Nedarim 55

מתני׳ הנודר מן הדגן אסור בפול המצרי יבש דברי רבי מאיר וחכמים אומרים אינו אסור אלא בחמשת המינין רבי מאיר אומר הנודר מן התבואה אינו אסור אלא מחמשת המינין אבל הנודר מן הדגן אסור בכל ומותר בפירות האילן ובירק

MISHNA: For one who vows that grain [dagan] is forbidden to him, it is prohibited to eat the dry cowpea, because, like grain, its final stage of production involves being placed in a pile; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: It is prohibited for him to partake of only the five species of grain: Wheat, barley, oats, spelt, and rye, as that is the connotation of the term dagan in the Torah. Rabbi Meir says: For one who vows that grain is forbidden to him, and therefore he will refrain from eating grain [tevua], it is prohibited for him to eat from only the five species of grain. However, for one who vows that grain is forbidden to him, and therefore he will refrain from eating grain [dagan], it is prohibited to eat all produce whose final stage of production involves being placed in a pile, e.g., dry cowpea, and it is permitted for him to eat fruits of the tree and vegetables.

גמ׳ למימרא דדגן כל דמידגן משמע מתיב רב יוסף וכפרץ הדבר הרבו בני ישראל [ ראשית] דגן תירוש ויצהר וכל תבואת שדה לרב וגו׳ ואי אמרת דגן כל דמידגן משמע מאי כפרץ הדבר הרבו אמר אביי לאתויי פירות האילן וירק

GEMARA: The Gemara asks: Is this to say that according to Rabbi Meir, the term dagan means any produce that is harvested at one time and placed in a pile [midgan]? Rav Yosef raised an objection: After King Hezekiah called upon the people to give teruma and tithes properly, the verse states: “And as soon as the matter was publicized, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of dagan, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the tevua of the field; and the tithe of all that they brought in abundance” (II Chronicles 31:5). And if you say that dagan means any produce that is placed in a pile, what is the meaning of the words “As soon as the matter was publicized, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of dagan…and of all the tevua of the field”? There is no need to list both dagan and all tevua of the field. Abaye said: Tevua comes to include fruits of the tree and vegetables, which they tithed although they are not included in dagan, as they are not harvested at one time and placed in a pile.

רבי מאיר אומר הנודר מן התבואה וכו׳ אמר רבי יוחנן הכל מודים בנודר מן התבואה שאין אסור אלא מחמשת המינין תניא נמי הכי שוין בנודר מן התבואה שאין אסור אלא מחמשת המינין פשיטא מהו דתימא תבואה כל מלי משמע קמשמע לן דלא משמע כל מלי

§ We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Meir says: For one who vows that grain [tevua] is forbidden to him, it is prohibited for him to eat from only the five species of grain. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Everyone concedes with regard to one who vows that tevua is forbidden to him that it is prohibited for him to eat from only the five species of grain. The Rabbis do not disagree with Rabbi Meir in that regard. That is also taught in a baraita: And they agree with regard to one who vows that tevua is forbidden to him that it is prohibited for him to eat from only the five species of grain. The Gemara asks: Isn’t that obvious, as it is only those species that are called tevua. The Gemara answers: It is necessary; lest you say that tevua means all items that grow from the ground, therefore, the tanna teaches us that this expression does not mean all items that grow from the ground.

מתיב רב יוסף וכפרץ הדבר הרבו בני ישראל כו׳ אמר רבא תבואה לחוד תבואת שדה לחוד

Rav Yosef raised an objection: With regard to the verse “And as soon as the matter was publicized, the children of Israel gave in abundance…and of all the tevua of the field,” the phrase “and of all the tevua of the field” comes to include all crops that grow in the field. Rava said: Tevua is discrete and refers to only the five species of grain, and tevua of the field is discrete and refers to all crops that grow in the field.

