Daily Talk
The Rambam reveals that the power to dissolve a vow does not belong to the one who made it alone. A father may annul his daughter's vow. A husband may annul his wife's. But this authority is not dominion -- it is responsibility, bounded by time, limited to specific categories, and lost forever by a single day's silence.
The Father's Veto and the Husband's Silence
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About This Talk
Nedarim chapters 10 through 12 address hafaras nedarim -- the annulment of vows by a father or husband. Chapter 10 establishes the scope of annulment authority: a father may annul his unmarried daughter's vows on the day he hears them, and a husband may annul his wife's vows -- but only those involving self-affliction or affecting the marital relationship. Chapter 11 details the mechanics: annulment must occur on the day the vow is heard, silence until nightfall constitutes permanent confirmation, and a betrothed girl requires both father and husband to annul. Chapter 12 examines edge cases -- vows made before marriage, the interplay of paternal and marital authority, and the consequences of partial annulment.