אִישׁ֩ כִּֽי־יִדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר לַֽה׳ אֽוֹ־הִשָּׁ֤בַע שְׁבֻעָה֙ לֶאְסֹ֤ר אִסָּר֙ עַל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכׇל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
[Any] man who vows a vow to YHWH
or swears a sworn-oath, to bind himself by a binding-obligation:
he is not to desecrate his word;
exactly as what goes out of his mouth, he is to do.
or swears a sworn-oath, to bind himself by a binding-obligation:
he is not to desecrate his word;
exactly as what goes out of his mouth, he is to do.
What constitutes a vow or oath?
לה׳. שהזכיר השם והנדר אם יהיה כן אתן לשם כך וכך או אתענה:
UNTO THE LORD. He mentions God’s name. He vows as follows: If this comes to pass, then I will give the following sum to God, or I will fast.
What does rabbinic tradition have to say about keeping or annulling a vow? How important is it that we keep our word?
מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה שֶׁיְּקַיֵּם אָדָם שְׁבוּעָתוֹ אוֹ נִדְרוֹ בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה מִנִּדְרֵי אִסָּר בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה מִנִּדְרֵי הֶקְדֵּשׁ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כג כד) "מוֹצָא שְׂפָתֶיךָ תִּשְׁמֹר וְעָשִׂיתָ כַּאֲשֶׁר נָדַרְתָּ" וְנֶאֱמַר (במדבר ל ג) "כְּכָל הַיֹּצֵא מִפִּיו יַעֲשֶׂה":
It is a positive commandment of Scriptural origin for a person to carry out his oath or vow whether it be a vow involving prohibitions or a vow of sanctification, as [Deuteronomy 23:24] states: "Heed the utterances of your mouth and do as you vowed." And [Numbers 30:3] states: "He shall act in accordance with all that he uttered with his mouth."
גְּמָ׳ תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: יֵשׁ לָהֶם עַל מָה שֶׁיִּסָּמֵכוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי יַפְלִיא״ ״כִּי יַפְלִיא״ שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים: אַחַת הַפְלָאָה לְאִיסּוּר, וְאַחַת הַפְלָאָה לְהֶיתֵּר.
GEMARA: It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer said: The halakhot of the dissolution of vows have something to support them, as it is stated: “When a man shall clearly utter a vow” (Leviticus 27:2), and: “When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow” (Numbers 6:2), i.e., the words “clearly utter” appear twice. One clear utterance is for prohibition, i.e., when one states his intention to accept the vow, and one clear utterance is for dissolution, when he provides the Sage with a reason why the vow should no longer apply. This is an allusion in the Torah to the annulment of vows.
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: יֵשׁ לָהֶם עַל מָה שֶׁיִּסָּמֵכוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי בְאַפִּי״ — בְּאַפִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי, וְחָזַרְתִּי בִּי.
Rabbi Yehoshua likewise says: These halakhot have something to support them, as it is stated: “Wherefore I swore in My wrath” (Psalms 95:11), meaning: In my wrath I swore, and I retracted. This is the basis for the dissolution of vows, in which the one who uttered the vow tells the Sage that he regrets it, as he did so in a moment of anger.
רַבִּי יִצְחָק אוֹמֵר: יֵשׁ לָהֶם עַל מָה שֶׁיִּסָּמֵכוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כֹּל נְדִיב לִבּוֹ״
Rabbi Yitzḥak says: These halakhot have something to support them, as it is stated: “Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it” (Exodus 35:5). This verse indicates that as long as one retains the same desire to fulfill the vow, he must continue to fulfill it, but if he regrets taking the vow he may arrange for it to be dissolved.
