Nedarim 57: Onions

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The Gemara attempts to prove that the Gidulin are not like the Ikar and are permitted, and that they can annul the Ikar. The Gemara quotes the statement of Rebbi Yitzchak in the name of Rebbi Yochanan who says that when a person separated Terumos and Ma'aseros from onions and then replanted the onions in the ground and they increased in size such that there is more new growth of onion than the original growth of onion, he is obligated to separate Ma'aser not only from the new part that grows but from the entire onion, including the original growth. This ruling clearly indicates that any new growth which sprouts forth from an object which is exempt from Terumos and Ma'aseros is obligated in Terumos and Ma'aseros (that is, the Gidulin are not like the Ikar), and that they can annul the Ikar and cause the Ikar to become obligated in Ma'aser as well.

We explore the history biological properties and dubious health benefits of onions as well as the curious statement (Nidah 17) by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai that one who eats a peeled onion, egg or garlic that has been left sitting out overnight is literally endangering his life and will be ultimately judged as a person who took his own life.

Nedarim 56: עַרְסָא דְגַדָּא

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The Gemara asks: What is a dargash? Ulla said: It is a bed of good fortune, placed in the house as a fortuitous omen, and not designated for sleeping. The Rabbis said to Ulla: That which we learned in a mishna: When the people servethe king the meal of comfort after he buries a relative, all the people recline on the ground and the king reclines on a dargash during the meal. 

 Ula explains that a Dargash is an "Arsa d'Gada" -- a special bed designated exclusively for bringing good fortune into the home, upon which no one sits or sleeps, as the MEFARESH here and RASHI in Moed Katan (27a, DH Arsa d'Gada) explain. RASHI in Sanhedrin (20a) adds that it brings good fortune through "Nichush," superstition.

Why is one permitted to set up a bed in one's home for the purpose of Nichush? The Torah explicitly prohibits Nichush (Vayikra 19:26)! Moreover, when the RAN here explains the meaning of the word "Gada" ("Gad," or "Mazal"), he cites the Gemara in Shabbos (67b) which says that a person who attempts to improve his luck by saying, "Let my Mazal ('Gad') become fortuitous," transgresses the prohibition against Nichush. Rebbi Yehudah there adds that "Gad" refers to a type of idolatry, as he proves from a verse in Yeshayah (65:11). (CHIDUSHEI HA'RAN, Sanhedrin 20a)

We explore the use of such good luck charms in the talmud and its borrowing from ancient pagan sources in Dura Europa Synagogue.

Nedarim 55: Fierce Landscapes

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Rava said to him that it means: Once a person renders himself like a wilderness, deserted before all, the Torah is given to him as a gift [mattana], as it is stated: “And from the wilderness Mattana.”

And once it is given to him as a gift, God bequeaths [naḥalo] it to him, as it is stated: “And from Mattana Nahaliel.”And once God bequeaths it to him, he rises to greatness, as it is stated: And from Nahaliel, Bamot, which are elevated places. And if he elevates himself and is arrogant about his Torah, the Holy One, Blessed be He, degrades him,

And if he reverses his arrogance and becomes humble, the Holy One, Blessed be He, elevates him.

When Rav Yosef heard that interpretation, he understood that Rava was aware of the error of his ways in acting arrogantly toward his teacher, and was pacified by Rava’s display of humility.

We explore the notion of Torah being given in a wilderness and the connection between wilderness experiences and humility.

Nedarim 54: דִּלּוּעִין

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Our new Perek begins with the following MISHNA:

For one who vows that vegetables are forbidden to him, it is permitted for him to eat gourds, as people typically do not include gourds in the category of vegetables; and Rabbi Akiva prohibits him from eating gourds

Rabbi Akiva said: it is apparent that gourds are included in the category of vegetables, although they differ from other vegetables, and therefore, the agent purchases gourds and explains that he found only gourds.

We explore the genus Lagenaria siceraria and its ancient uses as well as the kikayon of Jonah.

Nedarim 53: שֶׁמֶן שׁוּמְשְׁמִין

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One who vows that wine is forbidden to him is permitted to partake of apple wine, i.e., cider, as the unspecified term wine refers only to grape wine. One who vows that oil is forbidden to him is permitted to partake of sesame oil, as the unspecified term oil refers only to olive oil. One who vows that honey is forbidden to him is permittedto eat date honey, as the unspecified term honey refers only to bee honey.

We explore the history chemistry and phylogenetics of sesame and other oils uses in antiquity.

Nedarim 52: מוּתָּר בַּקּוֹם

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MISHNA: One who vows that milk is forbidden to him is permitted to partake of whey [kum], the liquid that separates from milk when it is made into cheese. But Rabbi Yosei prohibits him from partaking of whey. If one vows that whey is forbidden to him, he is permitted to partake of milk.

What is the difference between milk and whey?

We explore the chemistry and antiquity of whey and whey products including the kashrus ramifications of lactose and whey products.

