{"id":11462,"date":"2008-01-31T23:38:00","date_gmt":"2008-01-31T23:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_nedarim_4248\/"},"modified":"2015-10-28T08:38:37","modified_gmt":"2015-10-28T13:38:37","slug":"masechet_nedarim_4248","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_nedarim_4248\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Nedarim 42a-48b"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coming Week’s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n

This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n

This month\u2019s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris, the Lewy Family Foundation, and Marilyn and Edward Kaplan<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Nedarim 42a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Daf Yomi is dedicated in memory of Gladys Lewy, z\u201dl (25 Shevat)<\/em><\/p>\n

The Torah<\/a> requires that once every seven years agricultural activity in the Land of Israel ceases. During this Sabbatical<\/a> year, the produce that grows is considered ownerless and is readily available to all. The Mishnah<\/a> on our daf <\/em>teaches that a person who makes a vow prior to the Sabbatical year that he will not derive benefit from his friend, cannot enter onto his property or eat fruit from his trees even if they are growing on branches that grow outside of his property. During the Sabbatical year itself, however, even though he cannot enter his friend’s property, he would be allowed to eat fruit from the trees since the fruits are hefker<\/em> \u2013 they are considered ownerless. The Mishnah continues by discussing a person whose vow related only to deriving benefit from eating. Generally speaking, such a person cannot take fruit, but can enter the property of the other person; on the Sabbatical year he can also eat fruit, since it is not owned by anyone.<\/p>\n

There are two approaches to this Mishnah.<\/p>\n

The majority of the rishonim<\/a><\/em> \u2013 the Rosh<\/a>, Ritva<\/a> and others \u2013 understand that our Mishnah is not dealing with someone who makes a neder<\/em> (vow) during the Sabbatical year, rather it is only talking about someone who makes the neder<\/em> prior to the Sabbatical year. Thus, the first ruling that appears in the Mishnah is obvious \u2013 a person cannot derive benefit from someone who he has forbidden by means of a vow. The point that is being made by the Mishnah is that of the second case. During the Sabbatical year, even though entering the person’s property remains forbidden, the fruits are permitted.<\/p>\n

Rashi<\/a> and Tosafot<\/a> suggest that the Mishnah is discussing two different types of vows. In one case, the vow is taken prior to the Sabbatical year, and both entering the field and benefiting from the fruits is forbidden \u2013 even during the Sabbatical year, since by means of a neder<\/em> a person can effect the status of an object even after it has left his possession. In the second case, the vow is taken during the Sabbatical year itself, and only entering the person’s property will become forbidden, since the vow cannot affect the fruits, which do not belong to him.<\/p>\n

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Nedarim 43a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mishnah<\/a> on our daf <\/em>lists three situations in which a person who cannot offer support to his friend because of a vow that had been made prohibiting such benefit, can arrange to do so surreptitiously in a time of need. These cases include:<\/p>\n