Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 203

Siman 203

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א אַל תְּהִי רָגִיל בִּנְדָרִים. כָּל הַנּוֹדֵר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמְּקַיְּמוֹ, נִקְרָא רָשָׁע וְנִקְרָא חוֹטֵא.
1 [Which things are praiseworthy, and which of them are degraded. And following: 7 subsections] Do not become accustomed to making vows. Anyone who vows, even if they keep them, is called evil and is called a sinner.
ב אֵחַר אָדָם נִדְרוֹ, פִּנְקָסוֹ נִפְתַּחַת.
2 A person who delays their vow, their notebook is opened.
ג הַנּוֹדֵר, כְּאִלּוּ בּוֹנֶה בָּמָה בִּשְׁעַת אִסוּר הַבָּמוֹת; וְהַמְקַיְּמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הִקְרִיב עָלֶיהָ קָרְבָּן, שֶׁטּוֹב יוֹתֵר שֶׁיִּשְׁאַל עַל נִדְרוֹ. וְהָנֵי מִלֵּי בִּשְׁאָר נְדָרִים, אֲבָל נִדְרֵי הֶקְדֵּשׁ מִצְוָה לְקַיְּמָן. וְלֹא יִשְׁאַל עֲלֵיהֶם אֶלָּא מִדֹּחַק וְכֵן אִם נִשְׁבַּע עַל אֵיזֶה דָּבָר, לֹא יִשְׁאַל עָלָיו אֶלָּא מִדֹּחַק (מָרְדְּכַי פ"ג דִּשְׁבוּעוֹת בְּשֵׁם מֹהַר"ם וְעוֹד פּוֹסְקִים עַיֵּן בֵּית יוֹסֵף סוֹף סִימָן ר"ל).
3 One who vows is considered as if they built a forbidden altar, and one who fulfils the vow is as if they sacrificed a forbidden sacrifice, for it is better to annul the vow. This is the case in normal vows, but in the case of hekdesh vows it is obligatory to fulfil them, and one should only have them annulled in extenuating circumstances. Rema: This is the case, too, when one makes an oath, that they should only seek annulment in extenuating circumstances.
ד צָרִיךְ לִזָהֵר שֶׁלֹּא יִדֹּר שׁוּם דָּבָר, וַאֲפִלּוּ צְדָקָה אֵין טוֹב לִדֹּר; אֶלָּא אִם יֶשְׁנוֹ בְּיָדוֹ, יִתֵּן מִיָּד; וְאִם לָאו, לֹא יִדֹּר עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ. וְאִם פּוֹסְקִים צְדָקָה וְצָרִיךְ לִפְסֹק עִמָּהֶם, יֹאמַר: בְּלֹא נֶדֶר.
4 One should be careful not to vow in any matter. Even tzedaka should not be vowed; rather, if one has what to give, they should immediately give it, and if not, they should not vow until they have it. And if one is part of the tzedaka -distribution process, it should be done while stating "This is not a vow!"
ה בְּעֵת צָרָה מֻתָּר לִנְדֹּר.
5 In a time of distress it is permitted to vow.
ו הָאוֹמֵר: אֶשְׁנֶה פֶּרֶק זֶה, וְיָרֵא שֶׁמָּא יִתְרַשֵּׁל בַּדָּבָר, שָׁרֵי לֵהּ לְמִנְדָּר לְזֵרוּזֵי נַפְשֵׁהּ. וְכֵן אִם יָרֵא שֶׁיִּתְקְפוֹ יִצְרוֹ וְיַעֲבֹר עַל אֵיזוֹ מִצְוָה מִמִּצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, אוֹ יִתְרַשֵּׁל מִקִּיּוּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה, מִצְוָה לִשָּׁבַע וְלִנְדֹּר כְּדֵי לְזָרֵז עַצְמוֹ.
6 A person who says "I will learn this perek, and is afraid lest they become negligent in this matter, it is appropriate for them to vow in order to quicken themselves. And so, if one is afraid that their [evil] inclination will attack them and they will transgress any commandment of the negative commandments, or become negligent in the fulfilment of a positive commandment, it is a commandment for that person to vow in order to quicken themself.
ז מִי שֶׁנָּדַר נְדָרִים כְּדֵי לְכוֹנֵן דֵּעוֹתָיו וּלְתַקֵּן מַעֲשָׂיו, הֲרֵי זֶה זָרִיז וּמְשֻׁבָּח. כֵּיצַד, מִי שֶׁהָיָה זוֹלֵל, וְאָסַר עָלָיו הַבָּשָׂר שָׁנָה אוֹ שְׁנָתַיִם; אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה שׁוֹגֶה בְּיַיִן, וְאָסַר הַיַּיִן עַל עַצְמוֹ זְמַן מְרֻבֶּה; אוֹ אָסַר הַשִּׁכְרוּת לְעוֹלָם; וְכֵן מִי שֶׁהָיָה רוֹדֵף שַׁלְמוֹנִים וְנִבְהַל לְהוֹן, וְאָסַר עַל עַצְמוֹ הַמַּתָּנוֹת אוֹ הֲנִיַּת אַנְשֵׁי מְדִינָה זוֹ; וְכֵן מִי שֶׁהָיָה מִתְגָּאֶה בְּיָפְיוֹ וְנָדַר בְּנָזִיר. וְכַיּוֹצֵא בִּנְדָרִים, כֻּלָּם דֶּרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָה לַשֵּׁם הֵם; וּבִנְדָרִים אֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: נְדָרִים סְיָג לִפְרִישׁוּת; וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם עֲבוֹדָה, לֹא יַרְבֶּה אָדָם בְּנִדְרֵי אִסוּר וְלֹא יַרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ בָּהֶם, אֶלָּא יִפְרֹשׁ מִדְּבָרִים שֶׁרָאוּי לִפְרֹשׁ מֵהֶם, בְּלֹא נֵדֶר.
7 One who vows in order to straighten their mind and repair their actions, such a person is eager and praiseworthy. How so? A glutton who forswore meat for a year or two; or a drunkard who forswore wine for a significant amount of time, or forswore drunkenness forever; or one who chased bribes and then felt regret, and forswore gifts or benefits from people of that land; or a person proud of their good looks who swore to be a Nazirite. All such vows are ways of serving God, and it is of such vows that the sages said "Vows are a guard for abstinence" (Avot 3:13). Nonetheless, even though these are service of God, one shouldn't become accustomed to them, rather, one should abstain from what is worthy to be abstained from, without making a vow.
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