Nedarim 22b (כב:) — the Talmud in English

We had not yet crossed the Jordan ,

we had not yet crossed the Jordan River into Eretz Yisrael, and this occurred outside Eretz Yisrael.

Rabba bar Rav Huna said: Anyone who becomes angry —

even the Divine Presence is of no importance to him.

As it is stated [Psalms 10]: “

Psalms 10]: “

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

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

As it is stated [Ecclesiastes 7]: “

Ecclesiastes 7]: “

For anger rests in the bosom of fools”

And it is written [Proverbs 13]: “

Proverbs 13]: “

But a fool spreads folly.”

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: It is evident that his sins are greater than his merits.

As it is stated [Proverbs 29]: “

Proverbs 29]: “

And one who is hot-tempered —

abounds in transgression.”

Rav Adda bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: Had it not been for

if not,

Israel’s sinning —

they would have been given only the Five Books of the Torah and the Book of Joshua,

because

the

Book of Joshua

contains the account of the value of Eretz Yisrael.

And they would have had no need for anything more than that.

What is the reason?

As it is written [Ecclesiastes 1]: “

For with much wisdom —

comes much anger.”

Rav Asi said: The Sages do not

the Sages

undertake to

permit a vow or oath in which the one who swore or vowed mentioned

the God of Israel,

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

Except in the case of “

My wife shall be forbidden to me from benefiting

because

she stole my purse and struck my son,”

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

in which case they undertake to permit the vow 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 permitted.

He said to her: With what did you vow [swear]?

that is, your oath]?

She said to him:

By the God of Israel.

He said to her: Had you vowed with “

Mohi,”

which is merely an appellation

for an oath,

I would undertake to permit it for you

to have the oath permitted.

But

now, since you did not vow with “

Mohi,”

but

swore

by the God of Israel —

I will not undertake to permit it for you.

Rav Kahana happened to come to the house of Rav Yosef.

Rav Yosef said to him

Rav Yosef said to Rav Kahana:

Will the Master taste something?

He said to him

Rav Kahana said:

No,

I will taste nothing!

Master of all

[and in the name of the Master of the universe, Lord of all] I swear that

I will not taste it!

Rav Yosef said to him

Rav Yosef said to Rav Kahana:

No,

let it not be as you say!

Rather, I swear by

the Master of all —

that

you will not taste it.

The Gemara now assumes that Rav Yosef made Rav Kahana swear that Rav Kahana would not eat from it.

The Gemara asks:

This works out well for Rav Kahana,

who refused to eat at Rav Yosef’s home,

as he said, “I will not taste,”

and swore to that effect by

the Master of all,

the Lord of all.

But as for Rav Yosef, why

why did he

say “

No, Master of all”?

What interest did Rav Yosef have in making him swear that he would not eat at his home?

And we answer: Rav Yosef did not make Rav Kahana swear that he would not eat at his home.

Rather,

this is what he said to him

Rav Yosef: Is it

not “

Master of all”

that you are saying

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

Therefore,

since you swore using the Divine Name, this is not an oath intended merely to induce compliance, and

you will not taste it!

There is no possibility of permitting your oath, since the Sages do not undertake to permit an oath invoking the Divine Name.

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

a.

One may initiate the dissolution with regret,

and there is no need to arrive at an opening based on an error in the vow.

b.

They undertake

to permit it, even

an

oath by

the God of Israel.

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

He said to him

Rav Naḥman

when

Rav Saḥora

comes to you —

bring him to me.

It happened that

Rav Saḥora

had a vow requiring permission, and he came before Rav Naḥman.

He said to him

Rav Naḥman said to Rav Saḥora:

And Rav Naḥman attempted to permit it for him by means of an opening, and asked him: Did you

make the vow with this in mind?

He said to him: Yes.

And again he asked him whether he had made the vow

with this in mind?

And to this as well he answered:

Yes.

And so he asked him and he answered him

several times.

Rav Naḥman became angry,

at not finding an opening for his vow, and

said to him

to Rav Saḥora:

Go to your room,

go home.

Rav Saḥora left and found an opening for himself —

for

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

Any path that is a source of glory to the one who follows it and a source of glory for him in the eyes of others.

And now that he became angry

with me,

Rav Naḥman,

if so,

I did not make the vow with this in mind, and he permitted it for himself.

Rabbi Shimon the son of Rabbi had a vow requiring permission.

He came before the Sages.

The Sages attempted to find an opening for his vow and

said to him: Did you

Did you make the vow

make the vow with this in mind?

He said: Yes. With this in mind?

He said:

Yes.

And so they asked him, and he answered

several times.