וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב קוּם עֲלֵה בֵית אֵל. יְלַמְּדֵנּוּ רַבֵּנּוּ, בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת פִּנְקָסוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם נִפְתָּחַת. כָּךְ שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת פִּנְקָסוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם נִפְתָּחַת. הַיּוֹצֵא לַדֶּרֶךְ יְחִידִי, וְהַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּבֵית הַמְּרוֹעָע, וְהַנּוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם. רַבִּי אָחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב מַיְתֵי לֵהּ הַטַעַם מִן הָדֵין קְרָא, וְקָרָהוּ אָסוֹן (בראשית מד, כט). רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹסִי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר, אִם רָאִיתָ צַדִּיק יוֹצֵא לַדֶּרֶךְ, הַקְדֵּם עַל יָדְךָ שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים אוֹ הֵאַחֵר עַל יָדְךָ שְׁלֹשָה יָמִים כְּדֵי לָצֵאת עִמּוֹ. וְאִם רָאִיתָ רָשָׁע יוֹצֵא לַדֶּרֶךְ, הַקְדֵּם עַל יָדְךָ אוֹ הֵאַחֵר שְׁלֹשָה יָמִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לָצֵאת עִמּוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן מִזְדַּוֵּג לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע וְשָׂטָן יַעֲמֹד עַל יְמִינוֹ (תהלים קט, ו). אֲבָל צַדִּיק, מַלְאֲכֵי שָׁלוֹם מְלַוִּין לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי מַלְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה לָּךְ (תהלים צא, יא). And God said unto Jacob: “Arise, go up to Beth-El” (Gen. 35:1). May our master teach us: How many times is a man’s “account book”7The heavenly ledger wherein man’s deeds are recorded. open? Thus did our masters teach us: A man’s account book is opened three times: when he journeys alone upon a highway; when he resides in a dilapidated house; when he vows and fails to fulfill. R. Aha the son of Jacob deduced the first statement from the biblical verse If harm befall him by the way (Gen. 42:3). R. Eliezer the son of R. Yosé the Galilean stated: If you should discover that a righteous man is setting out on a journey, leave even three days earlier or three days later in order to travel with him. But if you should see a wicked man setting out on a journey, leave three days earlier or three days later in order not to go with him, as it is said: Set thou a wicked man over him; and let an adversary stand at his right hand (Ps. 109:6). A righteous man, however, is accompanied by angels of peace, as it is said: For He will give his angels charge over thee (ibid. 91:11).
הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּבַיִת הַמְּרוֹעָע, הַשָּׂטָן מְקַטְרְגוֹ וּפִנְקָסוֹ נִפְתָּחַת, מִן הַמִּשְׁנָה. וְהַנּוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב: כִּי תִדּוֹר נֶדֶר לַה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תְאַחֵר לְשַׁלְּמוֹ וְגוֹ' (דברים כג, כב). וּכְתִיב: מוֹקֵשׁ אָדָם יָלַע קֹדֶשׁ וְאַחַר נְדָרִים לְבַקֵּר (משלי כ, כה). וְאַחַר נְדָרִים לְבַקֵּר, פִּנְקָסוֹ מִתְבַּקֶּרֶת וּמַלְאָכִים מְלַמְּדִין עָלָיו חוֹבָה וּמַזְכִּירִין עֲוֹנוֹתָיו. אָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן, כָּל הַנּוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם, גּוֹרֵם לְאִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁתָּמוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אִם אֵין לְךָ לְשַׁלֵּם לָמָּה יִקַּח מִשְׁכָּבְךָ מִתַּחְתֶּיךָ (משלי כב, כז). הוּא שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה מַזְהִיר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב: כִּי תִדֹּר נֶדֶר וְגוֹ'. כִּי דָרֹשׁ יִדְרְשֶׁנּוּ (דברים, כג, כב), שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים לָמָּה. אֶלָּא לְלַמֶּדְךָ, דּוֹרְשׁוֹ וְדוֹרֵשׁ עֲוֹנוֹת אֲחֵרִים עִמּוֹ. