A betrothed maiden — her father and her husband annul her vows. [A girl of twelve years and one day who has brought two (pubertal) hairs is called a maiden (na'arah) until six (additional) months. And a girl of eleven years and one day — her vows are examined. If she knows for whom she vowed and for whom she dedicated, her vow is a vow. And she, too — her father and her husband annul her vows.] If the father annulled it, but not the husband; or the husband, but not the father, it is not annulled. [Because we might think that "her father and her husband annul her vows" is to be understood as either her father or her husband, we are, therefore, taught: "If the father annulled it, but not the husband, etc.", to apprise us that both must annul it.] And it goes without saying that if one of them confirmed it, [the second cannot annul it. We are hereby apprised that even if the one who had confirmed it asked (and gained) absolution for it, (as it is ruled; "Absolution can be asked for a confirmation"), the one who asked for absolution can no longer annul it since both of them could not annul it together.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
נערה המאורסה – a girl who is twelve years and one-day old, and who brought forth two [pubic] hairs, is called a נערה/a young woman/lass, until six months. But a woman who is eleven years and one-day old, her vows are examined, if she knew for whom she made the vow, and in the name of whom she sanctified, her vow is vow, and even regarding her, her father and her husband annul her vows.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
Introduction
The final two chapters of Nedarim discuss a father’s and husband’s right to annul the vows of their daughters or wives. Whereas the release of vows, the topic of the previous chapter, is not mentioned in the Torah, chapter 30 of Numbers discusses the father/son’s right to annul vows at length. Indeed most of what we know about vows comes from the context of this chapter. Thus vs. 6 states, “But if her father restrains her on the day he finds out, none of her vows or self-imposed obligations shall stand.” Vs. 13 makes a similar statement concerning the husband.
There are several limits that the rabbis placed on this right of fathers/husbands. First of all, as we shall learn later in the chapter, not all vows may be annulled. Second, the father may annul his daughter’s vow only until she has reached what was considered majority age (12 ½). Beyond that age she was obligated, as are all people, to keep all her vows.
Our mishnah discusses the betrothed young woman, one between the ages of 12 and 12 ½. This girl is still living in her father’s house and yet is already betrothed to another man. She is therefore a classic example of a borderline case, which as we have seen time and time again, is typically the focus of the Mishnah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
הפר האב ולא הפר הבעל – because it was possible to err and to explain [the phrase]: “her father and her husband annul her vows,”/"אביה ובעלה מפירין נדריה" as or her father or her husband, it teaches in he Mishnah:"הפר האב ולא הפר הבעל"/”if her father annulled her vows, but not her husband, etc.,” to inform us that both need to nullify [her vows].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
In the case of a betrothed young woman, her father and her betrothed husband annul her vows. If her father annulled [her vow] but not the husband, or if the husband annulled [it] but not the father, it is not annulled; and it goes without saying if one of them upheld [it]. The simple message of the mishnah is that since she is partly in her father’s domain, for she has not yet reached majority age and she is still living in his house, and partly in her betrothed husband’s domain, both parties must annul her vows. If either party does not annul the vow, or upholds the vow, the vow is not annulled.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
ואין צריך לומר שקיים אחד מהם – if one of them confirmed [her vows] the second is not able to nullify them. But this tells us that even though the even though that one of them (i.e., the father or the husband was consulted that he established his confirmation, as we hold, we consult on the confirmation (i.e, the privilege of confirming a vow – see also Tractate Nedarim 10:7), , this one who was asked for confirmation cannot nullify any further, since both of them are not able to nullify [a vow] at the same time.
