Nedarim 8b — the Talmud in English

Thus it is impossible to dream without idle matters,

and who knows whether the “idle matters” of this dream do not require release from the ban.

A person who makes a vow, regrets his vow, and asks the sage to release his vow must come himself before the sage; he cannot appoint an agent in his place, who will come to the sage and request the release of his vow on his behalf.

Ravina

had a vow concerning his wife,

which she wished to have released by a sage.

He came

Ravina came

before Rav Ashi.

He said to him

Ravina asked Rav Ashi:

A husband —

what is the law: may he become an agent for the regret of his wife?

Can the husband represent his wife, as though she herself had come before the sage, by virtue of the principle that “a person’s wife is like his own body,” or must she herself come before the sage?

He said to him

Rav Ashi said to Ravina:

If they are gathered,

if the sages of the court are gathered for a discussion concerning another matter,

yes,

then the husband may come before them and request that they release his wife’s vow.

But

if not,

if the sages of the court are not gathered, but he wishes to gather them for this purpose —

no!

That is, they did not make it lenient by allowing the husband to represent his wife unless the sages of the household were already gathered, since it is proper that the wife who made the vow herself come before the court.

Learn from it

from Rav Ashi’s answer —

three,

three matters!

a.

Learn from it: a husband becomes an agent for the regret of his wife.

b.

And learn from it: it is not proper

for a sage

to release a vow in the place of his master

because of the honor of his master. For if not, why did Ravina himself not release his wife’s vows together with two others?

c.

And learn from it: when they are gathered —

it is proper

if the court is already gathered, the husband may become an agent for the regret of his wife.

And this is the explanation of Ravina’s uncertainty and Rav Ashi’s answer —

In principle, any person may become an agent for his fellow and tell the court the reasons because of which the court can release the vow.

However, Ravina was uncertain whether the husband is also trustworthy concerning this, or perhaps, since his wife’s vows are burdensome to him, he will add things of his own accord to the reasons for her regret.

And Rav Ashi answered him: If the court is already gathered, it is proper, because since the husband has no trouble in the matter, we do not suspect that perhaps he will add things concerning her regret on his own.

But if the husband took trouble and gathered a court for this purpose, the factor of the trouble [that he does not wish to toil in vain] joins the factor that her vows are burdensome to him; and by virtue of these two factors, we must be concerned that perhaps he will add things of his own accord to her regret. Therefore, they do not accept her regret from him.

And incidentally, since the Gemara mentioned the halakha that a sage should not release vows in the place of his master, the Gemara adds further halakhot:

And a ban,

the ban — a sage may release

even in the place of his master,

in the place of his master.

And incidentally, since it dealt with a ban, the Gemara adds further:

And an outstanding individual expert

an outstanding sage and expert in the halakhot

may release a ban,

he releases the ban by himself, and does not require a court. And an outstanding individual expert likewise releases a vow.

Rabbi Shimon bar Zevid said in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak bar Tavla, who said in the name of Rabbi Hiyya Arikha of the house of Rabbi Aha, who said in the name of Rabbi Zeira, who said in the name of Rabbi Elazar, who said in the name of Rabbi Hanina, who said in the name of Rabbi Miyasha in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Ila’i:

What

is the explanation of the verse

as it is written

in the Book of Malachi [chapter 3]

“And there shall shine for you who fear My Name”?

Who are those whom the verse calls “those who fear My Name”? —

These are people who are afraid to utter the Name of Heaven in vain.

And since the Gemara explained the beginning of the verse, the Gemara adds by explaining the continuation of the verse: “

Sun of righteousness and healing” —

Abaye said: Learn from it that the dust of the day heals

the dust seen in the rays of the sun entering through the window heals.

And it disagrees

with this statement of Abaye, who interprets “sun of righteousness” as

that which

said

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish.

For Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish:

There is no Gehinnom in the World to Come!

In the future, after the resurrection of the dead, those wicked people who were judged “for disgrace, for everlasting abhorrence” will not be judged in Gehinnom.

Rather,

they will be judged in this way:

The Holy One, blessed is He, will bring out the sun from its sheath —

the righteous will be healed by it.

And the wicked —

will be judged by it,

for they will suffer from its heat.

The righteous will be healed by it —

as it is said: “

And there shall shine for you who fear My Name

the sun of righteousness, with healing in its wings.”

And not only that, but

the righteous

will delight in it.

As it is said

the conclusion of the verse is: “

And you shall go forth and frolic like calves of the stall.”

Like calves that enter the “stall” to be fattened.

And

these

wicked —

will be judged

punished

by it!

As it is said

in the verse immediately preceding it: “

For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven,

and all the arrogant and every performer of wickedness shall be straw, and the coming day shall set them ablaze.”

and all the arrogant and all those who commit wickedness shall be straw, and the coming day shall set them ablaze.”