Chapter One Hundred (פֶּרֶק מֵאָה)

And through this (וּבָזֶה), will be understood (יוּבַן), what the Ra‘aya Meheimna, peace be upon him, said (מַה שֶּׁאָמַר הָרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא ע״ה), in Parashat Mishpatim (בְּפָרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים), Zohar HaGadol, daf 52 (זֹהַר גָּדוֹל דַּף נ״ב): “A Shevu’ah [Oath] does not take effect except upon a thing that has substance, a Neder [Vow] takes effect even upon a thing that has no substance, and they have already established this in the Mishnah. Moreover, they said further: Nedarim [Vows] ascend upon Shevu’ot [Oaths], and whoever swears is as though he swears by the King Himself, and whoever vows is as though he vows by the Life of the King” (שְׁבוּעָה לֹא חָלָה אֶלָּא עַל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ, נֶדֶר חָל אֲפִלּוּ עַל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּמַתְנִיתִין. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא יַתִּיר אָמְרוּ, נְדָרִים עַל גַּבֵּי שְׁבוּעוֹת עוֹלִין, וְכָל הַנִּשְׁבָּע כְּאִלּוּ נִשְׁבָּע בַּמֶּלֶךְ עַצְמוֹ, וְכָל הַנּוֹדֵר כְּאִלּוּ נוֹדֵר בְּחַיֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ). Thus far is his language (עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ).

And behold (וְהִנֵּה), from the explanation of the chapter above this one (מִתּוֹךְ בֵּאוּר פֶּרֶק שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִזֶּה), it is sufficient for the latter clause (יַסְפִּיק אֶל הַבָּבָא בַּתְרָא), which says (הָאוֹמֶרֶת): “Nedarim [Vows] ascend upon Shevu’ot [Oaths]” (נְדָרִים עַל גַּבֵּי שְׁבוּעוֹת עוֹלִין). But concerning the first clause (אֲבָל עַל הַבָּבָא קַמָּא), which says (הָאוֹמֶרֶת): “A Shevu’ah [Oath] does not take effect except upon a thing that has substance, a Neder [Vow] takes effect even upon a thing that has no substance” (שְׁבוּעָה לֹא חָלָה אֶלָּא עַל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ, נֶדֶר חָל אֲפִלּוּ עַל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ), “and they have already established this in the Mishnah” (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּמַתְנִיתִין). And this itself is difficult (וְהִיא גּוּפָא קַשְׁיָא), for indeed the Mishnah teaches the opposite (דְּהָא אִיפְּכָא תְּנַן), in the second chapter of Nedarim (בְּפֶרֶק שֵׁנִי דִּנְדָרִים): “This is a stringency in Shevu’ot [Oaths] over Nedarim [Vows]” (זֶה חוֹמֶר בִּשְׁבוּעוֹת מִבִּנְדָרִים) (Nedarim 16a). And it refers back to the beginning (וְאַרֵישָׁא קָאֵי), where it teaches (דְּקָתָנֵי): “Konam that I sleep, behold this is under ‘he shall not profane’” (קוֹנָם אֲנִי יָשֵׁן, הֲרֵי זֶה בְּלֹא יַחֵל) (Nedarim 15b–16a), meaning rabbinically (פֵּירוּשׁ מִדְּרַבָּנָן), and this is not a Torah Neder [Vow] (וְאֵין זֶה נֶדֶר שֶׁל תּוֹרָה), for sleep has no substance (דְּשֵׁנָה אֵין בָּהּ מַמָּשׁ). “A Shevu’ah [Oath] that I will not sleep is forbidden” (שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵינִי יָשֵׁן אָסוּר), meaning (פֵּירוּשׁ): by Torah law (מִן הַתּוֹרָה). And the truth is (וְהָאֱמֶת), that when we take the law according to the plain meaning of the matters (כִּי כְּשֶׁנִּקַּח הַדִּין לְפִי פְשׁוּטָן שֶׁל דְּבָרִים), the matter is clear (הַדָּבָר בָּרוּר), “it is forbidden [to do] his affairs” (אָסוּר [לַעֲשׂוֹת] חֲפָצָיו), because it has substance in itself relative to itself (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ אַנַפְשֵׁיהּ לְגַבֵּי עַצְמוֹ), and the one who swears has prohibited himself (וְהַנִּשְׁבָּע אָסַר אִיסָר אַנַפְשֵׁיהּ), even regarding a matter that has no substance, such as “I will sleep” (אֲפִלּוּ לְדָבָר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ כְּגוֹן אִישַׁן). But when we examine (אֲבָל כְּשֶׁנַּבְחִין), the Neder [Vow] and the Shevu’ah [Oath] themselves (הַנֶּדֶר וְהַשְּׁבוּעָה עַצְמָן), and their allusion in the Upper Worlds (וּרְמִיזָתָן בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים), from the formulation of their language (מִנּוּסַח שֶׁלָּהֶם), we learn (נִלְמַד), that the Shevu’ah [Oath] takes effect upon a person who forbids himself (כִּי הַשְּׁבוּעָה חָלָה עַל אִישׁ אוֹסֵר עַצְמוֹ), who possesses substance (שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ), and