The document discusses annulment of vows taken by a wife according to Jewish law. It explains that a husband has the right to annul his wife's vows under certain conditions, such as if the vow could cause her anguish. However, he must annul the vow on the same day he learns of it, and cannot change his mind later. Remaining silent is seen as affirming the vow. The document also notes that these laws were given by God to Moses and apply to a woman who takes a vow while still living in her father's house. Readers are asked to consider what part of the Megillah this law may remind them of.

1. Some Homework for
Next Week
A Powerpoint Companion to
Lecture 1
in an online series by
Rabbi David Fohrman, entitled:
A Megillah Retrospective

2. Annulment of Vows
 Shortly, I will show you a piece from the Book
of Numbers which talks about annulment of
vows.
 In the piece, and the surrounding parasha, the
Torah gives a husband the right, under certain
circumstances, to annul vows taken by his wife.

3. ubrph vahtu ubnheh vaht apb ,bgk rxt ,gca kfu rsb kf
ut vhrsb kf ,t ohevu ouh kt ouhn vaht vk ahrjh arjv otu
rpv otu ugna ouhc vk arjv hf o,t ohev vhkg rat vhrxt kf ,t
van ,t vuvh vum rat ohejv vkt vbug ,t tabu ugna hrjt o,t rph
vhct ,hc vhrgbc u,ck ct ihc u,atk aht ihc
For example, in order for the husband to
have the right to annul, the vow needs
to be something which could potentially
cause his wife anguish.

4. ubrph vahtu ubnheh vaht apb ,bgk rxt ,gca kfu rsb kf
ut vhrsb kf ,t ohevu ouh kt ouhn vaht vk ahrjh arjv otu
rpv otu ugna ouhc vk arjv hf o,t ohev vhkg rat vhrxt kf ,t
van ,t vuvh vum rat ohejv vkt vbug ,t tabu ugna hrjt o,t rph
vhct ,hc vhrgbc u,ck ct ihc u,atk aht ihc
Also, the husband has the right to annul
only on the day that he first hears
of the vow. He can’t affirm the vow, then
decide later that he wants to annul it.

5. ubrph vahtu ubnheh vaht apb ,bgk rxt ,gca kfu rsb kf
ut vhrsb kf ,t ohevu ouh kt ouhn vaht vk ahrjh arjv otu
rpv otu ugna ouhc vk arjv hf o,t ohev vhkg rat vhrxt kf ,t
van ,t vuvh vum rat ohejv vkt vbug ,t tabu ugna hrjt o,t rph
vhct ,hc vhrgbc u,ck ct ihc u,atk aht ihc
What if he wants to neither affirm nor
annul the vow – and he tries to keep
himself out of it by staying silent?
This doesn’t work. It is the same as
affirming her vow.

6. ubrph vahtu ubnheh vaht apb ,bgk rxt ,gca kfu rsb kf
ut vhrsb kf ,t ohevu ouh kt ouhn vaht vk ahrjh arjv otu
rpv otu ugna ouhc vk arjv hf o,t ohev vhkg rat vhrxt kf ,t
van ,t vuvh vum rat ohejv vkt vbug ,t tabu ugna hrjt o,t rph
vhct ,hc vhrgbc u,ck ct ihc u,atk aht ihc
What if, after affirming her vow by silence, he changes his
mind and decides that he really wanted to annul it after
all?
This doesn’t work either. The vow is affirmed. What’s
more, if she can’t live up to the vow, he bears the moral
responsibility for this.

7. ubrph vahtu ubnheh vaht apb ,bgk rxt ,gca kfu rsb kf
ut vhrsb kf ,t ohevu ouh kt ouhn vaht vk ahrjh arjv otu
rpv otu ugna ouhc vk arjv hf o,t ohev vhkg rat vhrxt kf ,t
van ,t vuvh vum rat ohejv vkt vbug ,t tabu ugna hrjt o,t rph
vhct ,hc vhrgbc u,ck ct ihc u,atk aht ihc
The Torah ends the parashah by declaring “these are the
laws, between a man and his wife… that God
commanded Moses, for a girl in her father’s house…”

8. What Does this Remind You of?
ubrph vahtu ubnheh vaht apb ,bgk rxt ,gca kfu rsb kf
ut vhrsb kf ,t ohevu ouh kt ouhn vaht vk ahrjh arjv otu
rpv otu ugna ouhc vk arjv hf o,t ohev vhkg rat vhrxt kf ,t
van ,t vuvh vum rat ohejv vkt vbug ,t tabu ugna hrjt o,t rph
vhct ,hc vhrgbc u,ck ct ihc u,atk aht ihc
So here is your question for next week…
What does all this remind you of
in the Megillah?