2,671. Releasing an Oath Not to Release an Oath

Hilchos Shevuos 6:12

A person isn’t encouraged to have his oath permitted because of something that did not yet happen when he made the oath. For example, let’s say that someone took an oath not to benefit from a certain person and that person later became the city scribe. Since the one who made the oath didn’t regret doing so, we don’t encourage him to seek having the oath permitted. Even if he says that had he known he wouldn’t have taken the oath, we still don’t permit it. This is because he doesn’t regret taking the oath; rather, he still wants not to benefit from that person. What he wants is for that person not to be the town scribe! However, if he himself comes to regret his oath because of subsequent events, changing his thoughts on the matter, then we permit his oath. The same is true in all comparable cases.

Hilchos Shevuos 6:13

Let’s say that someone takes an oath about some matter, after which he takes an oath never to seek permitting that oath. If he changes his mind, he must first have second oath permitted, i.e., the one in which he committed never to have the first oath permitted. Only after this has been done can he have his original oath permitted.