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, וְאַחַר נְדָרִים לְבַקֵּר. The opinion that Satan denounces any man who dwells in a dilapidated house, and that his account book is opened when he does so, is derived from the Mishnah.8Y. Nedarim 1:36d, Y. Shabbat 11:5b. How do we know about the man who vows and does not pay? It is written in Scripture: When thou shall vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not be slack to pay it (Deut. 23:22), and it is written elsewhere: It is a snare to a man rashly to say: “Holy,” and after vows to make inquiry (Prov. 20:25). The words after vows to make inquiry signify that a man’s account book is opened and that angels testify against him by enumerating his sins. R. Samuel the son of Nahman stated: Everyone who borrows and fails to repay brings about the death of his wife, as it is said: If thou hast not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? (ibid. 22:27). Moses warned Israel about this, as is written: When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not be slack to pay it; for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee (Deut. 23:22). Why is the word require repeated in this verse (i.e., written in the intensive form, darash yidreshenu)? It teaches us that He will require (i.e. inquire) of him with regard to what he has borrowed, and He will (also) require concerning his other sins, as it says: And after vows to make inquiry (Prov. 20:25).
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יַנַּאי, הַנּוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם, פִּנְקָסוֹ מִתְבַּקֶּרֶת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאוֹמֵר: הֵיכָן פְּלוֹנִי בֶּן פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁנָּדַר נֶדֶר בְּיוֹם פְּלוֹנִי. בֹּא וּרְאֵה, כְּשֶׁהָלַךְ יַעֲקֹב לַאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם מַה כְּתִיב שָׁם, וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמֹר וְגוֹ' (בראשית כח, כ). הֱשִׁיבוֹ עַל כָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר. הָלַךְ וְנִתְעַשֵּׁר וּבָא וְיָשַׁב לוֹ וְלֹא שִׁלֵּם אֶת נִדְרוֹ, הֵבִיא עָלָיו עֵשָׂו וּבִקֵּשׁ לְהָרְגוֹ. נָטַל מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל אוֹתוֹ דוֹרוֹן, עִזִּים מָאתַיִם, וְלֹא הִרְגִּישׁ. הֵבִיא עָלָיו הַמַּלְאָךְ וְרָפַשׁ עִמּוֹ וְלֹא הִרְגִּישׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ, זֶה סַמָּאֵל שָׂרוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לְהָרְגוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּרְא כִּי לֹא יָכֹל לוֹ, וְנַעֲשָׂה צוֹלֵעַ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא הִרְגִּישׁ, בָּאת עָלָיו צָרַת דִּינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה. כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא הִרְגִּישׁ, בָּאת עָלָיו צָרַת רָחֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתָּמָת רָחֵל וַתִּקָּבֵר. מְסַיֵּעַ לֵהּ לְרַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן דְּאָמַר, כָּל הַנּוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם גּוֹרֵם לְאִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁתָּמוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אִם אֵין לְךָ לְשַׁלֵּם וְגוֹ'. R. Yannai asserted: The account book of the man who makes a vow which he fails to fulfill is examined in the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He. He asks: Where is that person who made a vow on a certain day? Observe that it is written concerning the time that Jacob went to Aram-naharaim: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying: “If God be with me” (Gen. 28:20). At first He granted his every request. He went there and became wealthy, but when he returned without fulfilling his vow, He turned Esau against him, and Esau sought to kill him. And though Esau took the two hundred she-goats from him, Jacob did not trouble to perform his vow. Whereupon He turned the angel against him and they wrestled together, but still he did not take note, as it is said: And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him (ibid. 32:26). It was Samael, Esau’s guardian angel, who wanted to kill him, as is said: When he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh (ibid., v. 27). When he still was not persuaded to fulfill his vow, the anguish occasioned by Dinah’s experience befell him, as is said: And Dinah went out. When he continued to refrain from carrying out his vow, the tragedy of Rachel’s death occurred, as it is said And Rachel died and was buried (ibid. 35:19). This confirms the opinion of R. Samuel the son of Nahman that one who vows and fails to fulfill his vow brings about the death of his wife, as it is said: If thou hast not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? (Prov. 22:27).