בר מר שמואל פקיד דליתנון תליסר אלפי זוזי לרבא מן עללתא דנהר פניא שלחה רבא לקמיה דרב יוסף עללתא היכי מיקריא אמר רב יוסף מתניתין היא ושוין בנודר מן התבואה שאין אסור אלא מחמשת המינין אמר ליה אביי מי דמי תבואה לא משמע אלא מחמשת המינין עללתא כל מילי משמע

§ The Gemara relates: The son of Master Shmuel commanded his workers that they give thirteen thousand dinars to Rava from the crop [alalta] produced in his fields on the banks of the Panya River. Rava sent this question before Rav Yosef: What is called alalta; what crops are included in the category of alalta? Rav Yosef said: It is as it is taught in the baraita cited above: And they agree with regard to one who vows that tevua is forbidden to him that it is prohibited for him to eat from only the five species of grain; just as tevua includes only the five species, so too alalta includes only the five species. Abaye said to him: Are the two cases comparable? Although tevua means grain and includes only the five species, alalta means crop and includes all items that grow.

אהדרוהו לקמיה דרבא אמר הא לא קא מיבעיא לי דעללתא כל מילי משמע הדא הוא דאיבעיא לי שכר בתים ושכר ספינות מאי מי אמרינן כיון דפחתן לאו עללתא היא או דילמא כיון דלא ידיע פחתייהו עללתא היא אמרוה רבנן קמיה דרב יוסף אמר וכי מאחר דלא צריך לן אמאי שלח לן איקפד רב יוסף

The messengers returned with the answer to his question and came before Rava. He said: That was not a dilemma for me, i.e., the fact that alalta means all items that grow. This is the matter that is a dilemma for me: What is the legal status of profits from the rent of houses and the rent of boats? Do we say: Since they depreciate, their legal status is not comparable to that of a crop? Only items that are consistently profitable are similar to crops. House boats deteriorate with use, and their depreciation diminishes the profits. Or perhaps, since their depreciation is not conspicuous, their legal status is comparable to that of a crop. The Rabbis stated Rava’s reaction before Rav Yosef. Rav Yosef said: And since he does not need us, and he believes that he knows the answer himself, why did he send us the question? Rav Yosef became angry with Rava.

שמע רבא ואתא לקמיה במעלי יומא דכפורי אשכחיה לשמעיה דהוה קא מזיג קמיה כסא דחמרא אמר ליה הב לי דאמזיג ליה אנא יהב ליה וקא מזיג איהו כסא דחמרא כי קא שתי אמר הדין מיזגא דמי למיזגא דרבא בריה דרב יוסף בר חמא אמר ליה הוא ניהו

Rava heard that Rav Yosef was angry and came before him on Yom Kippur eve to appease him. He found the attendant of Rav Yosef, who was diluting a cup of wine with water before him. Rava said to the attendant: Give me the cup so that I will dilute the wine for him. The attendant gave it to him and Rava diluted the cup of wine. While Rav Yosef, who was blind, was drinking the wine, he said: This dilution is similar to the dilution of Rava, son of Rav Yosef bar Ḥama, who would dilute wine with more than the standard amount of water. Rava said to him: Correct, it is he.

אמר ליה לא תיתיב אכרעך עד דאמרת לי פירושא דהדין מילתא מאי דכתיב וממדבר מתנה וממתנה נחליאל ומנחליאל במות

Rav Yosef said to Rava: Do not sit on your feet until you tell me the explanation of this matter: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And from the wilderness Mattana and from Mattana Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel Bamot” (Numbers 21:18–19)?

אמר ליה כיון שעושה אדם את עצמו כמדבר שהוא מופקר לכל תורה ניתנה לו במתנה שנאמר וממדבר מתנה וכיון שניתנה לו במתנה נחלו אל שנאמר וממתנה נחליאל וכיון שנחלו אל עולה לגדולה שנאמר ומנחליאל במות ואם הגביה עצמו הקדוש ברוך הוא משפילו שנאמר ומבמות הגיא ולא עוד אלא ששוקעין אותו בקרקע שנאמר ונשקפה על פני הישימון ואם חוזר בו הקדוש ברוך הוא מגביהו

