יורה דעה רל״וYoreh De'ah 236

Se’if 1א׳

נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תִשָּׁבַע לְבַטֵּא בִּשְׂפָתַיִם (וַיִּקְרָא ה, ד) הַיְנוּ שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע בֵּין עַל דָּבָר שֶׁעָבַר, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבָּע שֶׁאָכַל וְלֹא אָכַל, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא אָכַל וְאָכַל, בֵּין עַל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא לְהַבָּא, כְּגוֹן שֶׁאוֹכֵל וְאֵינוֹ אוֹכֵל, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא אוֹכֵל וְאוֹכֵל, וְכֵן כָּל דָּבָר אֲפִלּוּ אֵין בּוֹ לֹא הֲרָעָה וְלֹא הֲטָבָה, כְּגוֹן שֶׁזָּרַקְתִּי לַיָּם וְלֹא זָרַקְתִּי, אוֹ שֶׁאֶזְרֹק וְלֹא אֶזְרֹק, וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּדָבָר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ, כְּגוֹן שֶׁיָּשַׁנְתִּי וְלֹא יָשַׁנְתִּי, אוֹ שֶׁאִישַׁן וְלֹא אִישַׁן, וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּדָבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לִפְלוֹנִי אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי, אוֹ שֶׁאֶתֵּן לִפְלוֹנִי אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא אֶתֵּן, וַאֲפִלּוּ נִשְׁבַּע עַל אֲחֵרִים כְּגוֹן שֶׁזָּרַק פְּלוֹנִי צְרוֹר לַיָּם אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא זָרַק, כָּל אֵלּוּ שְׁבוּעוֹת בִּטּוּי הֵן, וְאִם שִׁקֵּר בִּשְׁבוּעָתוֹ חַיָּב קָרְבָּן.

"A soul that swears to utter with the lips" (Leviticus 5:4) — that is, where he swore, whether upon a thing that is past, such as where he swore that he ate and he did not eat, or that he did not eat and he ate; or upon a thing that is to come, such as that he will eat and he does not eat, or that he will not eat and he eats. And likewise every matter, even one in which there is neither harm nor benefit, such as: that I threw into the sea, and he did not throw; or: that I shall throw, and he does not throw. And even in a thing that has no substance, such as: that I slept, and he did not sleep; or: that I shall sleep, and he does not sleep. And even in a thing that he cannot do save by the hand of others, such as: that I gave to so-and-so, or that I did not give; or: that I shall give to so-and-so, or that I shall not give. And even where he swore concerning others, such as that so-and-so threw a pebble into the sea, or that he did not throw. All these are oaths of expression (an oath a man utters upon himself, that he did or did not do a thing, or that he will or will not do it), and if he lied in his oath he is liable to an offering.

