Shavuot 3:8

By :  Daniel Nevins Former Pearl Resnick Dean of The Rabbinical School and the Division of Religious Leadership Posted On Jan 1, 2008 | Mishnat Hashavua

What types of oaths are invalid?

ืื™ื–ื• ื”ื™ื ืฉื‘ื•ืขืช ืฉื•ื. ื ืฉื‘ืข ืœืฉื ื•ืช ืืช ื”ื™ื“ื•ืข ืœืื“ื, ืืžืจ ืขืœ ื”ืขืžื•ื“ ืฉืœืื‘ืŸ ืฉื”ื•ื ืฉืœื–ื”ื‘, ื•ืขืœ ื”ืื™ืฉ ืฉื”ื•ื ืืฉื”, ื•ืขืœ ื”ืืฉื” ืฉื”ื™ื ืื™ืฉ, ื ืฉื‘ืข ืขืœ ื“ื‘ืจ ืฉืื™ ืืคืฉืจ, ืื ืœื ืจืื™ืชื™ ื’ืžืœ ืฉืคื•ืจื— ื‘ืื•ื™ืจ, ื•ืื ืœื ืจืื™ืชื™ ื ื—ืฉ ื›ืงื•ืจืช ื‘ื™ืช ื”ื‘ื“, ืืžืจ ืœืขื“ื™ื, ื‘ื•ืื• ื•ื”ืขื™ื“ื•ื ื™, โ€“ ืฉื‘ื•ืขื” ืฉืœื ื ืขื™ื“ืš, ื ืฉื‘ืข ืœื‘ื˜ืœ ืืช ื”ืžืฆื•ื”, ืฉืœื ืœืขืฉื•ืช ืกื›ื”, ื•ืฉืœื ืœื˜ื•ืœ ืœื•ืœื‘, ื•ืฉืœื ืœื”ื ื™ื— ืชืคืœื™ืŸ โ€“ ื–ื• ื”ื™ื ืฉื‘ื•ืขืช ืฉื•ื, ืฉื—ื™ื‘ื™ืŸ ืขืœ ื–ื“ื•ื ื” ืžื›ื•ืช ื•ืขืœ ืฉื’ื’ืชื” ืคื˜ื•ืจ.

What is an invalid oath? [For example:] He swore to a statement contrary to common knowledge; he said of a stone pillar that it was gold; that a man was a woman, or that a woman was a man. If he swore regarding an impossible condition, for example, [I swear] that I have seen a camel flying in the air, or that I saw a snake as thick as an olive-press beam. If one asks witnesses to come testify for him and they swear that they will not testify [as required by law]. Or if he swore to annul the commandments: not to make a sukkah, not to take the lulav, not to wear tefillinโ€”these are all instances of an invalid oath. For these, one who violates intentionally is punished with lashes, but one who violates unintentionally is exempt [from punishment].

Comments

The mishnah is very concerned with oath taking, especially when the people offering oaths are not careful about their claims. This mishnah catalogues vain or invalid oaths. In all cases, the apparent sincerity of the oath is undermined by the absurdity of the statement.

Questions

  1. What is your impression of people who casually say, โ€œI swearโ€ even in cases where their claim is patently false?
  2. How can you make sure that your words are taken seriously?