Shabbat 32B

ונמסרו לעמי הארץ.

and they were given, among others, to commoners [amei ha'aretz] to fulfill. When they are negligent in the performance of these mitzvot, they are punished for it.

תניא רבי נתן אומר: בעון נדרים מתה אשה של אדם, שנאמר: ״אם אין לך לשלם למה יקח משכבך מתחתיך״. רבי אומר: בעון נדרים בנים מתים כשהן קטנים, שנאמר: ״אל תתן את פיך לחטיא את בשרך ואל תאמר לפני המלאך כי שגגה היא למה יקצוף האלהים על קולך וחבל את מעשה ידיך״. איזה הן מעשה ידיו של אדם? הוי אומר בניו ובנותיו של אדם.

It was taught in a baraita that R' Natan says: Due to the sin of vows unfulfilled a person’s wife dies. The allusion is as it is stated: “If you have not the wherewithal to pay, why should He take away your bed from under you?” (Proverbs 22:27). R' Yehuda HaNasi says: Due to the sin of vows unfulfilled, children die when they are young, as it is stated: “Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay. Suffer not your mouth to bring your flesh into guilt, neither say you before the messenger that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?” (Ecclesiastes 5:4–5). What is the work of a person’s hands? You must say that it is a person’s sons and daughters.

תנו רבנן: בעון נדרים בנים מתים, דברי רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון. רבי יהודה הנשיא אומר: בעון ביטול תורה. בשלמא למאן דאמר בעון נדרים ⁠— כדאמרן, אלא למאן דאמר בעון ביטול תורה מאי קראה? דכתיב: ״לשוא הכיתי את בניכם מוסר לא לקחו״. רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר: למאן דאמר בעון נדרים נמי מהכא: ״לשוא הכיתי את בניכם״⁠ — על עסקי שוא. מכדי רבי יהודה הנשיא היינו רבי, ורבי בעון נדרים קאמר?! בתר דשמעה מרבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון.

In order to clarify which sins cause one’s young children to die, the Talmud cites what A baraita states: For the sin of vows, one’s children die, this is the statement of R' Elazar, son of R' Shimon. R' Yehuda HaNasi says: For the sin of dereliction in the study of Torah. The Talmud asks: Granted, according to the opinion of the one who said that one’s children die due to the sin of vows, as we stated above. However, according to the opinion of the one who said that one’s children die due to sin of dereliction in the study of Torah, what is the verse that supports this? The Talmud replies: As it is written: “In vain have I smitten your children; they received no morality” (Jeremiah 2:30). Children die because their fathers did not accept the morality, the Torah. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: According to the one who said that one’s children die because of the sin of vows, it can also be derived from here: In vain have I smitten your children; on matters of vanity, i.e., when one vows in vain and does not fulfill it. The Talmud asks: After all, R' Yehuda HaNasi is Rabbi! and it was taught in a Tosefta that R' said that one’s children die because of the sin of vows. How then could it be that R' Yehuda HaNasi said that it is due to the sin of dereliction in the study of Torah? The Talmud answers: After he heard it from R' Elazar, son of R' Shimon, he reconsidered and taught in accordance with R' Elazar’s opinion.