2,837. How a Vow is Annulled

Hilchos Nedarim 13:1

A man can annul or affirm vows made by his wife or daughter in any language, even one that she doesn’t understand. This is because a woman need not hear her vow being annulled or upheld.

Hilchos Nedarim 13:2

A man annuls a vow by saying, “It is annulled,” “It is canceled,” "This vow is nothing,” or some other term suggesting that the vow is annulled from the beginning. This can be done in the woman’s presence or her absence. However, if the man says “I can’t abide you making a vow” or “This is no vow,” he doesn’t annul it. Similarly, if he tells his wife or daughter that the vow is forgiven, permitted, absolved, etc., his words are inconsequential. This is because a father and a husband don’t absolve a vow as Torah scholars do. Rather, they uproot a vow ab initio and completely annul it.