“And G-d said to Abram; go from your land, your birthplace and from the home of your father” (Breisheet 12:1). Rashi…
You Go First (Nazir 47)
Jewish law rules that when one must “desecrate” the Shabbat in order to save a life it is the greatest scholar present who should…
Rav Meir's Legacy (Nazir 49)
While it was Rav Yehuda Hanassi who edited the Mishna it is the teachings of Rav Meir, who lived in the generation prior, that form the basis…
Nazir 23: Time to Sin
“For there is no righteous person in the land who does [only] good and does not sin” (Kohelet 7:20). Sinning is part and parcel of…
Nazir 23: Paving the Road of Good Intentions
One of the long standing debates in ethical theory is whether it is actions or intentions that determines the ethical probity of our actions. There…
Nazir 19: A Nazir in the Land
When one thinks of the mitzvoth dependent on the land of Israel we think of the agricultural laws of the Torah; terumah, maaser, shmittaand the…
Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Nazir
After discussing the general topic of nedarim, vows, the Mishna moves to a most specific form of a vow, that of a nazir. The…
Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Nedarim
One of the primary messages of masechet Nedarim is how negatively [most of] our Sages viewed the taking of vows. More often than not a vow reflected…
Nedarim 80: Don't Forget the Laundry
Just this past Shabbat, we read of the mitzvah of tzedakah. The Torah describes the case where the poor are our neighbours, and we must…
Nedarim 81: The Next Generation
Adam and Cain, Noah and Cham, Abraham and Yishmael, Yitzchak and Eisav. Our children do not always turn out as we would like. Even children…
Nedarim 66: Miss Israel
Everybody loves a good story. And what one cannot accomplish through direct teaching, one can often accomplish through a story. Yet it is…
Nedarim 65: How Could I Know?
In our past couple of posts (here and here), we have discussed the notion of a petach, an opening to allow one to annul a vow.…
Nedarim 66: For the Children
"One may use as an opening [to annul a vow] one's own honour or the honour of one's children" (Nedarim 66a). Our…
Nedarim 64: I Didn't Mean It
"If only I would have known.." After many pages delineating the parameters of various vows the Talmud discusses when and how one…
Nedarim 62: Can You Leave Me Alone?
It is always fascinating how a most technical, even obscure, discussion can reveal and lead to a discussion on fundamental concepts of Judaism…
Nedarim51: What a Party!
It is not uncommon for someone to lose their job due to something stupid they do at an office party. People are much more apt to let their guard…
Nedarim 50: What Have You Been Drinking?!!?
Sadly, some people need stimulants--be they (legal) alcohol or (illegal) drugs--to stimulate themselves and put themselves in a good mood. Others,…
Nedarim 40: Time for a Visit
At first glance one would not expect a Talmudic discussion on the mitzva of bikkur cholim in the midst of a discussion of vows. However…