Rosh Hashana 6

We learn a number of useful and interesting ideas through today's daf.  Overall, we are looking at how to ensure that we meet our commitments (vows).  One of the major considerations is time - how long do we have to do what we said we'd do? - which is understood through Festivals, or the cycling of seasonal celebrations.

This makes me think of my son (and myself) when he is asked to do something like, say, clean the bathroom.  He says, "okay!" and goes back to playing guitar.  "What are you doing?" I holler up the stairs. "I'm finishing playing," he replies.  "But you said you would clean the bathroom." "I will," he calls, "soon. You didn't say 'right this second'!"

We need structure to help us ensure that things will get done.  Without those guidelines, we tend to delay.  According to the Talmud, delay leaves us liable to huge consequences, including our deaths.  Or even the deaths of our spouses.  Fulfilling our vows; saying that we will formally demonstrate our gratitude, is serious business.

As mentioned yesterday, these vows are to G-d.  Which means that these vows are ultimately made to ourselves.  Not that we are G-d, but instead that we humans are the only creatures who state and hear these vows; we can make these vows privately, which suggests that only G-d - and we, ourselves - would know if we transgress the vows.  And so strict guidelines to help us enact our vows is similar to solution-focused therapy.  We consciously adhere to structures that will help us meet our own stated goals.  We learn that we can be trusted; that our words are valuable and meaningful.

The basic outline of today's daf includes these ideas:

• piggul (peace-offering eaten on the third day) is prohibited
• when a man refuses to/cannot fulfil his vow on time, his wife may die as punishment
• when a man of means does not fulfil his vow without delay, only he will die as punishment

• "That which has gone out of your lips you will keep and do as you have vowed as a gift to the Lord your G-d which you have promised with your mouth" Deuteronomy 23:24:
• this verse is deconstructed to explain which offerings are committed in which ways to which places
• we delay by failing to set aside animals as offerings and/or not yet bringing them to the altar as offerings
• A vow-offering is defined as the declaration that one will bring a burnt-offering
• A gift-offering is defined as the declaration that one will bring a specific animal as a burnt-offering
• "with your mouth" refers to charity
• charity must be given immediately upon seeing a poor person to avoid "delay"

• the rabbis are careful to take note of methods of counting: by day, week, month, etc.
• the rabbis thoughtfully consider when we are prohibiting positive mitzvot and negative mitzvot
• Firstborn animals must be offered within a year of being vowed
• The measure of a year includes the notion of "three Festivals" passing by
• what to do about Festivals without a year?
• what to do about years without all Festivals?
• the rabbis debate over the number of days in a year

• heirs must complete their fathers' vows without being subject to the "delay" imperative
• women are permitted but not obligated to bring offerings on Festivals
• women are obligated to experience joy, provided by their husbands, on Festivals
• if women do bring offerings, they are subject to the "do not delay" clause