Nedarim - Daf 8
- נשבעין לקיים מצוה
Rav Gidel said in the name of Rav: מנין שנשבעין לקיים את המצוה - From where do we know that one may swear to fulfill a mitzvah? For it says: “"נשבעתי ואקיימה לשמור משפטי צדקך- I swore and I will fulfill, to keep your righteous laws. The Gemara asks: והלא מושבע ועומד מהר סיני הוא - but he is not already sworn from Har Sinai to keep all mitzvos? His oath should not take effect! The Gemara answers that Rav Gidel was teaching דשרי ליה לאיניש לזרוזי נפשיה - that a person may galvanize himself to perform a mitzvah by swearing to do so, but not, as the Ran explains, that the oath will take effect. Rav Gidel taught further in the name of Rav: האומר אשכים ואשנה פרק זה אשנה מסכתא זו, נדר גדול נדר לאלקי ישראל - One who says, I will rise early and learn this chapter, or I will learn this mesechta, he has made a great vow to the G-d of Yisroel. The Gemara wonders what Rav Gidel has added to his first teaching that one may swear to perform a mitzvah since, as the Ran explains, a “vow” in this context refers to an oath. The Gemara answers that Rav Gidel is teaching that, כיון דאי בעי פטר נפשיה בקרית שמע שחרית וערבית - since he can exempt himself from the explicit mitzvah to learn Torah, by simply reciting Shema in the morning and evening, משום הכי חייל שבועה עליה - therefore, the oath takes effect on him, because he has sworn to do beyond what he was explicitly commanded at Har Sinai.
- Dreaming about excommunication
Rav Yosef said: נידוהו בחלום צריך עשרה בני אדם להתיר לו - if they excommunicated someone in his dream, he needs ten people to release it for him. The Ran explains that we are concerned that this nidui was imposed by an agent of Hashem, and therefore ten people are required to annul the nidui, since the Shechinah joins an assemblage of ten people. Rav Yosef adds that these ten must be students of Gemara [- Ran], and if those are not available, at least students of Mishnah. If those, too, cannot be found, he should sit on a crossroads and greet people [who will return the greeting of peace, thus protecting him from harm - Ran] until ten students of Gemara gather and release his nidui. Ravina asked Rav Ashi: ידע מאן שמתיה, מהו דלישרי ליה - if he knew who excommunicated him in his dream, can this person release him? He responded, לשמותיה שויוה שליח, למישרי ליה לא שויוה שליח - to excommunicate him they made this person an agent, but to release him, they did not.
- וזרחה לכם יראי שמי שמש צדקה ומרפא
Rebbe Yehudah bar Ilai said: What is the meaning of the passuk: "וזרחה לכם יראי שמי"- And it will shine for you, those who fear My Name? - אלו בני אדם שהן יראין להוציא שם שמים לבטלהThese are the people who are afraid to say the Name of Heaven in vain. Regarding the second part of the passuk which states “"שמש צדקה ומרפא - a sun of righteousness and healing, Abaye said, שמע מינה חרגא דיומא מסי - learn from here that the dust of the day (i.e., the sun) heals. The Gemara says that this interpretation is in disagreement with that of Reish Lakish, who used this passuk as a source for his statement,אין גיהנם לעולם הבא, אלא הקדוש ברוך הוא מוציא חמה מנרתיקה - there is no Gehinnom in the World to Come, rather Hakadosh Baruch Hu will take the sun out of its case; צדיקים מתרפאין בה ורשעים נידונין בה - the righteous will be healed by it, and the wicked will be dealt justice by it. He added, ולא עוד אלא שמתעדנין בה - not only this, but moreover, the tzadikim will even delight in it, referring to the uncased sun.
