Nedarim 61a — the Talmud in English

If you say as it is taught [that he vowed in the wording stated in the Mishna], namely, that he said, “this year,”

[that he made his vow using the wording stated in the Mishna], namely, that he said, “this year,”

it is impossible to say so.

For if so,

why is it necessary to state it [what novelty is there in this]? For once he prohibited this year, surely he is prohibited in its intercalation, if it becomes intercalated!?

[what novelty is there in this]? Once he has prohibited this year to himself, surely he is prohibited from its intercalated month as well, if the year is extended by an additional month!?

Rather, is it not [necessarily] that the Mishna is dealing with a case where he

[necessarily] that the Mishna is dealing with a case where he

said “

a year.” And the Mishna comes to make known what the meaning of “a year” is: whether it is like “this year” or like “one year.”

And the Mishna comes to teach us the meaning of “a year”: whether it means “this year” or “one year.”

Apparently, it is proven that when he said “

it is evident that when he said

a year,” it

is like “

this year”

considered.

For if not, but it is considered like “one year,” then it is obvious that he is not prohibited in the intercalation of the year, but only for twelve months, like most years.

And

if so, “

one day”

also

is like “

this day”

considered.

And we reject this:

No,

not as you explained.

The meaning of the Mishna is not as it appears simply, and it is not dealing with one who says “this year,” and it is not because “why is it necessary to state it?” is difficult for you.

Actually, he said “

this year.”

And as for what is difficult for you: “Why is it necessary to state it?”—

And what might you have said [for perhaps you would say]:

[perhaps you would have said]

Follow the majority of years, and there is no intercalation in them [for they are ordinary and are not intercalated], and he should be prohibited only for twelve months.

[as they are ordinary years and are not extended by an additional month], and therefore he should be prohibited only for twelve months.

And therefore

it teaches us

that our Mishna: he is prohibited for the entire year.

They raised a question before them:

If he

said:

konam,

the wine that I taste

for the duration of

this Jubilee —

—

what is it?

Does

the fiftieth year,

which is the Jubilee year,

have the status of before the fiftieth

and is he prohibited in it just as he is prohibited in the years before it?

Or perhaps the fiftieth year is

considered

like after the fiftieth,

so that the Jubilee year itself has the status of the years after it, in which he is permitted, and even in the Jubilee year itself he is permitted?

And the basis of the question is: for the Torah said: “And you shall count for yourself seven weeks of years [seven sabbatical years], seven years seven times, and the days of the seven weeks of years shall be for you, forty-nine years. And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year.”

And in this counting, two possibilities may be explained:

The first: one counts seven times seven sabbatical years, which are forty-nine years, and after them, in the fiftieth year, one observes Jubilee. And then one begins counting again from the year after the Jubilee as the first year of the sabbatical cycle, and after seven times seven sabbatical years one observes Jubilee in the fiftieth year. And according to this side, the Jubilee belongs to the preceding cycle, and he is prohibited in it.

The second: the Jubilee itself is not outside the count of the sabbatical years, but is counted as the first year of the sabbatical cycle following it.

And concerning the count of the Jubilee years, it is counted both as “the fiftieth year” after the cycle of the seven sabbatical years that have passed, and as “the first year” of the next cycle. And according to this side, the Jubilee year belongs to the next cycle.

Come and hear

from that which was taught in a beraita:

the dispute of Rabbi Yehuda and the Rabbis,

who disagreed concerning the counting of the Jubilee years:

It is written: “

And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year.”

And we expound:

You count the fiftieth year, but you do not count the fifty-first year,

that is, this year is counted only as the fiftieth year of this cycle, and it is not counted twice, in both directions, as “fifty” for this Jubilee and “one” for the next Jubilee.

From here they said:

The

Jubilee does not enter the count of the sabbatical cycle

following it. Rather, they begin counting the sabbatical years from the year after the Jubilee.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Jubilee enters the count of the sabbatical cycle

following it.

They said to Rabbi Yehuda:

For it says: “

Six years you shall sow your field

and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and you shall gather its produce; and in the seventh year there shall be a complete rest for the land.”

And

according to your words,

there are not here

in the first count of the sabbatical years following the Jubilee

but five

years alone. For the Jubilee itself is prohibited for sowing and pruning, just as in the sabbatical year, and it emerges that there are only five years in which it is permitted to work between it and the following sabbatical year.

He said to them

Rabbi Yehuda:

According to your words—

that you hold that everything stated in the passage concerning the seventh year must be fulfilled in all the sabbatical years—

for it says

further in the passage concerning the seventh year: “And if you will say, What shall we eat in the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, and we shall not gather our produce. And I shall command My blessing for you

and it shall produce the crop for the three years” [the eve of the sabbatical year, the sabbatical year, and the year following it].

[the eve of the sabbatical year, the sabbatical year, and the year after it].”

And

here there are—

in the final sabbatical year, after which comes the Jubilee, in which it is prohibited as in the sabbatical year—

four

years requiring blessing.

Rather,

you too admit that

it is possible to establish [to interpret this verse]

[this verse]

with the other years of the sabbatical cycle,

with other years of the sabbatical cycle that are not adjacent to the Jubilee.

If so, the verse

of mine [from which you challenge me]

[which you raise as an objection against me]

can also be established with the other years of the sabbatical cycle,

and not with the first sabbatical year following the Jubilee.

We learned in the Mishna:

Until Passover he is prohibited

until it arrives, meaning that he is prohibited until it ends. “Until before Passover,” Rabbi Meir says: he is prohibited until it arrives; Rabbi Yosei says: he is prohibited until it ends: