Nedarim 21: Regret and Dissolution of Vows

Of the four types of vows that can be dissolved with halachic authority, the rabbis first consider the concept of regret.  If a person makes a vow and then realizes that they don't wish to keep the vow, that is considered to be 'regret'.  Most rabbis argue that regret is not a good enough reason to justify the dissolution of a vow. Instead, if a vow was made in error - for example, if at the time of making the vow, the person was not aware of relevant information - that is a justifiable reason to dissolve the vow.

This brings the rabbis to conversations about intent.  People promise to do things or not to do things all of the time.  Were they seriously vowing, though?  Or were they exaggerating, for example?  Anything that has to do with nazirut must be specific and intentional.  But what about paying debts?  What should be done if we don't know whether or not the vow was intended to be specific and directed and serious?  The rabbis leave some of these dilemmas unresolved.

We learn about the halacha regarding regret in our notes.  The rabbis decide that if a person simply regrets their vow after having made it, s/he approaches a halachic authority or, if none is available, three laypeople.  After s/he expresses fundamental regret, they dissolve the vow.  Stringent communities suggest a different protocol: the person is then asked, "If you knew that you would regret it would you have mdd the vow to begin with?"  The vow is resolved if the answer is "no".