Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 95 (Digest)
The Nullification of Vows
We are commanded to practice the Torah-mandated procedure in the event that a vow is to be annulled.
(This commandment is somewhat based on the verse [Numbers 30:3] "he shall not profane his word," from which the Sages deduce that the one who enacted the vow may not profane his own word, but others – such as a sage or rabbinical court – may do so. Nevertheless, the Talmud says that the "annulment of vows flies in the air, with no [explicit biblical] support...")
The Torah explicitly tells us that a husband and father can nullify vows, and tradition teaches that a sage, too, has the power to do so.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 95th mitzvah is that we are commanded regarding the annulment of vows.
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> This does not mean that there is a commandment to annul vows, but rather that there are certain laws to be followed when doing so. You should keep this principle in mind whenever a mitzvah is enumerated — it does not necessarily mean that we are commanded to perform a certain action, but rather that a certain case [whenever it comes up,] must be judged according to certain laws.
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> The annulment of vows done by a father [to his daughter] and a husband [to his wife] is explained in the Torah;) in detail.
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> Furthermore, we know from the Oral Tradition that a Torah scholar can nullify anyone's vow or oath. This is hinted to in the verse,;) "He must not nullify his word." ;) explain,] "He may not nullify his word, but others may nullify it for him." The final conclusion is that there is no real source in Scripture [for the Torah scholar's power to annul a vow, and the verse quoted above is only a hint]. As our Sages;) put it, "The laws regarding the annulment of vows [by a Torah scholar] are flying in the air, with nothing to support them" — except in the Oral Tradition.
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> The details of this mitzvah are found in the tractate devoted to this subject, tractate Nedarim.
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> Footnotes
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> Num. 30:4-17.
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> 2.
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> Num. 30:3.
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> 3.
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> Berachos 32a; Chagigah 10a.
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> 4.
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> Chagigah ibid.
Positive Commandment 92 (Digest)
The Nazirite's Hair
"He shall let the locks of hair on his head grow"—Numbers 6:5.
A nazirite is commanded to allow the hair on his head to grow unimpeded.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 92nd mitzvah is that a Nazirite is commanded to let his hair grow [for the duration of his Nazirite vow].
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,;) "He must let his hair grow long."
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> In the words of the Mechilta, "The words,;) 'he shall be holy' teach us that he should be in a state of holiness when it grows. The words, 'he must let [his hair] grow long' makes this a positive commandment. What is the source of the prohibition?;) The verse,;) 'no cutting instrument shall come upon his head.' "
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> There it also says, "Who is covered by the positive commandment [and not covered by the prohibition]? One who rubs earth or applies depilatories on his head." The meaning of this statement: a Nazirite who places a depilatory on his head does not transgress a prohibition, since a cutting instrument was not used. He will, however, violate the positive commandment, "he must let his hair grow long," since he did not allow it to grow.
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> [This counts as a positive commandment because] according to our principles, a prohibition which stems from a positive commandment is counted as a positive commandment.
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> The details of this mitzvah are explained in a number of passages in tractate Nazir.
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> Footnotes
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> Num. 6:5.
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> Ibid.
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> See N209 below.
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> 4.
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> Ibid.
Negative Commandment 209 (Digest)
Shaving a Nazirite
"A razor shall not go over his head"—Numbers 6:5.
A nazirite must not shave – even one hair off – his head with a razor. This prohibition also precludes another from shaving the nazirite's head.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 209th prohibition is that a Nazirite is forbidden to cut his hair.
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,;) "No cutting instrument shall come upon his head."
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> The one who cuts the Nazirite's hair also receives lashes, since the one who cuts and the one whose hair is cut are both treated the same.;) The punishment of lashes applies as soon as one hair is cut.;)
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> All the details of this mitzvah are explained in the tractate devoted to this subject [tractate Nazir].
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> Footnotes
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> Ibid.
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> Nazir 44a.
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> Ibid. 40a.