נדרים ב׳Nedarim 2

Mishnah 1א׳

וְאֵלּוּ מֻתָּרִין. חֻלִּין שֶׁאֹכַל לָךְ, כִּבְשַׂר חֲזִיר, כַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, כְּעוֹרוֹת לְבוּבִין, כִּנְבֵלוֹת, כִּטְרֵפוֹת, כִּשְׁקָצִים, כִּרְמָשִׂים, כְּחַלַּת אַהֲרֹן וְכִתְרוּמָתוֹ, מֻתָּר. הָאוֹמֵר לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, הֲרֵי אַתְּ עָלַי כְּאִמָּא, פּוֹתְחִין לוֹ פֶתַח מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, שֶׁלֹּא יָקֵל רֹאשׁוֹ לְכָךְ. קוֹנָם שֶׁאֵינִי יָשֵׁן, שֶׁאֵינִי מְדַבֵּר, שֶׁאֵינִי מְהַלֵּךְ, הָאוֹמֵר לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, קוֹנָם שֶׁאֵינִי מְשַׁמְּשֵׁךְ, הֲרֵי זֶה בְלֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ. שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵינִי יָשֵׁן, שֶׁאֵינִי מְדַבֵּר, שֶׁאֵינִי מְהַלֵּךְ, אָסוּר:

And these are permitted [to eat, because the vows are invalid]: [the person who says] "chullin [non-sanctified food] [is the food] that I eat of yours," "like the meat of a pig," "like that which is used for idolatry," "like the skin of an animal whose heart was sacrificed to idols," "like nevelot [an animal that died due to causes other than ritual slaughter, carrion]," "like tereifot [animal with a mortal condition such that it would die within one year]," "like swarming things," "like reptiles," "like the challah of Aaron," or "like [Aaron's] terumah." - all these are permitted. The person who says to his wife, "You are like my mother [and forbidden to me sexually]," [a Rabbi must] find a petach [An opening in a vow that enables annulment either due to improper or mistaken original intent, or indication that the person’s mind was unsettled at the time of making the vow] from another law, so that he does not act rashly. If someone says "konam that I don't sleep," "that I don't talk," [or] "that I don't walk," or if someone says to his wife, "konam that I don't have relations with you," [these come under the scriptural instruction stating] "he shall not break his word." If someone says, "shevuah that I don't sleep," "that I don't talk," [or] "that I don't walk," he is forbidden [from the restricted action, because the oath is valid].

Mishnah 2ב׳

קָרְבָּן לֹא אֹכַל לָךְ, קָרְבָּן שֶׁאֹכַל לָךְ, לֹא קָרְבָּן לֹא אֹכַל לָךְ, מֻתָּר. שְׁבוּעָה לֹא אֹכַל לָךְ, שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֹכַל לָךְ, לֹא שְׁבוּעָה לֹא אֹכַל לָךְ, אָסוּר. זֶה חֹמֶר בַּשְּׁבוּעוֹת מִבַּנְּדָרִים. וְחֹמֶר בַּנְּדָרִים מִבַּשְּׁבוּעוֹת, כֵּיצַד, אָמַר, קוֹנָם סֻכָּה שֶׁאֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה, לוּלָב שֶׁאֲנִי נוֹטֵל, תְּפִלִּין שֶׁאֲנִי מֵנִיחַ, בַּנְּדָרִים אָסוּר, בַּשְּׁבוּעוֹת מֻתָּר, שֶׁאֵין נִשְׁבָּעִין לַעֲבֹר עַל הַמִּצְוֹת:

[If someone says:] "korban that I will not eat of yours," [or] "korban that I eat of yours," [or] "what I do not eat of yours will not be korban [to me]," - [he is] permitted [to eat the food]. [If someone says] "shevuah that I will not eat of yours," [or] "shevuah that I eat of yours," [or] "what I do not eat of yours will not be shevuah [to me]," - [he is] forbidden [from eating the food]. Those are [situations where] oaths are more stringent than vows. [However,] there are [also situations where] vows are more stringent than oaths. How so? [If someone] says "konam is the sukkah that I build," [or] "the lulav that I take," [or] "the tefillin that I wrap," - [in the case of] vows [the action is] forbidden, [but in the case of] oaths, [the action is] permitted, because one cannot [swear an] oath to transgress a mitzvah of the Torah.

Mishnah 3ג׳

יֵשׁ נֶדֶר בְּתוֹךְ נֶדֶר, וְאֵין שְׁבוּעָה בְּתוֹךְ שְׁבוּעָה. כֵּיצַד, אָמַר הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר אִם אֹכַל, הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר אִם אֹכַל, וְאָכַל, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁלֹּא אֹכַל, שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁלֹּא אֹכַל, וְאָכַל, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא אֶחָת:

There are instances of a [valid] vow within a vow, but there are no [instances where an] oath within an oath [is valid]. How so? If someone says, "I will be a Nazirite if I eat [this food]," "I will be a Nazirite if I eat [this food]," [he repeats himself], and then eats [the food in question], he is liable [twice], [for] each [of the Nazirite vows he vowed]. If someone says, "Shevuah if I eat [this food]," "Shevuah if I eat [this food]," [he repeats his oath], he is only liable once.

