Study Nedarim folio 14B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
תניא: הנודר בתורה — לא אמר כלום. במה שכתוב בה — דבריו קיימין. בה ובמה שכתוב בה — דבריו קיימין.
§ It is taught in a baraita: One who takes a vow by associating an item with a Torah scroll has not said anything, and the vow does not take effect. However, he associates the item with what is written in the Torah scroll, his statement is upheld. Since the name of God is written in the Torah, he has invoked God’s name in his vow. If he associates the item with it and with what is written in it, his statement is upheld.
The Talmud asks: It is taught that if he associates the item with what is written in the Torah scroll, his statement is upheld. Need it be said that the halakha is the same if he associates the item with it and with what is written in it? That is obvious.
אמר רב נחמן, לא קשיא: הא — דמחתא אורייתא אארעא, הא — דנקיט לה בידיה. מחתא על ארעא — דעתיה אגוילי. נקט לה בידיה — דעתיה על האזכרות שבה.
Rav Naḥman said: This is not difficult. This case, in which the item is associated with it and with what is written in it, is referring to where the Torah scroll is placed on the ground, while that case, in which the item is associated with what is written in it, is referring to where he is holding it in his hands. If it is placed on the ground, whether one mentions the Torah scroll or what is written in it, his thoughts are concerning the parchment, i.e., the physical scroll, as he naturally assumes that since the scroll is placed on the ground, the parchment must be blank. Therefore, the vow takes effect only if he mentions both it and what is written in it, indicating that he is aware that it is a Torah scroll. However, where he is holding it in his hands and associates the item with what is written in it, his thoughts are concerning the mentions [azkarot] of the name of God that are in it, and the vow takes effect.