מֵתִיב רַב חִסְדָּא: חוֹמֶר בְּהָקֵם מִבְּהָפֵר, וּבְהָפֵר מִבְּהָקֵם. חוֹמֶר בְּהָקֵם — שֶׁהַשְּׁתִיקָה מְקַיֶּימֶת, וְאֵין שְׁתִיקָה מְבַטֶּלֶת. קִיֵּים בְּלִבּוֹ — קַיָּים, הֵפֵר בְּלִבּוֹ — אֵינוֹ מוּפָר. קִיֵּים — אֵין יָכוֹל לְהָפֵר, הֵפֵר — אֵין יָכוֹל לְקַיֵּים. קָתָנֵי: שֶׁהַשְּׁתִיקָה מְקַיֶּימֶת, מַאי לָאו בְּשׁוֹתֵק עַל מְנָת לְמֵיקַט?
Rav Ḥisda raised an objection from a different baraita: In some ways the halakha is more stringent in ratification than in nullification, and in other ways it is more stringent in nullification than in ratification. The stringency in ratification of vows is that silence ratifies a vow, but silence does not cancel, i.e., nullify, a vow. If the husband ratified a vow in his heart, it is ratified, but if he nullified it in his heart, it is not nullified. The baraita adds: If he ratified a vow he can no longer nullify it; and similarly, if he nullified a vow he can no longer ratify it. In any case, the baraita teaches that silence ratifies a vow. What, is it not referring even to one who is silent in order to annoy his wife?
Annulling Vows Annually
כָּל נִדְרֵי וֶאֱסָרֵי וּשְׁבוּעֵי וַחֲרָמֵי וְקוֹנָמֵי וְכִנּוּיֵי. וְקִנוּסֵי דִּנְדַֽרְנָא. וּדְאִשְׁתַּבַּֽעְנָא. וּדְאַחֲרִימְנָא. וּדְאָסַֽרְנָא עַל נַפְשָׁתָֽנָא. מִיּוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ לְטוֹבָה. בְּכֻלְּהוֹן אִחֲרַֽטְנָא בְהוֹן. כֻּלְּהוֹן יְהוֹן שָׁרָן. שְׁבִיקִין, שְׁבִיתִין, בְּטֵלִין וּמְבֻטָּלִין, לָא שְׁרִירִין וְלָא קַיָּמִין: נִדְרָֽנָא לָא נִדְרֵי. וֶאֱסָרָֽנָא לָא אֱסָרֵי. וּשְׁבוּעָתָֽנָא לָא שְׁבוּעוֹת:
All vows, and things we have made forbidden on ourselves, and oaths, and items we have consecrated to the Temple, and vows issued with the expression “konum,” and vows which are abbreviated, and vows issued with the expression “kanos,” that we have vowed, and sworn, and dedicated, and made forbidden upon ourselves; from this Yom Kippur until next Yom Kippur— may it come to us at a good time— We regret having made them; may they all be permitted, forgiven, eradicated and nullified, and may they not be valid or exist any longer. Our vows shall no longer be vows, and our prohibitions shall no longer be prohibited, and our oaths are no longer oaths.
Kol Nidre Comment, Lev Shalem, p.205
The Kol Nidre is an Aramaic legal formula created in response to a widely felt need to nullify unfulfilled personal vows, a desire to enter the new year with a clean slate. In the 9th century, Babylonian Jewish leaders opposed its recitation. Therefore, Rabbenu Tam (France, 12th century) changed the language from past tense to future, a change that was widely adopted. Most of all, Kol Nidre expresses our fear that even our best intentions for the new year will not be fulfilled. At the same time, it expresses how much we regret what was not accomplished in the past year. Kol Nidre mentions seven types of promises and uses seven verbs expressing nullification. Seven symbolizes completion.
The Kol Nidre is an Aramaic legal formula created in response to a widely felt need to nullify unfulfilled personal vows, a desire to enter the new year with a clean slate. In the 9th century, Babylonian Jewish leaders opposed its recitation. Therefore, Rabbenu Tam (France, 12th century) changed the language from past tense to future, a change that was widely adopted. Most of all, Kol Nidre expresses our fear that even our best intentions for the new year will not be fulfilled. At the same time, it expresses how much we regret what was not accomplished in the past year. Kol Nidre mentions seven types of promises and uses seven verbs expressing nullification. Seven symbolizes completion.
Start to consider what vows you have made this year. Which ones do you need to ensure get fulfilled, and which ones need to be annulled?