Erchin 5:2-3

Erchin (Arachin) 5:2

If a person vows to donate the value of his hand, they evaluate how much he is worth with the hand and without the hand; this is a way in which vows are more stringent than valuations. Valuations are more stringent than vows as follows: if a person dedicates his own valuation and subsequently dies, his heirs must pay. If he vows his own actual value and then dies, his heirs don’t have to pay because the dead have no monetary value. If one commits to donate the valuation of his hand or foot, he has made a meaningless statement; if he commits the valuation of his head or his liver, he must donate his entire valuation. The general principle is that one must pay his entire valuation for anything that he needs to survive.

Erchin (Arachin) 5:3

If a person commits to donate half of his valuation, he must pay half of his valuation; if he commits “the valuation of half of me,” he must pay his entire valuation. If he vows to donate half of his actual worth, he must pay half of his actual worth. If he vows to donate “the worth of half of me,” he must pay his entire actual worth. The general principle is that one must pay his entire valuation for anything that he needs to survive.