Vayikra 5:4 · unit 6

Parashas Vayikra · Aliyah 6 · Passuk 5:4 · Unit 6 of 14

Complete Passuk

אוֹ נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תִשָּׁבַע לְבַטֵּא בִשְׂפָתַיִם לְהָרַע אוֹ לְהֵיטִיב לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יְבַטֵּא הָאָדָם בִּשְׁבֻעָה וְנֶעְלַם מִמֶּנּוּ וְהוּא־יָדַע וְאָשֵׁם לְאַחַת מֵאֵלֶּה׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Bava Kamma 91b.

Sefaria — Bava Kamma 91b
E-Daf · Bava Kamma 91b

Core Text — Bava Kamma 91b
יָכוֹל נִשְׁבַּע לְהָרַע לְעַצְמוֹ וְלֹא הֵרַע יְהֵא פָּטוּר — תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״לְהָרַע אוֹ לְהֵיטִיב״, מַה הֲטָבָה רְשׁוּת אַף הֲרָעָה רְשׁוּת.

One might think that if he swore to harm himself and did not, he would be exempt — Scripture says “to harm or to benefit”: just as benefit is optional, so harm is optional.

The parallel of optional benefit includes optional self-directed harm within the verse’s scope for the oleh ve-yored.

Type of Learning: Ribbuy of self-directed optional harm under shevu’as bitui.
What Is Learned: An oath to harm oneself in a permitted way is within the verse’s “to harm,” so violation can obligate the offering. The comparison to optional benefit supplies the inclusion.