Rava said to him that it means: Once a person renders himself like a wilderness, deserted before all, the Torah is given to him as a gift [mattana], as it is stated: “And from the wilderness Mattana.” And once it is given to him as a gift, God bequeaths [naḥalo] it to him, as it is stated: “And from Mattana Nahaliel.” And once God bequeaths it to him, he rises to greatness, as it is stated: And from Nahaliel, Bamot, which are elevated places. And if he elevates himself and is arrogant about his Torah, the Holy One, Blessed be He, degrades him, as it is stated: “And from Bamot the valley” (Numbers 21:20). And not only is he degraded, but one lowers him into the ground, as it is stated: “And looking over [nishkafa] the face of the wasteland” (Numbers 21:20), like a threshold [iskopa] that is sunken into the ground. And if he reverses his arrogance and becomes humble, the Holy One, Blessed be He, elevates him,

שנאמר כל גיא ינשא

as it is stated: “Every valley shall be lifted” (Isaiah 40:4). When Rav Yosef heard that interpretation, he understood that Rava was aware of the error of his ways in acting arrogantly toward his teacher, and was pacified by Rava’s display of humility.

תניא הנודר מן הדגן אסור אף בפול המצרי יבש ומותר בלח ומותר באורז בחילקא בטרגיס ובטיסני הנודר מן פירות השנה אסור בכל פירות השנה ומותר בגדיים ובטלאים ובחלב ובביצים ובגוזלות ואם אמר גידולי שנה עלי אסור בכולן

§ It is taught in a baraita: For one who vows that grain [dagan] is forbidden to him, it is prohibited to partake of the dry cowpea, and it is permitted for him to partake of fresh cowpea. And it is permitted for him to partake of rice, as well as of wheat kernels split into two parts [ḥilka], of wheat kernels crushed into three parts [targeis], and wheat kernels crushed into four parts [tisnei]. For one who vows that produce of the year is forbidden to him, it is prohibited to partake of all produce of the year that grew from the ground or on trees, and it is permitted for him to partake of goats, and of lambs, and of milk, and of eggs, and of chicks born that year, as they are not included in the category of produce. And if he said: Growths of the year are forbidden to me, it is prohibited for him to eat all of them.

הנודר מן פירות הארץ אסור בכל פירות הארץ ומותר בכמהין ופטריות ואם אמר גידולי קרקע עלי אסור בכולן

For one who vows that produce of the land is forbidden to him, it is prohibited for him to partake of all produce that grow from the land, and it is permitted for him to partake of truffles and mushrooms that are not in the category of produce of the land. But if he said: The growths of the ground are forbidden to me, it is prohibited for him to eat all of them.

ורמינהי על דבר שאין גידולו מן הארץ אומר שהכל נהיה בדברו ותניא על המלח ועל הזמית ועל כמהין ופטריות אומר שהכל נהיה בדברו אמר אביי מירבא רבו מארעא מינק מאוירא ינקי ולא מארעא והא קתני על דבר שאין גידולו מן הארץ תני על דבר שאין יונק מן הארץ

And the Gemara raises a contradiction from a mishna (Berakhot 40b): And over a food item whose growth is not from the ground, one recites: By Whose word all things came to be. And it is taught in a baraita: Over salt and over brine [zamit], and over truffles and mushrooms, one recites: By Whose word all things came to be. Apparently, truffles and mushrooms are not in the category of growths of the ground. Abaye said: They grow from the earth, but with regard to sustenance, they draw sustenance from the air and not from the earth. The Gemara asks: Why is that distinction significant? Isn’t it taught: Over a food item whose growth is not from the ground one recites the blessing: By whose word all things came to be? Even according to Abaye, mushrooms grow from the ground. The Gemara answers: Emend the mishna to read: Over a food item that does not draw sustenance from the ground, one recites: By Whose word all things came to be.

