Nedarim 61a (סא.) — the Talmud in English

If you say that it is as it is stated [in the Mishna]:

if you say that he made the vow using the wording stated in the Mishna, namely, that he said: “This year”

It is impossible to say this.

For if so,

why do I need it to say this [what novelty is there in this]? Since he prohibited this year to himself, he is certainly prohibited during its intercalation, if it is 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

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

he said: “

A year.”

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

Apparently, it is evident that when he says “

it is evident that when he said

a year,” it

is like “

this year”

is comparable.

For if this were not so, but it were comparable to “one year,” it would be obvious that he is not prohibited during the intercalation of the year, but only for twelve months, as in most years.

And

if so, “

one day”

also—

is like “

this day”

is comparable.

And we reject this:

No,

not as you explained.

The Mishna is not to be understood literally, and it is not dealing with one who says “this year,” because you find it difficult: “Why do I need it to say this?”

Actually, he said “

this year.”

And as for what you find difficult: “Why do I need it to say this?”—

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

[perhaps you would have said]

Follow the majority of years, and they do not contain an intercalation [as they are ordinary years and are not intercalated], and he should therefore be prohibited for only 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.

Therefore,

it teaches us

that our Mishna rules that he is prohibited throughout the entire year.

They raised a dilemma:

If

he said:

“Konam,

the wine that I taste”

for the duration of

this Jubilee

—

what is the law?

Does

the fiftieth year,

which is the Jubilee year,

belong with the years preceding the fiftieth

and is he prohibited during it just as he is prohibited during the years preceding it?

Or perhaps the fiftieth year is

considered

like the years following the fiftieth,

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

The basis of the dilemma is that the Torah says: “You shall count for yourself seven sabbatical cycles of years, seven years seven times, and the days of the seven sabbatical cycles of years shall be for you forty-nine years. And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year.”

And this counting can be explained in two ways:

The first: One counts seven sets of seven shemita years, which are forty-nine years, and afterward, in the fiftieth year, one observes the Jubilee. Then one begins counting again from the year after the Jubilee as the first year of the shemita cycle, and after seven sets of seven shemita years, one observes the Jubilee in the fiftieth year. According to this possibility, the Jubilee belongs to the preceding cycle, and he is prohibited during it.

The second: The Jubilee itself is not outside the counting of the shemita years; rather, it is counted as the first year of the shemita cycle that follows it.

As for the counting of the Jubilee years, it is counted both as “the fiftieth year” after the cycle of the seven elapsed shemita years and as “the first year” of the following cycle. According to this possibility, the Jubilee year belongs to the following cycle.

Come and hear

from that which was taught

the dispute between 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 derive:

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

meaning: This year is counted only as the fiftieth year of this cycle; it is not counted twice, for both sides, as “fifty” for this Jubilee and “one” for the next Jubilee.

From here they said:

The

Jubilee does not enter into the count of the cycle

of the shemita that follows it. Rather, one begins counting the shemita years from the year after the Jubilee.

Rabbi Yehuda says: The Jubilee does enter into the count of the cycle

of the shemita that follows it.

They said to Rabbi Yehuda:

For it says: “

For six years you shall sow your field

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

And

according to your position,

there are not

in the first count of the shemita years after the Jubilee

more than five

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

He said to them—

Rabbi Yehuda:

According to your position—

that you maintain that everything stated in the passage concerning the seventh year must be fulfilled in all the shemita cycles—

for it says

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

and it will produce the yield for three years” [

the eve of the shemita year, the shemita year, and the year after it ].

And

here there are—

in the final shemita year, which is followed by the Jubilee and during which work is prohibited just as in the shemita year—

four

years that require a blessing.

Rather, you too acknowledge that

you too admit that

it is possible to establish [this verse may be interpreted]

[this verse]

as referring to the other years of the cycle,

the other shemita years that are not adjacent to the Jubilee.

If so, the verse

that is mine [which you cite as a difficulty against me]

[which you raise as an objection against me]

can also be established as referring to the other years of the cycle,

and not to the first shemita year after the Jubilee.

We learned in the Mishna:

He is prohibited until Passover

until it arrives, meaning that he is prohibited until it begins, or until it passes, 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.