Se’if 2ב׳

יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ שִׁקֵּר בִּשְׁבוּעָתוֹ אֵינוֹ חַיָּב קָרְבָּן, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע לְקַיֵּם הַמִּצְוָה וְלֹא קִיֵּם, אוֹ שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע לְהָרַע לִפְלוֹנִי, כְּגוֹן לְהַכּוֹתוֹ אוֹ לְקַלְּלוֹ. אֲבָל אִם נִשְׁבַּע לְהַכּוֹת עַצְמוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי, חַיְלָא שְׁבוּעָה (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הר"ן פ"ג דִּשְׁבוּעוֹת). וְנִשְׁבַּע שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה חֲבֵרוֹ דָּבָר פְּלוֹנִי, כְּגוֹן שֶׁיִּזְרֹק פְּלוֹנִי צְרוֹר לַיָּם אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִזְרֹק, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בוֹ; אֲבָל עֲבֵרָה אִכָּא בְּכָל דָּבָר שֶׁמְּשַׁקֵּר בִּשְׁבוּעָתוֹ. וְגַם אֵין לוֹ לִשָּׁבַע עַל חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה שׁוּם דָּבָר, שֶׁאֵינוֹ בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂנּוּ עַל כָּל פָּנִים, וְאֵין חֲבֵרוֹ מְחֻיָּב לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יְקַבֵּל שְׁבוּעָתוֹ דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁיֹּאמַר: אָמֵן, אוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁעִנְיָנוֹ כְּעִנְיַן אָמֵן, כְּגוֹן שֶׁאָמַר: הֵן, אוֹ מְחֻיָּב אֲנִי בִּשְׁבוּעָה זוֹ, אוֹ קִבַּלְתִּי עָלַי שְׁבוּעָה זוֹ, וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא קִבְּלוּ אוֹתָם הָאֲחֵרִים בִּשְׁבוּעָה, אִם קִיְּמוּ דְּבָרָיו הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מְשֻׁבָּחִים. הַגָּה: וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁהַנִּשְׁבָּע עַצְמוֹ צָרִיךְ לְקַיֵּם שְׁבוּעָתוֹ, אִם אֶפְשָׁר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבִּתְחִלָּה הָיָה שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא. כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע לִשָּׂא אִשָּׁה פְּלוֹנִית, וְשֶׁמָא לֹא תִּתְרַצֶּה וְאִכָּא שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא, מִכָּל מָקוֹם כְּשֶׁהִיא רוֹצָה, צָרִיךְ לְקַיֵּם שְׁבוּעָתוֹ (מהרי"ק שֹׁרֶשׁ כ"ב). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דִּבְכִי הַאי גַּוְנָא לֹא מִקְרֵי שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא, רַק שְׁבוּעַת בִּטּוּי, דְּהַנִּשְׁבָּע לִתֵּן דָּבָר לַחֲבֵרוֹ וְהוּא אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְקַבְּלוֹ, פָּטוּר מִשְּׁבוּעָתוֹ, וְהוּא הַדִּין אִם אֵינָהּ רוֹצָה לְהִנָּשֵׂא לוֹ, וְלָכֵן לֹא הָוֵי רַק שְׁבוּעַת בִּטּוּי (כ"מ מִתְּשׁוּבַת ריב"ש סִימָן שפ"ז הֱבִיאוֹ הַבֵּית יוֹסֵף).

There are things upon which, even though he lied in his oath, he is not liable to an offering — such as where he swore to fulfil the mitzvah and did not fulfil it, or where he swore to do harm to so-and-so, such as to strike him or to curse him. But if he swore to strike himself, even though he is not permitted to do so, the oath takes effect (Beit Yosef in the name of the Ran, chapter 3 of Shevuot). And likewise where he swore that his fellow should do a certain thing, such as that so-and-so should throw a pebble into the sea or that he should not throw, and the like. But there is a transgression in every matter in which he lies in his oath. And further, he ought not to swear concerning his fellow that he should do anything, since it is not in his power that he should do it in any event, and his fellow is not bound to do it — unless he accepts his oath, that is, that he says: Amen, or a thing whose sense is like the sense of Amen, such as where he said: yes, or: I am bound by this oath, or: I have accepted this oath upon myself, and all that is like this. And even though those others did not accept it upon themselves in an oath, if they fulfilled his words, behold these are praiseworthy. Hagah [Rema]: And all the more so must the one who swears himself fulfil his oath if it is possible, even though at the outset it was an oath in vain — such as where he swore to marry a certain woman, and perhaps she will not consent, so that there is an oath in vain; in any case, when she does wish it, he must fulfil his oath (Maharik, shoresh 22). And there are those who say that in such a case it is not called an oath in vain but only an oath of expression; for one who swears to give a thing to his fellow and the other does not wish to receive it is exempt from his oath, and the same law applies if she does not wish to be married to him — and therefore it is only an oath of expression (so it is implied from a responsum of the Rivash, siman 387, brought by the Beit Yosef).

Se’if 3ג׳

בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע עַל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע עַל שִׁמְעוֹן שֶׁלֹּא יֵלֵךְ בִּסְחוֹרָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה. אֲבָל אִם מַשְׁבִּיעוֹ עַל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא שֶׁלּוֹ, כְּגוֹן שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס לְבֵיתוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בוֹ, צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר בִּשְׁבוּעָתוֹ.

In what case are these words said? Where he swore concerning a thing that is not in his own power, such as where he swore concerning Shimon that he should not go about in trade, and the like. But if he imposes an oath upon him concerning a thing that is his own, such as that he should not enter his house, and the like — he must be careful in his oath.