מתני׳ הנודר מן הכסות מותר בשק וביריעה ובחמילה אמר קונם צמר עולה עלי מותר להתכסות בגיזי צמרהפשתן עולה עלי מותר להתכסות באניצי פשתן

MISHNA: For one who vows that a garment is forbidden to him, it is permitted to wear sackcloth, and to wear a sheet, and to wear a coarse curtain [ḥamila], as these are not in the category of garments. For one who said: Wool is konam for me and I will therefore not place it upon myself, it is permitted for him to cover himself with wool fleece, which is not considered a garment, and it is prohibited for him to wear only a woolen fabric. For one who said: Flax is konam for me and I will therefore not place it upon myself, it is permitted for him to cover himself with uncombed flax in bundles, and it is prohibited for him to wear only a flaxen fabric.

רבי יהודה אומר הכל לפי הנודר טען והזיע והיה ריחו קשה אמר קונם צמר ופשתים עולה עלי מותר להתכסות ואסור להפשיל לאחוריו

Rabbi Yehuda says: Everything is determined according to the one who vows. If one was bearing a burden of wool and linen, and was sweating, and its smell was unpleasant for him, and in reaction, he said: Wool and linen are konam for me and I will therefore not place them upon myself, it is permitted for him to cover himself with wool and linen garments, but it is prohibited for him to sling them over his shoulder behind him as a burden. The circumstances of his vow make it clear that he intends to forswear carrying wool and linen as a burden rather than the wearing of them as a garment.

גמ׳ תניא הנודר מן הכסות מותר בשק וביריעה ובחמילה ואסור בפונדא ובפסקיא ובסקורטיא ובקטבליא ואנפליא ופליניא ומכנסים וכובע מאי איסקורטי אמר רבה בר חנה כיתונא דצלא

GEMARA: It is taught in a baraita: For one who vows that a garment is forbidden to him, it is permitted to wear sackcloth, and to wear a sheet and to wear a coarse curtain, and it is prohibited for him to wear a money belt [punda], or to wear a sash [pesakiyya], or to wear a sekurtiyya, or to wear a leather spread [katavliyya], or to wear a leather sock [anpilya] or to wear a leather apron [pelinya], and trousers, and a hat. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of iskurtei, mentioned in the baraita as sekurtiyya? Rabba bar Ḥana said: It means a tanner’s apron.

תניא יוצאין בשק עבה ובסגוס עבה וביריעה ובחמילה מפני הגשמים אבל לא בתיבה ולא בקופה ולא במחצלת מפני הגשמים הרועים יוצאין בשקים ולא רועים בלבד אמרו אלא כל אדם אלא שדברו חכמים בהווה

It is taught in a baraita: One may go out into the public domain on Shabbat covered in thick sackcloth or in a coarse woolen blanket [sagos], or in a sheet or in a coarse curtain as protection from the rain. They are considered garments, not burdens. However, he may neither go out covered in a box, nor in a basket, nor in a mat as protection from the rain, as they are considered burdens, not garments. Shepherds may go out on Shabbat covered in sackcloth, as they typically go out in sackcloth garments. And the Sages did not say this only with regard to shepherds; rather, they said that all people may go out wearing sackcloth; however, the Sages spoke in the present, addressing situations that were prevalent.

רבי יהודה אומר הכל לפי הנודר כו׳ תניא כיצד אמר רבי יהודה הכל לפי הנודר היה לבוש צמר והצר ואמר קונם צמר עולה עלי אסור ללבוש ומותר לטעון היה טעון פשתן והזיע ואמר קונם פשתן עולה עלי מותר ללבוש ואסור לטעון

§ We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Yehuda says: Everything is determined according to the one who vows. It is taught in a baraita: How, i.e., in what circumstances, did Rabbi Yehuda say: Everything is according to the one who vows? If one was wearing a woolen garment and it caused him discomfort, and in reaction he said: Wool is konam for me, and I will therefore not place it upon myself, it is prohibited for him to wear woolen garments, but it is permitted to place a burden of woolen garments upon him. If one was burdened with flax and was sweating, and said: Flax is konam for me, and I will therefore not place it upon myself, it is permitted for him to wear flaxen garments and it is prohibited for him to place a burden of flaxen garments upon him.