2,866. A Servant Who Vows Nezirus

Hilchos Nezirus 2:17

Nezirus also applies to women and to servants. A father or a husband can annul his daughter or wife’s nazirite vow if he wants to, the same as with other vows. In order to annul a servant’s nazirite vow, his master must make him drink wine or become unclean through corpse impurity. If he doesn’t have him do this, the servant must keep the vow.

Hilchos Nezirus 2:18

If a servant makes other vows that involve self-deprivation or that keep him from doing his work, or if he commits his valuation, the master need not to compel him in order to annul the vow. This is because the servant isn’t independent and he can’t make a vow take effect on himself. This is likened to a person who makes a vow prohibiting someone else’s produce to that person. However, if a vow doesn’t involve self-deprivation and doesn’t prevent him from doing his work, then the master can’t compel him to violate the vow. If a servant made a nazirite vow and his master told him that it was annulled, then the servant must complete the term of his nezirus after he’s freed. This is because a servant must be compelled to violate a vow in order to annul it; his vows are not annulled verbally. If his master annuls his vow verbally, the servant is freed.