Shevuot 23 – Not To Eat Bread!

If one swore, “An oath that I will not eat!” - and then he ate wheat bread, barley bread and spelt bread – he is liable for only one offering. But if he swore, “An oath that I will not eat wheat bread, barley bread and spelt bread!” - and then he ate all three – he is liable for each one.

But why? Maybe all he meant was “no breads,” and this is all one oath? - If so, he should have said, “I will not eat wheat, barley and spelt.”

But maybe he meant to prohibit himself from chewing those grains? - If so, he should have said, “I will not eat bread of wheat, barley and spelt.” Instead, he included the word “bread” every time, thus separating his oath into three separate oaths.

Art: Johannes Vermeer - The Milkmaid