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עַד מָתַי יְהֵא הַצַּדִּיק הַזֶּה לוֹקֶה וְאֵינוֹ מַרְגִּישׁ בְּאֵיזֶה חֵטְא לוֹקֶה, הֲרֵינִי מוֹדִיעוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב קוּם עֲלֵה בֵית אֵל וְשֶׁב שָׁם (בראשית לה, א). אָמַר רַבִּי אִיבוֹ, מְהוֹלְתַּךְ טַרְשָׁא אַקִּישׁ עֲלָהּ. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לֹא הִגִּיעוּךָ הַצָּרוֹת הָאֵלּוּ אֶלָּא עַל שֶׁאֵחַרְתָּ אֶת נִדְרֶךָ. אִם אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ שֶׁלֹּא יַגִּיעֲךָ עוֹד צָרָה, קוּם עֲלֵה בֵית אֵל וַעֲשֵׂה שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לְאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם שֶׁנָּדַרְתָּ לִי שָׁם נֶדֶר, אָנֹכִי הָאֵל בֵּית אֵל אֲשֶׁר מָשַׁחְתָּ שָׁם מַצֵּבָה אֲשֶׁר נָדַרְתָּ לִּי שָׁם נֶדֶר (בראשית לא, יג). אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיַעֲקֹב, בִּשְׁעַת עַקְתָּא נִדְרָא, בִּשְׁעַת רְוָחָא שַׁמְטֵי. כְּשֶׁהָיִיתָ בְּצָרָה נָדַרְתָּ, וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה בְּרֶוַח שָׁכַחְתָּ. מִיָּד, וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וְאֶל כָּל אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ וְגוֹ', וְנָקוּמָה וְנַעֲלֶה בֵּית אֵל וְגוֹ', The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: How long shall this righteous man continue to be punished without comprehending the sin for which he is being afflicted? Indeed, I will inform him. And it is written: God said unto Jacob: “Arise, go up to Beth-El, and dwell there” (Gen. 35:1). R. Aibu said: When your sieve is clogged, strike it.9A proverb telling us that Jacob’s mind had become clogged, causing him to forget his vow, and so God beat upon it by causing him to suffer. The Holy One, blessed be He, told him: These trials have befallen you only because you have not fulfilled your vow. If you do not wish to experience other afflictions, Arise, go up to Beth-El, dwell there, and erect an altar, at the very place at which you made your vow. I am the God of Beth-El, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow a vow unto Me (ibid. 31:13). R. Abba the son of Kahana stated: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob: When a man has problems he will make a vow, but when he is enjoying ease and comfort he will quickly disregard his vow. When you were in difficulty you made a vow, but after you attained security you forgot it. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him: “Let us arise, and go up to Beth-El” (ibid. 35:2–3).
מַהוּ כָּאן. שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנָּדַר מַה הוּא אוֹמֵר, אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי, שֶׁלֹּא נִטְעֶה אַחַר עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וּשְׁמָרַנִי, מִגִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת. בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה, מִשְּׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים. וְעַל שֶׁאֵחַר אֶת נִדְרוֹ, לָקָה בִשְׁלָשְׁתָּן. עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב: הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר. גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, מִדִּינָה. שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וַיַּהַרְגוּ כָּל זָכָר. לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאִחוּר נֶדֶר קָשֶׁה מִשְּׁלָשְׁתָּן, שֶׁעַל שֶׁאֵחַר אֶת נִדְרוֹ לָקָה בִשְׁלָשְׁתָּן. What did he say when he made his vow? If God will be with me (ibid. 28:20); that is, so that I shall not go astray after idolatry; and will keep me (ibid.), from committing acts of lewdness; in this way (ibid.), from being guilty of spilling blood. Because he delayed fulfilling his vow, he was smitten by all three. How do we know about idolatry? It is written: Put away the strange gods (ibid. 35:2). We know about lewdness from the episode of Dinah, and about bloodshed from the fact that they killed all the males. This teaches us that procrastination in the fulfillment of a vow is the most serious of all three. Because he neglected to fulfill his vow he experienced all three.
