Les vœux non qualifiés suivent l'option stricte, et leur qualification, la clémence. [Même si, quand il s'explique, nous suivons son explication, s'il fait des vœux sans réserve, nous suivons l'option stricte; car, en général, quand on fait un vœu, son intention est d'interdire.] Comment cela? Si l'on disait: "Que cette chose me soit (interdite) comme de la viande salée", [une offrande, à savoir. (Lévitique 2:13): "Avec toutes vos offrandes, vous offrirez du sel"], "comme une libation de vin"—s'il a juré d'intention (l'offrande) du Ciel, c'est interdit; si c'est de l'idolâtrie, c'est permis. Et s'il a juré sans réserve, c'est interdit. (S'il a dit :) "Que ce soit à moi comme cherem" (propriété dédiée)—Si en tant que cherem du ciel, il est interdit; si en tant que cherem des Cohanim, il est permis. [Même si le cherem de Cohanim est soumis à mei'lah (abus de propriété sacrée) avant qu'il ne soit pris par les Cohanim, de sorte que c'est comme "une chose qui est vouée", encore, "le cherem des Cohanim" sans réserve signifie que les Cohein l'ont pris.] "Que ce soit pour moi comme ma'aser" (la dîme)—Si comme la dîme des bêtes, elle est interdite; et si comme celle de l'aire de battage, elle est autorisée. [Car cela (la dîme de la bête) est comme "quelque chose qui est voué", car il doit la consacrer, et la (non-séparation de) la dîme de la bête n'interdit pas la remise du bétail comme la (non-séparation du) grain -tithe interdit l'aire de battage.] Et s'il a juré sans réserve, c'est interdit. "Que ce soit pour moi comme terumah"—Si en tant que terumah de la lishkah (le trésor du Temple pour les sacrifices de la congrégation), il est interdit; et si comme celle de l'aire de battage, elle est autorisée. Et s'il a juré sans réserve, c'est interdit. Ce sont les paroles de R. Meir. R. Yehudah dit: S'il a déclaré «terumah», sans réserve, en Juda, c'est interdit; dans le Galil, il est permis, car les hommes du Galil ne sont pas familiers avec la terumah de la lishkah [car ils étaient loin de Jérusalem.] "Charamim" (dédicaces), sans réserve—en Juda, ils sont autorisés, et dans le Galil, ils sont interdits, car les hommes du Galil ne sont pas familiers avec les charamim des Cohanim [et tous leurs charamim iraient vers bedek habayit (réparation du temple). La halakha est conforme à R. Yehudah.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
ופירושם להקל – even though that when he explained his words, we follow after his explanation, for when it is undefined and he didn’t explain, we go to the most stringent [opinion], for a person who makes an undefined vow, his intention is to forbid.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
Introduction
This mishnah deals with cases where it is unclear whether the person vowing used something which can be dedicated to the Temple in the vow formula, in which case the vow is binding, or whether he used something else, in which case the vow is not binding.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
כבשר מליח – which is a sacrifice, as it is written (Leviticus 2:13): “[You shall season your every offering of grain with salt; you shall not omit from your grain offering the salt of your covenant with God;] with all your offerings you must offer salt.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
Unspecified vows are interpreted strictly, but if specified [they are interpreted] leniently. How so? This is an introductory rule which will guide the entire mishnah. If a person takes a vow and he himself is unclear what his intention was, whether it was to make a valid or invalid vow, we rule strictly and the vow is valid. However, if he states that his intention was to make an invalid vow, the vow is ruled invalid. The mishnah now lists several examples where it is unclear whether he made a valid vow by referring to something that may be donated to the Temple, or whether he referred to something which may not be donated to the Temple.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
כחרם של כהנים מותר (assigned to the private use of priests) – even though that which belongs to the priests, people commit religious sacrilege with them until they come into the hands of the Kohanim, and they are a thing that is vowed, nevertheless, undefined property of the priests implies that they have already come into the hand of a Kohen (see also Tractate Arakhin, Chapter 8, Mishnah 6)..
