{"id":10217,"date":"2014-05-05T00:11:58","date_gmt":"2014-05-04T21:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=10217"},"modified":"2020-09-15T11:28:44","modified_gmt":"2020-09-15T08:28:44","slug":"15-05-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/15-05-11\/","title":{"rendered":"11. Hatarat Nedarim <\/em>(Annulment of Vows)"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a universal Jewish custom to annul vows on Erev Rosh Ha-shana in order to enter the holiday free from the serious sin of unfulfilled vows (Shlah<\/em>, Masekhet Yoma<\/em> \u00a72-4; \u1e24ayei Adam<\/em> 138:8). Some also annul vows before Yom Kippur. The recitation of Kol Nidrei<\/em> at the start of Yom Kippur is directed toward this goal as well.<\/p>\n

This annulment is effective for vows that a person forgot having made. It is also effective in annulling the obligation to continue performing a positive custom that one performed three times without stipulating that it does not have the force of a vow. It also annuls commitments to voluntary mitzvot<\/em> that one undertook without specifying that it does not have the force of a vow. In contrast, if a person remembers making a specific vow, he is not released from it until he details it before three \u201cjudges,\u201d who can release him based on a loophole and his regret (SA YD 228:14).[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The annulment entails appearing before three men and asking them to release him from the vow. Even three hedyotot <\/em>(regular people, non-rabbis) can release him, as long as they can understand the words of Torah and grasp the meaning of annulling vows. (See ibid.<\/em> 228:1.) To release him, the three men say three times: \u201cIt is permitted to you,\u201d \u201cIt is allowed to you,\u201d or \u201cYou are forgiven.\u201d Siddurim <\/em>have a standard formula for requesting and granting annulment.<\/p>\n

Since this annulment is not considered judgment, it may be done at night, and the three people on the \u201ccourt\u201d may be related to one another or to the person asking for the annulment. Accordingly, three brothers may annul the vow of a fourth brother (ibid.<\/em> 228:3). However, if a woman requests a vow annulment, her husband may not be one of the three (ibid.<\/em> 234:57).<\/p>\n

The person asking for an annulment customarily stands, while the three people granting the annulment sit, as a court would. Many people may stand before the \u201ccourt\u201d at once and ask that their vows be annulled, and the annulment may be extended to the whole group at once. Nevertheless, some are careful to annul the vows of one person at a time (Mateh Ephraim<\/em> 581:49).<\/p>\n

If one dreamed that he made a vow, some say he should have it annulled. Some even say that this annulment requires a panel of ten. Though most poskim<\/em> do not require any type of annulment for a vow made in a dream, as it is not real, le-khat\u1e25ila<\/em> we defer to the stringent view (SA YD 210:2). If he cannot easily find a group of ten, he may request an annulment before three, as one normally does for vows (Rema ad loc<\/em>.).[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Women effectively annul their vows with the recitation of Kol Nidrei<\/em>. For this reason, they make sure to attend services on the night of Yom Kippur. A married woman can appoint her husband as her agent to annul her vows when he annuls his own. Since the two of them are like one unit, when he stands before the \u201ccourt,\u201d it is as if she is with him. However, an unmarried woman cannot appoint an agent (male or female) to act on her behalf and annul her vows (SA YD 234:56; Taz<\/em> ad loc. <\/em>46; Rav Pe\u2019alim<\/em> O\u1e24 4:34).<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n[5]<\/a>. According to Torah law, a vow may be annulled even if it is not specified, but the Sages instituted that one must specify the vow before it can be annulled, lest the \u201ccourt\u201d release him from a vow that is forbidden to annul (for example, a vow whose goal is to prevent one from doing something halakhically prohibited). Thus, if the person who made the vow did not tell at least one of the three people its specifics, they may not annul it (Gittin<\/em> 35b; SA YD 228:14). This is why the formulation of the annulment ceremony of Erev Rosh Ha-shana is effective only for vows which one does not remember. It may not be used to annul specific vows (Tosafot Rid<\/em>, Nedarim<\/em> 23b; Shibolei Ha-leket<\/em> \u00a7317; Derekh Ha-\u1e25ayim<\/em>; Elef Ha-magen<\/em> 581:101). Others maintain that the annulment is effective even for vows that a person remembers making. Since the formula of the annulment states that the request is not being made for vows that cannot be annulled, there is no possibility of a forbidden annulment being granted (R. Shlomo Kluger, Nidrei Zerizin<\/em>, responsa section, YD 228:14; Sefat Emet<\/em>, Nedarim<\/em> 23b; R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach inclined this way as well; see the book Kol Nidrei<\/em> 79:1).<\/p>\n
    \n
  1. Shlomo Kluger writes that the nullification works through the mechanism of \u1e25arata <\/em>(regret). True, a peta\u1e25<\/em> (loophole) is normally required as well. However, since the person had stated on the previous Erev Rosh Ha-shana that he was nullifying upcoming vows (as we explain in the next section), \u1e25arata<\/em> on its own is enough. Ma\u1e25aneh Ephraim<\/em> (Nedarim<\/em> \u00a716) suggests that the annulment qualifies as a peta\u1e25<\/em> as well, for had the person known that he would regret the vow, he would not have made it (Kol Nidrei<\/em> 78:7).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    [6]<\/a>. However, one who does not recall making a vow in a dream need not seek release in the presence of ten on Erev Rosh Ha-shana. Nevertheless, some are careful to annul their vows before a panel of ten on Erev Rosh Ha-shana, in case they made a vow in a dream and subsequently forgot (Da\u2019at Torah<\/em> 619:1).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    There is a universal Jewish custom to annul vows on Erev Rosh Ha-shana in order to enter the holiday free from the serious sin of unfulfilled vows (Shlah, Masekhet Yoma \u00a72-4; \u1e24ayei Adam 138:8). Some also annul vows before Yom Kippur. The recitation of Kol Nidrei at the start of Yom Kippur is directed toward […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[188],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-15-05"],"yoast_head":"\n11. 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