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Nedarim 67b

נדרים ס״ז ע״ב

Learn Nedarim 67b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Who cancels the vows of a נערה המאורסה (a betrothed young woman): her father, her ארוס, or both together? Here the גמרא tests each option against the פסוקים.

Overview

The גמרא first finishes showing that the פסוק 'ואם היו תהיה לאיש' is about a betrothed woman, and it adds a second proof: the word 'הויה' means קידושין. Next it asks who cancels her vows. Maybe the father can cancel alone? No. The Torah would then not need to say that he cancels when she is not betrothed. Maybe the ארוס can cancel alone, and the father is mentioned only to teach that his confirming the vow holds? No. Then the פסוק 'בית אישה נדרה' about a married husband would be extra, since a קל וחומר would teach it. The challenger replies that this פסוק teaches that a husband cannot cancel vows made before the marriage. But that means the ארוס can cancel such earlier vows, which even a married husband cannot do. The גמרא explains this: the ארוס's power comes from his partnership with the father. So for a נערה המאורסה, both must cancel together.

Opening lines

וְלָאו מִמֵּילָא

But don't [you] automatically

שָׁמְעַתְּ מִינַּהּ?

learn it from it?

אִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא,

Or if you want, say:

דַּהֲוָיָה קִדּוּשִׁין מַשְׁמַע.

that 'being' [to a man] means betrothal.

The steps (9)

  1. RejectionDon't we already know this on our own?
  2. ProofThe word 'being' means betrothal
  3. ChallengeMaybe the father cancels alone
  4. ResolutionThen why would the Torah say the father cancels in his own house?
  5. ChallengeMaybe the ארוס cancels alone, and the father matters only for confirming
  6. ResolutionWhy would the Torah need to mention the married husband?
  7. ChallengeMaybe the פסוק teaches about vows made before the marriage
  8. ResolutionThen the ארוס would be stronger than the husband
  9. ConclusionThe ארוס cancels only as the father's partner