Nedarim 51: Shibuta, Fishy Tale

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If one says: Fish or fishes are konam for me, and for that reason I will not taste them, he is prohibited from eating all of them, whether large fish or small, whether salted or unsalted, whether raw or cooked. But he is permitted to taste minced sardines and to taste fish brine, as these are not included in the common meaning of the word fish. One who vows that tzaḥana, a concoction of whole and chopped fish, is forbidden to him is prohibited from eating minced sardines as well, but he is permitted to eat fish brine and fish gravy [morays]. One who vows that minced sardinesare forbidden to him is prohibited from eating fish brine and from eating fish gravy.

We explore the cultural history of fish in talmud and the galactic grey areas around fins and scale...including the curious legends surrounding the shibuta….

Nedarim 50: זִיל הוֱיֵ בּיֵ רַב

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Our daf is the source for one of the greatest Talmudic love stories – Rabbi Akiva and Rachel.

Rachel was the daughter of Bar Kalba Savua, who came from one of the wealthiest and most politically powerful families in Israel during the time of the destruction of the Second Temple. Akiva, a 40-year-old shepherd who worked for Bar Kalba Savua, asked Rachel to marry him. She agreed to do so if he promised to devote himself to the study of Torah after their wedding. Akiva agreed to do so, and they secretly married.

Upon learning of this Bar Kalba Savua threw Rachel out of his house and disowned her, condemning her to a life of poverty while Akiva studied. The Talmud relates that Akiva returned after 12 years of study, but before entering his house he heard his wife say that she would be willing to have her husband continue to learn for another 12 years. Taking her on her word, he returned to the beit midrash for another 12 years, returning home with 24,000 pairs of students.

We explore the man and the legend.

Nedarim 49: מוֹרֶה וְרָוֵי

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A certain Roman noblewoman said to Rabbi Yehudah, “A teacher and a drunkard (she assumed he was intoxicated based upon his shiny face)!” He replied, “I do not taste any wine except for that of kiddush and havdalah and the four cups of Passover night. And because of those four cups, I am compelled to bind my temples from Passover until Shavuos. The Gemora notes that his face shone because it is written that a man’s wisdom brightens his face.

We explore the history of wine in the talmud and incidence of alcoholism in the clergy and among Jews.

Nedarim 48: בֵית חוֹרוֹן

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As we learned previously, someone who cannot derive benefit from another person because of a neder, cannot profit from anything that belongs to him, even if he is not the sole owner of the object.

The fifth chapter of Massekhet Nedarim which begins on our daf deals with a list of situations where the forbidden property is owned only in part by the person whose possessions are forbidden. Thus, the discussion revolves around what circumstances make a person considered to be the owner of an object (at least in part).

A related question is how public property should be treated. Do we consider public property to be owned in partnership by all members of the community?

We explore the history of oath taking in antiquity and on other faith traditions.

Nedarim 47: אַנְשֵׁי גָלִיל קַנְטְרָנִין

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The mishna teaches: Rabbi Yehuda says: The people of Galilee do not have to confer possession of their portion to the Nasi because their forefathers already wrote it for them.

It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda says: The people of Galilee were quarrelsome [kanteranin] and wouldoften take vows prohibiting benefit from one another.

So, their forefathers arose and wrote their portions of the public property over to the Nasi so that they would be able to use communal property.

Who were the men off Galilee and what differentiated them from others?

We explore the historical context of Galilee and the view of the disciples of Jesus in the talmud.

Nedarim 46: Oath Taking

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As we learned previously, someone who cannot derive benefit from another person because of a neder, cannot profit from anything that belongs to him, even if he is not the sole owner of the object. 

The fifth chapter of Massekhet Nedarim which begins on our daf deals with a list of situations where the forbidden property is owned only in part by the person whose possessions are forbidden. Thus, the discussion revolves around what circumstances make a person considered to be the owner of an object (at least in part). 

A related question is how public property should be treated. Do we consider public property to be owned in partnership by all members of the community?

We explore the history of oath taking in antiquity and on other faith traditions.

Nedarim 45: Angry Partners

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If two people jointly owned a courtyard - which was a very common situation - and then they had a falling out, so that each prohibited to himself, by a vow, to benefit from his fellow's property, they have a problem entering their own courtyard. Since the courtyard is not divided, then each portion of it is jointly owned by both of them. Thus, when one treads on the ground, he is partially transgressing the property of his fellow, which is prohibited to him by a vow.

However, Rabbi Elazar ben Yakov says that each one, when he enters the courtyard, enters his own property. When people buy property in common, they divide the ownership of it for use, by area and in time. Exactly which portion and at what time belongs to each is determined by the future event of him entering it.

We continue our exploration of when partners split up and the way the Talmud suggests constructive ways to disagree in business partnerships.

Nedarim 44: Ownership

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If a person vows that a field will be hefker, ownerless, for a day, a week, a month, a year, or a Sabbatical cycle (seven years), that decision is valid and cannot be retracted.

Or can it? It might depend on when one took possession of the field. If no-one took possession of the field, the decision can be retracted. The rabbis are concerned that people might forget their vows over time.

