Nedarim 45

והוו מצטערי רבנן משימשא לטולא ומטולא לשימשא

and the Rabbis passed wearily to and fro 'twixt sun and shade.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In an endeavour to find grounds for absolution. ');">¹</span>

(לישנא אחרינא אדעתא דהכי אין כמה זימנין והוו מצטערי רבנן משימשא לטולא ומטולא לשימשא)

Said Botnith, the son of Abba Saul b. Botnith, to him, 'Did you vow in order that the Rabbis should thus wearily pass from sun to shade and from shade to sun?' 'No,' replied he. Thereupon they absolved him.

אמר ליה בטנית בריה דאבא שאול בן בטנית מי נדרת אדעתא דמצערי רבנן מטולא לשימשא ומשימשא לטולא אמר לא ושריוה

R. Ishmael son of R. Jose had a vow for absolution. He went before the Rabbis, who asked him, 'Did you vow bearing this in mind?' 'Even so,' replied he. 'Or this?' 'Yes.' This was repeated several times. A fuller, seeing that he was paining the Rabbis, smote him with his basket.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Rabbis appear to have held open session. ');">²</span>

רבי ישמעאל בר רבי יוסי הוה ליה נדרא למישרא אתא לקמייהו דרבנן אמרו ליה נדרת אדעתא דהכי אמר להו אין נדרתא אדעתא דהכי אמר להו אין כמה זימנין כיוון דחזא ההוא קצרא דמצטערי רבנן מחייה באוכלא דקצרי אמר אדעתא דמחי לי קצרא לא נדרי ושריה לנפשיה

Said he, 'I did not vow to be beaten by a fuller,' and so he absolved himself. R. Aha of Difti objected to Rabina: But this was an unexpected fact, as it had not occurred to him that a fuller would smite him, and we learnt: An unexpected fact may not be given as an opening?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 64a. The tact must have been in existence, when the vow was made, but overlooked. If, however, it occurred only subsequently, it cannot be a ground for absolution. ');">³</span>

אמר ליה רב אחא מדיפתי לרבינא האי נולד הוא דלא מסיק אדעתיה דמחי ליה קצרא ותנינא אין פותחין לו בנולד אמר ליה האי לאו נולד הוא דשכיחי אפיקורי דמצערי רבנן

— He replied: This is not unexpected, because scoffers<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Apikora (pakar) etymologically should mean a loose, unbridled person. Its phonetic similarity phonetic similarity to Epicurus, the philosopher, stamped it with the meaning of sceptic, heretic, and that is its probable meaning in Sanh. XI, 2, where an apikoros is excluded from the world to come. The definition given in the Gemara, 99b, viz., one who is scornful of the Rabbis, which is the same as it bears here, was in all probability an extension of its meaning, due to feuds between the Rabbis and some sections of the people. ');">⁴</span>

דביתהו דאביי הוה לה ההיא ברתא הוא אמר לקריבאי היא אמרה לקריבה אמר לה תיתסרא הנאתי עלך אי עברת אדעתאי ומינסבת לה לקריבך אזלת ועברת על דעתיה ואינסבא לקריבה אתא לקמיה דרב יוסף אמר ליה אילו הוה ידעת דעברת על דעתך ומנסבא לה לקריבה מי אדרתה אמר לא ושרייה רב יוסף

are common who vex the Rabbis.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And as their adherents naturally try to punish them, the incident could have been anticipated, and therefore is not regarded as unexpected ');">⁵</span>

ומי שרי כי האי גוונא אין והתניא מעשה באדם אחד שהדיר את אשתו מלעלות לרגל ועברה על דעתו ועלתה לרגל ובא לפני רבי יוסי אמר לו ואילו היית יודע שעוברת על דעתך ועולה לרגל כלום הידרתה אמר לו לא והתירו רבי יוסי

Abaye's wife had a daughter. <i>He</i> declared, '[She must marry] one of <i>my</i> relations,' and <i>she</i> maintained, 'one of <i>mine</i>'. So he said to her: '[All] benefit from me be forbidden to you if you disregard my wish and marry her to one of your relations.' She went, ignored his desire, and married her to her relation. [Subsequently Abaye] went before R. Joseph [for absolution], who asked him: 'Had you known that she would disregard your wish and marry her to her relation, would you have vowed?' He answered, 'No,' and R. Joseph absolved him. But is such permitted?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The vow itself providing cause for absolution. ');">⁶</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר אף הרוצה להדיר את חבירו שיאכל אצלו יאמר לו כל נדר שאני עתיד לידור הוא בטל ובלבד שיהא זכור בשעת הנדר

— Yes, and it was taught: A man once imposed a vow on his wife not to make the festival pilgrimage [to Jerusalem]; but she disregarded his wish, and did go. He went to R. Jose [for absolution], who said to him, 'Had you known that she would disregard your wish and make the journey, would you have imposed the vow on her?' He answered, 'No,' and R. Jose absolved him.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> וכיוון דאמר כל נדר שאני עתיד לידור יהא בטל לא שמע ליה ולא אתי בהדיה

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. R. ELIEZER B. JACOB SAID: ALSO HE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The friend. ');">⁷</span> WHO WISHES TO SUBJECT HIS FRIEND TO A VOW TO EAT WITH HIM, SHOULD DECLARE: <font>'EVERY VOW WHICH I MAY MAKE IN THE FUTURE SHALL BE NULL'. [HIS VOWS ARE THEN INVALID,] PROVIDING THAT HE REMEMBERS THIS AT THE TIME OF THE VOW.</font> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. But since he says, 'Every vow which I may make in the future shall be null,' he will surely not listen to him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This too is an example of a vow of incitement, v. Gemara. ');">⁸</span> and not come to [eat with] him? —