Mishnah 4ד׳

סְתָם נְדָרִים לְהַחְמִיר, וּפֵרוּשָׁם לְהָקֵל. כֵּיצַד, אָמַר הֲרֵי עָלַי כְּבָשָׂר מָלִיחַ, כְּיֵין נֶסֶךְ, אִם שֶׁל שָׁמַיִם נָדַר, אָסוּר. אִם שֶׁל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה נָדַר, מֻתָּר. וְאִם סְתָם, אָסוּר. הֲרֵי עָלַי כְּחֵרֶם, אִם כְּחֵרֶם שֶׁל שָׁמַיִם, אָסוּר. וְאִם כְּחֵרֶם שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים, מֻתָּר. וְאִם סְתָם, אָסוּר. הֲרֵי עָלַי כְּמַעֲשֵׂר, אִם כְּמַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה נָדַר, אָסוּר. וְאִם שֶׁל גֹּרֶן, מֻתָּר. וְאִם סְתָם, אָסוּר. הֲרֵי עָלַי כִּתְרוּמָה, אִם כִּתְרוּמַת הַלִּשְׁכָּה נָדַר, אָסוּר. וְאִם שֶׁל גֹּרֶן, מֻתָּר. וְאִם סְתָם, אָסוּר, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, סְתָם תְּרוּמָה בִּיהוּדָה אֲסוּרָה, בַּגָּלִיל מֻתֶּרֶת, שֶׁאֵין אַנְשֵׁי גָלִיל מַכִּירִין אֶת תְּרוּמַת הַלִּשְׁכָּה. סְתָם חֲרָמִים, בִּיהוּדָה מֻתָּרִין, וּבַגָּלִיל אֲסוּרִין, שֶׁאֵין אַנְשֵׁי גָלִיל מַכִּירִין אֶת חֶרְמֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים:

Vague vows [are assumed to apply to the more] stringent [interpretation], but [they can be] clarified to be more lenient. How so? If one says, "I take [this] upon myself like salted meat" or "like consecrated wine" - if his vow [specified meat or wine] of Heaven [used in the temple], [they are] forbidden; if his vow [specified meat or wine] of idol worship, then [they are still] permitted; and if it was [left] vague, [they are] forbidden. [If one says:] "I take upon myself [to forbid this item] as cherem"- if he specified the cherem of Heaven [the temple], [the item] is forbidden; if he specified the cherem of priests, it is permitted; and if it was [left] vague, it is forbidden. [If one says:] "I take upon myself [to treat this food] like a tithe" - if he specified the tithe of the animals, [the food] is forbidden; if he specified the tithe of the threshing floor, it is permitted; if it was [left] vague, it is forbidden. [If one says:] "I take upon myself [to treat this food] like a terumah [heave offering]" - if he specified that it was a terumat halishkah [monetary offering to the temple treasury], it is forbidden; if he specified that it was [like] a terumah [made at] the threshing floor, it is permitted; if it was vague, it is forbidden - these are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: vague [use of the word] 'terumah in Judea - [the item is] forbidden; in the Galilee, [the item] is permitted, for the people of the Galilee are unfamiliar with the terumat halishkah. [Likewise,] vague [use of the word] 'cherem' in Judea - [the item] is permitted; in the Galilee it is forbidden, because the people of the Galilee are unfamiliar with the cherem of priests.

Mishnah 5ה׳

נָדַר בְּחֵרֶם וְאָמַר, לֹא נָדַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְחֶרְמוֹ שֶׁל יָם. בְּקָרְבָּן, וְאָמַר, לֹא נָדַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְקָרְבָּנוֹת שֶׁל מְלָכִים. הֲרֵי עַצְמִי קָרְבָּן, וְאָמַר, לֹא נָדַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְעֶצֶם שֶׁהִנַּחְתִּי לִי לִהְיוֹת נוֹדֵר בּוֹ. קוֹנָם אִשְׁתִּי נֶהֱנֵית לִי, וְאָמַר לֹא נָדַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְאִשְׁתִּי הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁגֵּרַשְׁתִּי, עַל כֻּלָּן אֵין נִשְׁאָלִים לָהֶם. וְאִם נִשְׁאֲלוּ, עוֹנְשִׁין אוֹתָן וּמַחְמִירִין עֲלֵיהֶן, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, פּוֹתְחִין לָהֶם פֶּתַח מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, וּמְלַמְּדִים אוֹתָן כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִנְהֲגוּ קַלּוּת רֹאשׁ בַּנְּדָרִים:

One who vows by cherem, and [then] says, “I vowed only by a cherem [a net] of the sea"; [or] by a korban, and [then] says, “I vowed only by korbanot [gifts] of kings”; [or vows:] “Behold! I myself am a korban”, and [then] says, “I vowed only by the etzem [bone] which I keep for the purpose of vowing”; [or vows:] “konam be any benefit my wife has from me”, and then says, “I spoke only of my first wife, whom I have divorced” — Regarding none of these [vows] should one inquire [of a sage in order to annul them]. And one who does inquire about them is punished and [their vows are interpreted] strictly, according to Rabbi Meir. But the Sages say: they are given a petach on other grounds, in order that they should not [learn to] act lightly with vows.