Some Homework for

Next WeekA Powerpoint Companion to

Lecture 1

in an online series by

Rabbi David Fohrman, entitled:

A Megillah Retrospective

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…”

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?

What Does this Remind You of?