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Nedarim 66b

נדרים ס״ו ע״ב

Learn Nedarim 66b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Sages caught up in husbands' vows against their wives, and the start of the chapter נערה המאורסה

Overview

This amud finishes a long series of stories about vows and commands between husbands and wives. First, a ברייתא tells how רבי ישמעאל paid for a gold tooth for a girl, and how he was eulogized as the one who 'clothed' the daughters of Israel. Next, a man vows that his wife cannot benefit from him until רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון taste her cooking. רבי יהודה tastes, learning a קל וחומר from the סוטה waters that one should give up honor for peace. רבי שמעון refuses, to protect the honor of Torah scholars and so people won't get used to vowing. In another case, a wife spits on רבן שמעון בן גמליאל's clothes, and רבינא rules that this is a great humiliation, so it fulfills the vow. רבי ישמעאל ברבי יוסי frees a wife from her husband's vow by finding that her name, לכלוכית, is 'יפה' (fitting). A Babylonian man's wife misunderstands his words and breaks lamps on בבא בן בוטא's head, and he blesses her for doing her husband's will. The chapter רבי אליעזר then ends, and the new chapter נערה המאורסה opens: a betrothed girl's father and husband together cancel her vows.

Opening lines

תָּנָא: שֵׁן תּוֹתֶבֶת הָיְתָה לָהּ,

It was taught: She had a false tooth,

וְעָשָׂה לָהּ רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל

and Rabbi Yishmael made for her

שֵׁן שֶׁל זָהָב מִשֶּׁלּוֹ.

a tooth of gold from his own money.

כִּי שְׁכֵיב רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל,

When Rabbi Yishmael died,

The steps (16)

  1. Statementרבי ישמעאל gives the girl a gold tooth
  2. StatementThe eulogy for רבי ישמעאל
  3. StatementA husband's vow tied to two rabbis tasting his wife's cooking
  4. Statementרבי יהודה tastes to make peace
  5. Statementרבי שמעון refuses to taste
  6. StatementA vow that the wife must spit on רבן שמעון בן גמליאל
  7. ChallengeDid spitting on his clothes really fulfill the vow?
  8. ResolutionSpitting on his clothes is a great humiliation
  9. StatementA husband vows until his wife shows something beautiful to רבי ישמעאל
  10. Questionרבי ישמעאל checks her features one by one
  11. ConclusionHer name fits her, so he permits her
  12. StatementA Babylonian husband and the dialect mix-ups
  13. StatementShe breaks the lamps on בבא בן בוטא's head
  14. Conclusionבבא בן בוטא blesses her for obeying her husband
  15. ConclusionHadran — Closing the chapter רבי אליעזר
  16. StatementNew chapter: father and husband cancel a betrothed girl's vows