says “I shall do” (וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי יִפְעַל), and he is bound by that oath (וְנִתְפָּס בְּאוֹתָהּ הַשְּׁבוּעָה), and every “I” possesses substance (וְכָל אֲנִי יֵשׁ בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ). But the Neder [Vow] is only (אֲבָל הַנֶּדֶר אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא), as one who says “Behold it is upon me” (הוּא כְּאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי עָלַי), and this “upon me” has no substance (וְעָלַי זֶה אֵין בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ), for he is not bound (שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִתְפָּס), like one who vows “by the King Himself” (כְּמוֹ הַנּוֹדֵר בַּמֶּלֶךְ עַצְמוֹ), rather it is “the Life of the King” (אֶלָּא הוּא חַיֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ), and it takes effect above the Shevu’ah [Oath] (וְחָל [מ]עַל־הַשְּׁבוּעָה), just as it takes effect above the Mitzvah [Commandment] (כְּמוֹ [מ]עַל הַמִּצְוָה), for every person is already sworn from Mount Sinai concerning the fulfillment of the commandments (שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּל אָדָם מֻשְׁבָּע מֵהַר סִינַי עַל קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹת), [but] the Neder [Vow] takes effect upon both this and that ( [אֲבָל] וְהַנֶּדֶר חָל עַל זוֹ וְעַל זוֹ), according to the subtlety of its allusion (כְּפִי דַקּוּת רְמִיזָתוֹ), in a place where there is no substance (בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ). And one who examines carefully the discussion of this book, Emek HaMelekh (וְהַמְדַקְדֵּק בְּסוּגְיַת זֶה הַסֵּפֶר [עֵמֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ]), concerning the words of the Ra‘aya Meheimna there at length (שֶׁל [דִּבְרֵי] הָרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא שָׁם בַּאֹרֶךְ), will find in simple clarity (יִמְצָא בִּפְשִׁיטוּת), the intent of this matter according to what we have explained (הַמְכֻוָּן בָּזֶה כְּפִי מַה שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ). And Binah is the secret of the World to Come (וְהַבִּינָה הִיא סוֹד הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא), and it is a thing that has no substance (וְהוּא דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ מַמָּשׁ), for “there is in it neither eating nor drinking, rather the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads and derive enjoyment” (שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ לֹא אֲכִילָה וְלֹא שְׁתִיָּה אֶלָּא צַדִּיקִים יוֹשְׁבִין וְעִטְרוֹתֵיהֶן בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶן וְנֶהֱנִין) (Berakhot 17a), from its radiance (מִזִּיוָהּ), and therefore on Yom HaKippurim there is neither eating nor drinking (וְלָכֵן בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אֵין בּוֹ לֹא אֲכִילָה וְלֹא שְׁתִיָּה). But the Shevu’ah [Oath], because it is in the place of the Shekhinah (אֲבָל הַשְּׁבוּעָה לִהְיוֹתָהּ בִּמְקוֹם הַשְּׁכִינָה), which is the secret of this world (שֶׁהִיא סוֹד הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), is a thing that has substance (הוּא דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ), eating and drinking (אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה), and all the festivals dependent upon her (וְכָל הַמּוֹעֲדִים הַתְּלוּיִים בָּהּ), are all eating and drinking of joy (הֵם כּוּלָּם אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה), and especially the delight of Shabbat (וּבִפְרָט עֹנֶג שַׁבָּת). And the matter is clear to one who understands (וְהָעִנְיָן מְבֹאָר לַמֵּבִין), and from it the eyes of the wise will be illuminated (וְיָאִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים), and the enlightened who shine like the radiance of the firmament (וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים הַמַּזְהִירִים כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ) (Daniel 12:3), will understand the depths of its mysteries and secrets (יָבִינוּ לְעוֹמֶק רָזָיו וְסוֹדוֹתָיו), not one of them shall be missing (אֶחָד מֵהֶם לֹא נֶעְדָּר) (Isaiah 40:26), blessed be Hashem forever, Amen and Amen (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).