Study Nedarim folio 74A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מתני׳ שומרת יבם, בין ליבם אחד, בין לשני יבמין. רבי אליעזר אומר: יפר. רבי יהושע אומר: לאחד, אבל לא לשנים. רבי עקיבא אומר: לא לאחד ולא לשנים.
Mishnah: With regard to a widow waiting for her yavam to perform levirate marriage, whether she is waiting for one yavam, if her late husband had only one brother, or whether she is waiting for two or more yevamin, if he had several brothers, R' Eliezer says: A yavam can nullify her vows. R' Yehoshua says: If she is waiting for one yavam, he can nullify her vows, but not if she is waiting for two. R' Akiva says: A yavam cannot nullify her vows, regardless of whether she is waiting for one yavam or for two or more.
אמר רבי אליעזר: מה אם אשה שקנה הוא לעצמו — הרי הוא מיפר נדריה, אשה שהקנו לו מן השמים — אינו דין שיפר נדריה?
The Mishnah then elaborates: R' Eliezer said: Just as with regard to a woman he acquired for himself through betrothal, he nullifies her vows, so too with regard to a woman acquired for him from Heaven, i.e., the yevama, isn’t it logical that he should be able to nullify her vows?
אמר לו רבי עקיבא: לא, אם אמרת באשה שקנה הוא לעצמו — שאין לאחרים בה רשות, תאמר באשה שהקנו לו מן השמים, שיש לאחרים בה רשות?!
R' Akiva said to him: No, if you say that a husband can nullify the vows of a woman he acquired for himself, over whom others have no authority, should you also say that this is the case with regard to a woman acquired for him from Heaven, over whom others have authority? If there are two yevamin, each yavam has equal authority with regard to her vows.
אמר לו רבי יהושע: עקיבא, דבריך בשני יבמין, מה אתה משיב על יבם אחד? אמר לו: אין היבמה גמורה ליבם כשם שהארוסה גמורה לאישה.
R' Yehoshua said to him: Akiva, your statement applies in a situation with two yevamin, but how do you reply to R' Eliezer in the case of one yavam? R' Akiva said to him: A yevama is not the full-fledged wife of the yavam in the way that a betrothed woman is her husband’s full-fledged wife, and the yavam is not empowered to nullify vows at all.