טוֹב אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִדּוֹר מִשֶּׁתִּדּוֹר וְלֹא תְשַׁלֵּם (קהלת ה, ד). רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, טוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם שֶׁאֵינוֹ נוֹדֵר כָּל עִקָּר, אֶלָּא מֵבִיא אָדָם כִּבְשָׂתוֹ לָעֲזָרָה וְשׁוֹחֲטָהּ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, טוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם שֶׁנּוֹדֵר וּמְשַׁלֵּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נִדְרוּ וְשַׁלְּמוּ לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (תהלים עו, יב), שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֵל שָׂכָר עַל הַנֶּדֶר וְעַל הַשִּׁלּוּם. Better is it that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay (Eccles. 5:4). R. Meir maintained: Better than either of these is that one should not vow at all. A man should bring his lamb to the Temple court and sacrifice it instead. R. Judah was of the opinion that to make a vow and fulfill it was preferable to the other two, since it is said: Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God (Ps. 76:12). He who makes a vow and performs it is rewarded both for the vow and its fulfillment.
אָמַר רַב הוּנָא, מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁנָּדַר וְלֹא שִׁלֵּם, וְיָצָא לִפְרוֹשׂ בַּיָּם וְשָׁקְעָה סְפִינָתוֹ וָמֵת. וְרַבֵּי אָמֵי אָמַר, הַנּוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם, גּוֹרֵם לְעַצְמוֹ מִיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי דָרֹשׁ יִדְרְשֶׁנּוּ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵעִמָּךְ (דברים כג, כב), מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא מִן מָמוֹנוֹ. דְּאָמַר בֶּן סִירָא, בְּטֶרֶם תִּדּוֹר הָכֵן נְדָרֶיךָ בַּל תִּהְיֶה כְּמַתְעֶה. אַל תִּתֵּן אֶת פִּיךָ לַחֲטִיא אֶת בְּשָׂרֶךָ (קהלת ה, ה), רַבִּי אָחָא פָּתַר קְרָא בְּנוֹדֵר, אַל תִּתֵּן רְשׁוּת לְפִיךָ לַחֲטִיא אֶת בְּשָׂרֶךָ. וְאַל תֹּאמַר לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ כִּי שְׁגָגָה הִיא, זֶה חַזָּן, שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר לֵהּ, אֲנָא לָא נַדְרִית כְּלוּם. לָמָּה יִקְצֹף הָאֱלֹהִים עַל קוֹלֶךָ וְחִבֵּל אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ (קהלת ה, ה), אֵלּוּ מְעַט מִצְוֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים שֶׁבְּיָדֶךָ. R. Huna said: It is told that a certain man made a vow which he failed to keep, and as a result, when he set out to cross the sea, the ship he was sailing in sank and he perished. R. Ammi explained: Anyone who fails to keep a vow that he has made is responsible for his own death, as it is said: The Lord thy God will surely require it of thee (Deut. 23:22). That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, will exact retribution from that person and not from his possessions. Ben Sira taught: Before you make a vow, consider that vow carefully lest you go astray. Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt, neither say thou before the messenger, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands? (Eccles. 5:5). R. Aha explained this verse as follows: Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt refers to the one who makes a vow; neither say thou before the messenger, that it was an error indicates that one must not say to the sexton: “I did not intend to vow at all”; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thy hands? alludes to the lesser commandments you fulfilled and the good deeds you performed.