Nedarim 55
בית שמאי אומרים לא יפתח לו בנדר ובית הלל אומרים אף יפתח לו בית שמאי אומרים במה שהוא מדירו ובית הלל אומרים אף במה שאינו מדירו
BUT BETH HILLEL MAINTAIN: EVEN SUCH ARE PERMISSIBLE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Weiss, Dor I, p. 185, conjectures that this controversy arose out of Herod's demand that all the members of the nation should swear loyalty to him (Joseph. Ant. 15, � 10). ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
כיצד אמר לו אמור קונם אשתי נהנית לי ואמר קונם אשתי ובני נהנין לי בית שמאי אומרים אשתו מותרת ובניו אסורין ובית הלל אומרים אלו ואלו מותרין:
BETH SHAMMAI RULE: HE MUST NOT VOLUNTEER TO VOW;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the murderer does not demand a vow as an assurance, he must not offer to vow of his own accord. ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> והאמר שמואל דינא דמלכותא דינא
BETH HILLEL RULE: HE MAY DO SO. BETH SHAMMAI SAY: [HE MAY VOW] ONLY AS FAR AS HE [THE MURDERER, ETC.] MAKES HIM VOW; BETH HILLEL SAY: EVEN IN RESPECT OF WHAT HE DOES NOT MAKE HIM VOW. E.G., IF HE [THE ROBBER] SAID TO HIM, SAY: KONAM BE ANY BENEFIT MY WIFE HAS OF ME'; AND HE DECLARED, 'KONAM BE ANY BENEFIT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN HAVE OF ME,' — BETH SHAMMAI RULE: HIS WIFE IS PERMITTED, BUT HIS CHILDREN ARE FORBIDDEN; BETH HILLEL RULE: BOTH ARE PERMITTED.
אמר רב חיננא אמר רב כהנא אמר שמואל במוכס שאין לו קצבה דבי ר' ינאי אמר במוכס העומד מאליו:
<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. But Samuel said, The law of the country is law?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Therefore the publican has a legal claim: why then is the owner permitted to evade payment by a false vow? ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
שהן של בית המלך ואף על פי שאינן של בית המלך: היכי נדר אמר רב עמרם אמר רב באומר יאסרו פירות העולם עלי אם אינן של בית המלך
— R. Hinena said in the name of R. Kahana in the name of Samuel: The Mishnah refers to a publican who is not limited to a legal due.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Under the Roman Procurators there was a tremendous amount of illegal extortion, particularly of octroi tolls, v. Sanh. (Sonc. ed.) p. 148. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
באומר בלבו היום ומוציא בשפתיו סתם ואף על גב דסבירא לן דברים שבלב אינם דברים לגבי אונסין שאני:
OR THAT IT BELONGS TO THE ROYAL HOUSE, EVEN IF IT DOES NOT. How does he vow? — R. Amram said in Rab's name: By saying, 'May all the fruits of the world be forbidden me, if this does not belong to the royal house.' But if he said, 'may they be forbidden,' all the fruits of the world are forbidden to him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For if the vow contains no sort of evasion, it is binding whatever its purpose. ');"><sup>6</sup></span>
בית שמאי אומרים בכל וכו' בית שמאי אומרים במה שהוא מדירו ובית הלל אומרים אף בשאינו מדירו כיצד אמר לו קונם אשתי נהנית לי ואמר קונם אשתי ובני נהנין לי בית שמאי אומרים אשתו מותרת ובניו אסורין ובית הלל אומרים אלו ואלו מותרין:
— He adds, to-day. But if so, the publican will not accept it! — He mentally stipulates 'to-day,' but makes no explicit reservation; and though we [normally] rule that an unexpressed stipulation is invalid,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'words that are in the heart are no words'. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ותו מיפתח הוא דלא יפתח לו בשבועה הא מידר נדר בשבועה והתנן בית שמאי אומרים בכל נודרין חוץ מבשבועה
BETH SHAMMAI MAINTAIN: ONE MAY MAKE ANY FORM OF VOW … BUT BETH HILLEL RULE THAT EVEN SUCH ARE PER MISSIBLE. BETH SHAMMAI RULE: THE OWNER MUST NOT VOLUNTEER TO VOW; BETH HILLEL RULE: HE MAY DO SO. BETH SHAMMAI SAY: HE MAY VOW ONLY AS FAR AS HE [THE MURDERER] MAKES HIM VOW; BETH HILLEL SAY: EVEN IN RESPECT OF WHAT HE DOES NOT MAKE HIM VOW. E.G., IF HE [THE ROBBER] SAID TO HIM, SAY: KONAM BE ANY BENEFIT MY WIFE HAS OF ME'; AND THE OWNER DECLARED, 'KONAM BE ANY BENEFIT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN HAVE OF ME — BETH SHAMMAI RULE: HIS WIFE IS PERMITTED, BUT HIS CHILDREN ARE FORBIDDEN; BETH HILLEL RULE: BOTH ARE PERMITTED.
תנא מתניתין בנדר להודיעך כחן דבית שמאי תנא ברייתא בשבועה להודיעך כחן דבית הלל
R. Huna said: A Tanna taught: Beth Shammai maintain: He must not volunteer with an oath; Beth Hillel say: He may volunteer even with an oath. Now, in the view of Beth Shammai, only with an oath may he not volunteer, but he may volunteer a vow. But we learnt: BETH SHAMMAI RULE: THE OWNER MUST NOT VOLUNTEER TO VOW. Moreover, he may merely not volunteer an oath, but he may vow with an oath [if requested]; but we learnt, BETH SHAMMAI MAINTAIN: ONE MAY MAKE ANY FORM OF VOW, EXCEPTING THAT SUSTAINED BY AN OATH? — The Mishnah deals with a vow, to shew how far-reaching is Beth Shammai's ruling;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., one may not volunteer even a vow, which is not as grave as an oath. ');"><sup>8</sup></span>
רב אשי אמר הכי קתני בית שמאי אומרים אין שאלה בשבועה ובית הלל אומרים יש שאלה בשבועה:
whilst the Baraitha treats of an oath, to shew the full extent of Beth Hillel's view.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That one may volunteer even an oath, in spite of its greater gravity. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> הרי נטיעות האלו קרבן אם אינן נקצצות טלית זו קרבן אם אינה נשרפת יש להן פדיון הרי נטיעות האלו קרבן עד שיקצצו טלית זו קרבן עד שתשרף
R. Ashi answered, This is what is taught: Beth Shammai say, There is no absolution for an oath; and Beth Hillel say, There is absolution for an oath.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to this, the Baraitha does not treat of vows under pressure at all. The Heb. lo yiftah (rendered 'he may not volunteer') will mean: He (the rabbi) must not give an opening for regret, i.e., must not grant absolution. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. [IF ONE SAYS,] 'LET THESE SAPLINGS BE KORBAN [I.E., CONSECRATED] IF THEY ARE NOT CUT DOWN'; OR, LET THIS GARMENT BE KORBAN IF IT IS NOT BURNT: THEY CAN BE REDEEMED.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They are duly consecrated, and must be redeemed before they are permitted for secular use. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> [IF HE SAYS,] 'LET THESE SAPLINGS BE KORBAN UNTIL THEY ARE CUT DOWN; OR, LET THIS GARMENT BE KORBAN UNTIL IT IS BURNT',