Study Nedarim folio 54A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
הנודר מן הירק — מותר בדלועין, ורבי עקיבא אוסר. אמרו לו לרבי עקיבא: והלא אומר אדם לשלוחו ״קח לי ירק״, והוא אומר: ״לא מצאתי אלא דלועין״.
Mishnah: 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 R' Akiva prohibits him from eating gourds. The Rabbis said to R' Akiva: But doesn’t a person say to his agent: Purchase vegetables for me, and the agent, after failing to find vegetables, returns with gourds and says: I found only gourds? This indicates that gourds are not considered vegetables.
אמר להם: כן הדבר, או שמא אומר הוא ״לא מצאתי אלא קיטנית״? אלא, שהדלועין בכלל ירק, וקיטנית אינו בכלל ירק. ואסור בפול המצרי לח, ומותר ביבש.
R' Akiva said to them: The matter is so, and that proves my opinion; or perhaps, does the agent return and say: I found only legumes? Rather, 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. And legumes are not included in the category of vegetables, and that is why the agent dispatched to purchase vegetables would not purchase legumes at all. And for one who vows that vegetables are forbidden to him, it is prohibited to eat the fresh cowpea, which is considered a vegetable, and it is permitted to eat dry cowpea, which is not a vegetable.
גמ׳ הנודר מן הירק כו׳. והא מן ירק נדר! אמר עולא: באומר ״ירקי קדרה עלי״, ודילמא ירק הנאכל בקדרה קאמר? באומר ״ירק המתבשל בקדרה עלי״.
Talmud: We learned in the Mishnah: For one who vows that vegetables are forbidden to him, it is permitted to eat gourds, and R' Akiva prohibits him from eating gourds. The Talmud questions R' Akiva’s ruling: But how can his vow include gourds, which are fruits and not vegetables; didn’t he vow to refrain from eating vegetables? Ulla said: The Mishnah is referring to one who said: Vegetables cooked in a pot are forbidden to me. Gourds are included in the category of vegetables cooked in a pot. The Talmud asks: And if that is what He said: perhaps he is saying: A vegetable that is eaten in a pot, i.e., a vegetable that is added to flavor the food cooked in the pot, is forbidden to me? The Talmud answers: The Mishnah is referring to one who said: A vegetable that is cooked in a pot is forbidden to me, a statement that can include gourds.