Nedarim 73 – I annul your vows – whatever they are!

Earlier, we learned that knowledgeable people annulled their brides' vows, whatever they were. This indicates that a vow can be annulled even without hearing what it is. However, this is not really so. The rule may be that the husband inquires about every vow and then annuls it.

Let us try to approach this question from another side. A deaf husband cannot annul his wife's vows, because "and the husband hears..." cannot be fulfilled. Does it mean that a regular husband also needs to hear the vow? – Perhaps not: a deaf husband cannot hear at all, that is why "and the husband hears..." is impossible, so he cannot annul. However, if he can hear, then maybe actual hearing is not required.

Once the groom marries his wife under the huppah, he alone, not her father, has veto power for her vows. What if he is supposed to make a wedding feast but delays it. He is already obligated in her support, so maybe he can annul the vows – or perhaps since he is not fully married, he cannot? – This question is also not resolved because related rules can be interpreted as supporting or disproving this fact.

Art: Preparing The Wedding Veil by Frederic Wenz