays unanswered
  4. Statementרבי מאיר: opening a vow with Torah commandments
  5. ChallengeCan't the vower say the poor man is the community's job?
  6. ResolutionA falling person needs private help before reaching the charity fund
  7. StatementA vow can be opened with the wife's כתובה
  8. StatementA man vows against his wife and asks to pay only half her כתובה
  9. Statementרבי עקיבא insists on full payment and the man regrets his vow
  10. ChallengeCan movable things be taken to pay a כתובה?
  11. Resolutionאביי: the inheritance was land
  12. ChallengeBut hair is a movable thing
  13. ResolutionThe hair is for his own food
  14. QuestionDoes this prove a debtor is not left his basic needs?