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
If one says, “Behold! This is to me as salted meat”; or “As wine of libation” If he vowed by that which is to Heaven, his vow is valid. If by that which is idolatrous, his vow is invalid. And if it was unspecified, his vow is valid. The first example is where a person says that a certain thing should either be to him like “salted meat” or “wine of libation”. Either could refer to something which could be put onto the altar. “Salted meat” could refer to a sacrifice and wine could refer to one of the libations offered at the Temple altar. Therefore, if his intention was to refer to something which was for “Heaven”, i.e. for the Temple, then his vow is valid. However, if his intention was that the object should be prohibited to him as is meat sacrificed for idols or wine offered to idols, his vow is invalid. As we have learned before, using a prohibited item in the vow formula does not make a vow work. If he didn’t know what his intention was, then the vow is ruled valid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
אם כמעשר בהמה אסור – for this is something that was vowed, that one must sanctify it, but the tithe of cattle does not prohibit the stable/shed like the tithing of grain prohibits the granary/threshing floor.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
[If he says], “Behold! This is to me as herem” If as a herem to Heaven, his vow is valid; If as a herem to the priests, his vow is invalid. If it was unspecified, his vow is valid. A “herem” can either refer to an offering in the Temple, or it can refer to things that are given to the priests (see Numbers 18:14). If his intention was the former, the vow is valid, if the latter his vow is invalid. The reason is that once the “herem” was given to the priest, it is no longer forbidden for general consumption. Again, if he is unsure, the rule is strict.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
שאין אנשי גליל מכירין תרומת הלשכה – becase they were far from Jerusalem.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
“Behold! This is to me as a tithe” If he vowed, as tithes of beasts, his vow is valid. If as grain tithes, his vow is invalid. If unspecified, his vow is valid. There are several kinds of tithes. When a person vows that something should be like “tithe” to him, it could refer to animal tithes. If so, his vow is valid for animal tithes are sacrificed on the altar. However, if he refers to grain tithes, his vow is not valid, for anyone may eat grain tithes and they are not sacrificed but rather given to Levites.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
שין אנשי גליל מכירין חרמי כהנים – for everything that they would dedicate for priestly use, they would set aside for the repair of the Temple. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
“Behold! This is to me as terumah” If he vowed, as the terumah of the Temple-chamber, his vow is valid. If as the terumah of the threshing-floor, his vow is invalid. If unspecified, his vow is valid. The words of Rabbi Meir. There are several kinds of “terumah”. If he refers to “terumah of the Temple-chamber” his vow is invalid, for these were donations used to buy sacrifices. However, if he refers to the regular terumah given to priests, his vow is invalid, for this terumah is not offered to the Temple, but rather is for priests and forbidden to non-priests.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
Rabbi Judah says: An unspecified reference to terumah in Judea is a valid vow, but not in Galilee, because the Galileans are unfamiliar with the terumah of the Temple-chamber. Unspecified references to haramim in Judea are not binding but in Galilee they are, because the Galileans are unfamiliar with priestly haramim. The previous section was according to Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says that there are regional differences in our interpretation of vows. If he makes an unspecified vow using “terumah”, in Judea he may be referring to “terumah of the Temple-chamber”, and therefore his vow is valid. However, those of the Galilee, who live further away from the Temple, would not know as much about “terumah of the Temple-chamber” and hence we can assume that they were referring to the terumah given to priests. Similarly, unspecified vows using “herem” are interpreted leniently in Judea because they may refer to the “herem” of the priests, for many priests lived in Judea. In contrast, in the Galilee, “herem” would more typically refer to a sacrifice and therefore the vow is valid. We see here that Rabbi Judah assumes that the interpretation of the vow depends on the commonly used language of the one who vows. Since commonly used language will depend on geographical origin, it too must be taken into account.
