טוֹב אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִדֹּר. אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר וְטוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם שֶׁאֵינוֹ נוֹדֵר כָּל עִקָּר אֶלָּא מֵבִיא כִּבְשָׂתוֹ לָעֲזָרָה וּמַקְדִּישָׁהּ וְשׁוֹחֲטָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כג, כג): וְכִי תֶחְדַּל לִנְדֹּר, אָמַר רַבִּי הוּנָא מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁנָּדַר וְלֹא שִׁלֵּם וּפָרַשׁ בַּיָּם הַגָּדוֹל וְטָבְעָה סְפִינָתוֹ בַּיָּם וָמֵת. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל כָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא נוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם גּוֹרֵם לְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁתָּמוּת אִשְׁתּוֹ, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית מח, ז): וַאֲנִי בְּבֹאִי מִפַּדָּן מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר יִצְחָק כָּל הַנּוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם גּוֹרֵם לָבוֹא לִידֵי אַרְבַּע עֲבֵרוֹת: עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע. וְכֻלָּם לְמָדָם מִיַּעֲקֹב, עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית לה, ב): הָסִרוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר. גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית לד, ה): כִּי טִמֵּא אֶת דִּינָה בִתּוֹ, שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית לד, כה): וַיִּקְחוּ שְׁנֵי בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב וגו'. וְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית לא, א): וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵי בְנֵי לָבָן. אָמַר רַבִּי מָנָא, כָּל הַנּוֹדֵר וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם גּוֹרֵם מִיתָה לְעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כג, כב): כִּי דָּרשׁ יִדְרְשֶׁנּוּ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵעִמָּךְ, וְאָמַר רַבִּי אַמֵּי אֵין מִיתָה בְּלֹא חֵטְא וְאֵין יִסּוּרִין בְּלֹא עָוֹן. אֵין מִיתָה בְּלֹא חֵטְא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל יח, ד): הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחֹטֵאת הִיא תָמוּת. וְאֵין יִסּוּרִין בְּלֹא עָוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פט, לג): וּפָקַדְתִּי בְשֵׁבֶט פִּשְׁעָם וּבִנְגָעִים עֲוֹנָם.
“It is better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:4). “It is better that you do not vow” – Rabbi Meir said: Better than both is one who does not vow at all, but rather brings his sheep to the Temple Courtyard, consecrates it, and slaughters it, as it is stated: “If you refrain from vowing, [there will be no sin in you]” (Deuteronomy 23:23). Rabbi Huna said: There was an incident involving one who vowed and did not pay. He set sail in the Mediterranean Sea, and his ship sank in the sea and he died. Rabbi Shmuel said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes for himself that his wife will die, as it is written: “I, when I came from Padan, Rachel died on me…” (Genesis 48:7). Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes [himself] to come to four transgressions: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, bloodshed, and slander, and all of them are derived from Jacob. Idol worship, as it is written: “Remove the foreign gods” (Genesis 35:2). Forbidden sexual relations, as it is written: “That he had defiled Dina his daughter” (Genesis 34:5). Bloodshed, as it is written: “Jacob’s two sons, […each] took [his sword…and killed all the males]” (Genesis 34:25). And slander, as it is written: “He heard the words of Laban’s sons [saying: Jacob has taken everything that was our father’s]” (Genesis 31:1). Rabbi Mana said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes death to come upon him, as it is stated: “For the Lord your God will demand it of you [and it will be a sin for you]” (Deuteronomy 23:22), and Rabbi Ami said: There is no death without sin, and there is no suffering without iniquity. There is no death without sin, as it is stated: “The soul that sins, it will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). And there is no suffering without iniquity, as it is stated: “I will punish their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with plagues” (Psalms 89:33).