2,831. A Woman Who Prohibits Her Handiwork to Her Husband

Hilchos Nedarim 12:10

If a woman consecrated her hands or vowed that her husband not benefit from the work of her hands, he isn’t forbidden to benefit from the work of her hands because he has a lien on it. Even though the Sages said that freeing a servant, chametz on Pesach and consecrating property break a lien, they strengthened a man’s lien on his wife’s handiwork so that she can’t break it. This was deemed necessary because this lien is rabbinic in nature. The man must, however, annul the vow out of concern that he divorce her and then be prohibited to remarry her.

Hilchos Nedarim 12:11

If a woman took an oath or a vow preventing her husband’s father, brothers, or any other of his relatives to benefit from her, he can’t annul it, nor can he annul it if she vows not to water his animal, feed his cattle, etc. The reason he can’t annul these vows is because they are neither vows of self-affliction, nor are they vows that put a strain on the marriage because a wife isn’t required to perform such tasks in the first place.