As well, they are aware that "swindlers" might declare a field ownerless to avoid tithing and then reclaim the field.

We continue our exploration of land ownership in antiquity as well as the status of Palestinian lands from different perspectives.

Nedarim 43: Rashi

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A new Mishna teaches us about another ploy to get around one's vows. The rabbis offer three cases where a friend can do just that. In the first case, a person can say that his friend needs food and the storekeeper will use credit to provide that food. In the second case, a person can say that his friend needs help with physical labour (housebuilding, fence building, etc.) but that the vow is in effect. The work will be done and payment will go to the friend. In the third case, a person can give his friend food while travelling by giving the food to another person to pass on, or he can leave the food on a rock, etc., to be taken by his friend.

In all of these cases, he cannot directly tell the intermediary to pass along the food or to do the work for his friend, because that would create a situation of shelihut – effectively making that person his agent to carry out the transfer. Such an agreement would be forbidden because of the neder. 

We explore the scholarship on RASHI and his interpretive methods.

Nedarim 42: אַרְעָא נָמֵי אַפְקְרַהּ

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During the Sabbatical year, the produce that grows is considered ownerless and is readily available to all.

The Mishna on our daf 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 – they are considered ownerless.

We struggle with the issue as to whether Shmittah is a divine or human declaration and modern iterations of the biblical law.

Nedarim 41: דִּמְשׁכַּחֵ תּלַמְוּדוֹ

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Still in the context of the discussion of bikur holim our daf mentions some of the repercussions of illness. 

Rav Yosef said: A person’s sickness may cause him to forget all of his learning. Rav Yosef fell ill and forgot his learning, but Abaye was able to restore it for him by reviewing all which Rav Yosef had taught him in front of him. This is why the Gemora frequently comments that Rav Yosef would say, “I have not heard this particular teaching,” and Abaye would remind him, “You yourself did teach it to us and you derived it from this particular braisa.” 

When Rebbe had studied the thirteen different versions of the Mishna (the Mishna, Tosefta and other Braisos), he taught Rabbi Chiya seven of them. Eventually, Rebbe fell sick and forgot his learning. Thereupon, Rabbi Chiya restored to him the seven versions which he had taught him, but the other six were gone. 

We explore current issues in memory loss as well as Rebbe Nachman’s prescriptions for healing.

Nedarim 40: לֹא נִכְנְסוּ חֲכָמִים לְבַקְּרוֹ

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Continuing on the previous daf’s topic of visiting the sick we learn that although  one is forbidden to actively hasten the death of a dying person, 

it is nevertheless permissible to pray that he should die and be released from his suffering. The RAN takes this even further.

Thus writes Rabbenu Nissim:

"it is sometimes necessary to pray that a sick person should die, for example, where the sick person suffers greatly from his disease, and it is impossible that he will live,

( as we say in chapter Ha-Nose (Ketubot 104a) that when Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi's maidservant saw that he was going many times to the bathroom, donning tefilin, and experiencing distress, she said: May it be His will that the heavenly forces compel the mundane, that is to say, that Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi should die. Ran, Nedarim 40a, s.v. ein)

We explore the notion of Goses and terminal life support and what are the limits of aggressive medical care vs supportive nutritional and palliative strategies.

Nedarim 39: רֶמֶז לְבִיקּוּר חוֹלִין מִן הַתּוֹרָה

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The Mishna (38b) discusses whether a person who has taken a vow not to derive benefit from another can sit or stand in the other person’s presence if the other person is ill and he is fulfilling the mitzva of bikur holim. This leads our Gemara to discuss various aspects of this mitzva.

The baraita teaches that there is no limit to bikur holim. Although Rav Yosef suggests that this means that there is no limit to the reward that a person gets for fulfilling the mitzva of visiting the sick, Abaye counters that this is true of all mitzvot.

We explore the mitzvah of bikur cholim and its halachic ramifications in the modern era.

Nedarim 38: The Qualifications for Prophecy

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Rabbi Yochanan said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, rests His presence (prophecy) only on someone who is strong, rich, wise and humble. 

These requirements are derived from Moshe. 

Moshe was rich, as it is written: Carve yourself: the chips from the carving will be yours. Moshe was wise, for Rav and Shmuel both said: Fifty gates of insight were created in the world, and all but one (the knowledge of God’s essence) were given to Moshe, for it is said: For you withheld him, by a little measure, from understanding God. 

Moshe was humble, for it is written: Now the man Moshe was very humble. Rabbi Yochanan said: All the prophets were wealthy. This is derived from Moshe, Shmuel, Amos and Yonah. The Gemora proceeds to cite verses which demonstrate that all these prophets were wealthy. 

Moshe (was wealthy), because it is written: I have not taken one donkey from them. Now, if he meant that he did not pay a fee - was he then merely excluding himself from those who take without paying a fee? Rather, he must therefore have meant (that he did not take any) - even with a fee.  

We explore these qualities and the comparison between Maimonides with the RAN on prophecy.