On the previous page, the teacher hid his advice while giving it. Although one can annul all his vows for the upcoming year by saying "Kol Nidre," the teacher left it unsaid, and only special people knew through careful reading what he meant. One Sage wanted to publicize the device, but Rava rebuked him: the teacher hid it, and you want to reveal it!?
Talmud also wants to know whether other Sages agreed with this teacher (Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov). After multiple unsuccessful attempts, it finds clear proof that other Sages disagreed. Yet, the law follows Rabbi Elazar ben Yakov, and the annulment of all vows at the beginning of the year is permitted.
We saw that when one presses his friend to accept an invitation and even vows to forbid something should the friend not accept, such a vow is not taken seriously – it is just a matter of speech, designed as motivation to accept.
There is another similar category: if one says that he just saw as many people on the road as those that went to Jerusalem, that is, 600,000, and if not, he is taking a vow to forbid himself something, this is just an exaggeration, and the vows does not need annulment by the Sage. A similar vow will be if he says, "I just saw a snake like a beam of a vine press!"
Art: Invitation to Dance by Peter Baumgartner
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