Nedarim 22b — the Talmud in English

We have not crossed the Jordan:

We had not yet crossed the Jordan River into the Land of Israel, and this was outside the Land.

Rabba bar Rav Huna said: Whoever becomes angry—

even the Divine Presence is not important in his eyes.

As it is stated

Psalms 10]: “

The wicked, according to the height of his anger, does not seek; there is no God in all his schemes!”

Rabbi Yirmeya of Difti said: He forgets his learning and increases foolishness.

As it is stated

Ecclesiastes 7]: “

For anger rests in the bosom of fools”

And it is written

Proverbs 13]: “

But a fool spreads folly.”

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: It is known that his sins are more numerous than his merits.

As it is stated

Proverbs 29]: “

And a man of wrath”—

many is his transgression.”

Rav Adda, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: Had it not been that

if not

Israel had sinned—

there would have been given to them only the Five Books of the Torah and the Book of Joshua,

because

the

Book of Joshua

is the measure of the Land of Israel.

And they would not have needed more than this.

What is the reason?

As it is written [Ecclesiastes 1]: “

For with much wisdom”—

much anger.”

Rav Asi said: The Sages do not

require

the

release of a vow or oath in which the one swearing or vowing mentioned

the God of Israel,

since he acted insolently by mentioning the Name of the God of Israel in his vow or oath.

Except “

My wife shall be forbidden to me

because

she stole my purse and struck my son,”

and it became known that she had not stolen and had not struck him,

when they do require themselves to release it for him even if he mentioned “the God of Israel” in his vow, since he vowed or swore in error.

That

woman

who came before Rav Asi

to have her vow released.

He said to her: With what did you vow [

swear]?

She said to him:

By the God of Israel.

He said to her: If you had vowed by “

Mohi,”

which is merely an appellation

for an oath,

I would require myself to release it for you

to release the oath.

But

now, since you did not vow by “

Mohi,”

but

swore

by the God of Israel—

I do not require myself to release it for you.

Rav Kahana happened to come to Rav Yosef’s house.

He said to him,

Rav Yosef to Rav Kahana:

Will the Master taste something?

He said to him,

Rav Kahana:

No,

I will taste!

By the Master of all [

and in the name of the Master of the world, Master of all, I swear that]

I will not taste it!

He said to him,

Rav Yosef to Rav Kahana:

No,

may it not be according to your words!

Rather, I swear by

the Master of all—

that

you will not taste it.

And the Gemara now leaves it that Rav Yosef imposed an oath upon Rav Kahana that Rav Kahana should not eat from it.

And the Gemara wonders:

This works out well according to Rav Kahana,

who refused to eat at Rav Yosef’s,

for he said: No

I will taste, and swore to this by

the Master of all,

the Master of all.

But according to Rav Yosef, why

why did he

say “

No, Master of all”?

What interest did Rav Yosef have in imposing an oath upon him that he should not eat at his house?

And we answer: Rav Yosef did not impose an oath upon Rav Kahana that he should not eat at his house.

Rather,

this is what he was saying to him

Rav Yosef: Is it that

not “

the Master of all”

is what you said

in your oath, not to eat at my house?—

Therefore,

since you swore by the Name, this is not included in an oath of exhortation, and

you will not taste it!

There is no possibility of releasing your oath, since they do not undertake to release an oath by the Name.

Rava said in the name of Rav Naḥman: The halakha is:

a.

They may open with regret,

and it is unnecessary to arrive at an opening based on error in the vow.

b.

And they do undertake

to release it, even

an

oath by

the God of Israel.

Rava praised Rav Naḥman bar Rav Saḥora to Rav Naḥman, that he was a great man.

He said to him,

Rav Naḥman

when

Rav Saḥora

comes to you—

bring him to me.

There was

for Rav Saḥora

a vow requiring release; he came before Rav Naḥman.

He said to him,

Rav Naḥman to Rav Saḥora: And Rav Naḥman tried to release it through an opening,

and asked him: Did you vow

with this in mind?

He said to him: Yes. And again he asked him whether you vowed

He asked him again whether he had made the vow

with this in mind? And also to this he answered:

And to this as well he answered:

Yes. And so he asked him and he answered him

He asked him in this manner, and he answered

several times.

Rav Naḥman became angry,

because he did not find an opening for his vow, and

he said to him,

to Rav Saḥora:

Go to your room,

go to your house.

Rav Saḥora left, and opened an opening for himself—

for

Rabbi says: What is the upright path that a person should choose?—

Every one that is a glory to its doer and a glory to him from other people.

And now that

Rav Naḥman had become angry with me,

Rav Naḥman,

if so,

I did not vow with this in mind, and he released it for himself.

Rabbi Shimon bar Rabbi had a vow requiring release.

He came before the Sages. The Sages tried to find an opening for his vow and

The Sages tried to find an opening for his vow and

said to him:

Did you vow

with this in mind?

He said: Yes. With this in mind?

He said:

Yes. And so they asked him, and he answered

They asked him in this manner, and he answered

several times.