Commentary for Nedarim 3:3
נִדְרֵי אֳנָסִים, הִדִּירוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁיֹּאכַל אֶצְלוֹ, וְחָלָה הוּא אוֹ שֶׁחָלָה בְנוֹ אוֹ שֶׁעִכְּבוֹ נָהָר, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ נִדְרֵי אֳנָסִין:
"Vows of constraint": If his friend bevowed him to eat with him, and he took ill, or his son took ill, or he were stopped by an (overflowing) river — these are vows of constraint. [For in the beginning it was not his intent that the vow "take" if he be detained perforce; and when the intent is evident, "the heart's thoughts" are entertained.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
מדרי אונסין – that from the initial point, it was not his intention that the vow would come to pass if an unavoidable interference would prevent him, and in a case like this when the matters prove it, the matters of the heart are matters.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
Introduction
Our mishnah begins to discuss vows broken under pressure. There are actually two types of such vows. Our mishnah discusses the first type, whereby a person made a fully valid vow, but then due to circumstances beyond his control, was not able to keep the vow.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
Vows [broken] under pressure: if one subjected his neighbor to a vow to eat with him, and then he or his son fell sick, or a river prevented him [from coming] such is a vow [broken] under pressure. In this case Reuven says to Shimon that Reuven’s things will be forbidden to Shimon if Shimon does not come over to eat at his house. Shimon intends to come but cannot due to his or his son’s sickness, or his inability to cross the river. The mishnah rules that when Reuven made the vow he did not intend for it to be valid if Shimon wanted to come but was prevented by circumstances beyond his control. His only intention was that his things should be prohibited to Shimon if Shimon did not come because he chose not to. Therefore, the vow is invalid.
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