(ד) סְתָם נְדָרִים לְהַחְמִיר, וּפֵרוּשָׁם לְהָקֵל. כֵּיצַד, אָמַר הֲרֵי עָלַי כְּבָשָׂר מָלִיחַ, כְּיֵין נֶסֶךְ, אִם שֶׁל שָׁמַיִם נָדַר, אָסוּר. אִם שֶׁל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה נָדַר, מֻתָּר. וְאִם סְתָם, אָסוּר. הֲרֵי עָלַי כְּחֵרֶם, אִם כְּחֵרֶם שֶׁל שָׁמַיִם, אָסוּר. וְאִם כְּחֵרֶם שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים, מֻתָּר. וְאִם סְתָם, אָסוּר. הֲרֵי עָלַי כְּמַעֲשֵׂר, אִם כְּמַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה נָדַר, אָסוּר. וְאִם שֶׁל גֹּרֶן, מֻתָּר. וְאִם סְתָם, אָסוּר. הֲרֵי עָלַי כִּתְרוּמָה, אִם כִּתְרוּמַת הַלִּשְׁכָּה נָדַר, אָסוּר. וְאִם שֶׁל גֹּרֶן, מֻתָּר. וְאִם סְתָם, אָסוּר, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, סְתָם תְּרוּמָה בִּיהוּדָה אֲסוּרָה, בַּגָּלִיל מֻתֶּרֶת, שֶׁאֵין אַנְשֵׁי גָלִיל מַכִּירִין אֶת תְּרוּמַת הַלִּשְׁכָּה. סְתָם חֲרָמִים, בִּיהוּדָה מֻתָּרִין, וּבַגָּלִיל אֲסוּרִין, שֶׁאֵין אַנְשֵׁי גָלִיל מַכִּירִין אֶת חֶרְמֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים:
(ה) נָדַר בְּחֵרֶם וְאָמַר, לֹא נָדַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְחֶרְמוֹ שֶׁל יָם. בְּקָרְבָּן, וְאָמַר, לֹא נָדַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְקָרְבָּנוֹת שֶׁל מְלָכִים. הֲרֵי עַצְמִי קָרְבָּן, וְאָמַר, לֹא נָדַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְעֶצֶם שֶׁהִנַּחְתִּי לִי לִהְיוֹת נוֹדֵר בּוֹ. קוֹנָם אִשְׁתִּי נֶהֱנֵית לִי, וְאָמַר לֹא נָדַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְאִשְׁתִּי הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁגֵּרַשְׁתִּי, עַל כֻּלָּן אֵין נִשְׁאָלִים לָהֶם. וְאִם נִשְׁאֲלוּ, עוֹנְשִׁין אוֹתָן וּמַחְמִירִין עֲלֵיהֶן, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, פּוֹתְחִין לָהֶם פֶּתַח מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, וּמְלַמְּדִים אוֹתָן כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִנְהֲגוּ קַלּוּת רֹאשׁ בַּנְּדָרִים:
(4) Vague vows [are assumed to apply to the more] stringent [interpretation], but [they can be] clarified to be more lenient. How so? If one says, "I take [this] upon myself like salted meat" or "like consecrated wine" - if his vow [specified meat or wine] of Heaven [used in the temple], [they are] forbidden; if his vow [specified meat or wine] of idol worship, then [they are still] permitted; and if it was [left] vague, [they are] forbidden. [If one says:] "I take upon myself [to forbid this item] as cherem"- if he specified the cherem of Heaven [the temple], [the item] is forbidden; if he specified the cherem of priests, it is permitted; and if it was [left] vague, it is forbidden. [If one says:] "I take upon myself [to treat this food] like a tithe" - if he specified the tithe of the animals, [the food] is forbidden; if he specified the tithe of the threshing floor, it is permitted; if it was [left] vague, it is forbidden. [If one says:] "I take upon myself [to treat this food] like a terumah [heave offering]" - if he specified that it was a terumat halishkah [monetary offering to the temple treasury], it is forbidden; if he specified that it was [like] a terumah [made at] the threshing floor, it is permitted; if it was vague, it is forbidden - these are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: vague [use of the word] 'terumah in Judea - [the item is] forbidden; in the Galilee, [the item] is permitted, for the people of the Galilee are unfamiliar with the terumat halishkah. [Likewise,] vague [use of the word] 'cherem' in Judea - [the item] is permitted; in the Galilee it is forbidden, because the people of the Galilee are unfamiliar with the cherem of priests.
(5) One who vows by cherem, and [then] says, “I vowed only by a cherem [a net] of the sea"; [or] by a korban, and [then] says, “I vowed only by korbanot [gifts] of kings”; [or vows:] “Behold! I myself am a korban”, and [then] says, “I vowed only by the etzem [bone] which I keep for the purpose of vowing”; [or vows:] “konam be any benefit my wife has from me”, and then says, “I spoke only of my first wife, whom I have divorced” — Regarding none of these [vows] should one inquire [of a sage in order to annul them]. And one who does inquire about them is punished and [their vows are interpreted] strictly, according to Rabbi Meir. But the Sages say: they are given a petach on other grounds, in order that they should not [learn to] act lightly with vows.
(א) אַרְבָּעָה נְדָרִים הִתִּירוּ חֲכָמִים, נִדְרֵי זֵרוּזִין, וְנִדְרֵי הֲבַאי, וְנִדְרֵי שְׁגָגוֹת, וְנִדְרֵי אֳנָסִים. נִדְרֵי זֵרוּזִין, כֵּיצַד. הָיָה מוֹכֵר חֵפֶץ וְאָמַר, קוֹנָם שֶׁאֵינִי פוֹחֵת לְךָ מִן הַסֶּלַע, וְהַלָּה אוֹמֵר, קוֹנָם שֶׁאֵינִי מוֹסִיף לְךָ עַל הַשֶּׁקֶל, שְׁנֵיהֶן רוֹצִין בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דִינָרִין. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר, אַף הָרוֹצֶה לְהַדִּיר אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁיֹּאכַל אֶצְלוֹ, אוֹמֵר, כָּל נֶדֶר שֶׁאֲנִי עָתִיד לִדֹּר הוּא בָטֵל, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּהֵא זָכוּר בִּשְׁעַת הַנֶּדֶר:
(1) There are four [types of] vows that the sages invalidated, [and these four types are]: vows of encouragement, vows of exaggeration, vows made in error, and vows made against one's will. A vow of incitement: how [does this manifest itself]? If a merchant said, "konam that I will not sell to you for less than a sela" and the buyer says, "konam that I will not pay more than a shekel." [These vows are invalid since] both agree on three dinars. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov says: Even a vow made by one who wants to compel his friend to eat with him [by making a vow], and says [beforehand], "All vows that I will make in the future - they are nullified," this statement is effective [and his future vow is null], as long as he remembers [the statement] at the time he vows.