1as it is stated: “Every valley shall be lifted” (Isaiah 40:4). When Rav Yosef heard that interpretation, he understood that Rava was aware of the error of his ways in acting arrogantly toward his teacher, and was pacified by Rava’s display of humility.
2§ It is taught in a baraita : For one who vows that grain [ dagan ] is forbidden to him, it is prohibited to partake of the dry cowpea, and it is permitted for him to partake of fresh cowpea. And it is permitted for him to partake of rice, as well as of wheat kernels split into two parts [ ḥilka ], of wheat kernels crushed into three parts [ targeis ], and wheat kernels crushed into four parts [ tisnei ]. For one who vows that produce of the year is forbidden to him, it is prohibited to partake of all produce of the year that grew from the ground or on trees, and it is permitted for him to partake of goats, and of lambs, and of milk, and of eggs, and of chicks born that year, as they are not included in the category of produce. And if he said: Growths of the year are forbidden to me, it is prohibited for him to eat all of them.
3For one who vows that produce of the land is forbidden to him, it is prohibited for him to partake of all produce that grows from the land, and it is permitted for him to partake of truffles and mushrooms that are not in the category of produce of the land. But if he said: The growths of the ground are forbidden to me, it is prohibited for him to eat all of them.
4And the Gemara raises a contradiction from a mishna ( Berakhot 40b): And over a food item whose growth is not from the ground, one recites: By Whose word all things came to be. And it is taught in a baraita : Over salt and over brine [ zamit ], and over truffles and mushrooms, one recites: By Whose word all things came to be. Apparently, truffles and mushrooms are not in the category of growths of the ground. Abaye said: They grow from the earth, but with regard to sustenance, they draw sustenance from the air and not from the earth. The Gemara asks: Why is that distinction significant? Isn’t it taught: Over a food item whose growth is not from the ground one recites the blessing: By whose word all things came to be? Even according to Abaye, mushrooms grow from the ground. The Gemara answers: Emend the mishna to read: Over a food item that does not draw sustenance from the ground, one recites: By Whose word all things came to be.
5MISHNA: For one who vows that a garment is forbidden to him, it is permitted to wear sackcloth, and to wear a sheet, and to wear a coarse curtain [ ḥamila ], as these are not in the category of garments. For one who said: Wool is konam for me and I will therefore not place it upon myself, it is permitted for him to cover himself with wool fleece, which is not considered a garment, and it is prohibited for him to wear only a woolen fabric. For one who said: Flax is konam for me and I will therefore not place it upon myself, it is permitted for him to cover himself with uncombed flax in bundles, and it is prohibited for him to wear only a flaxen fabric.
6Rabbi Yehuda says: Everything is determined according to the one who vows. If one was bearing a burden of wool and linen, and was sweating, and its smell was unpleasant for him, and in reaction, he said: Wool and linen are konam for me and I will therefore not place them upon myself, it is permitted for him to cover himself with wool and linen garments, but it is prohibited for him to sling them over his shoulder behind him as a burden. The circumstances of his vow make it clear that he intends to forswear carrying wool and linen as a burden rather than the wearing of them as a garment.
7GEMARA: It is taught in a baraita : For one who vows that a garment is forbidden to him, it is permitted to wear sackcloth, and to wear a sheet and to wear a coarse curtain, and it is prohibited for him to wear a money belt [ punda ], or to wear a sash [ pesakiyya ], or to wear a sekurtiyya , or to wear a leather spread [ katavliyya ], or to wear a leather sock [ anpilya ] or to wear a leather apron [ pelinya ], and trousers, and a hat. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of iskurtei , mentioned in the baraita as sekurtiyya ? Rabba bar Ḥana said: It means a tanner’s apron.
8It is taught in a baraita : One may go out into the public domain on Shabbat covered in thick sackcloth or in a coarse woolen blanket [ sagos ], or in a sheet or in a coarse curtain as protection from the rain. They are considered garments, not burdens. However, he may neither go out covered in a box, nor in a basket, nor in a mat as protection from the rain, as they are considered burdens, not garments. Shepherds may go out on Shabbat covered in sackcloth, as they typically go out in sackcloth garments. And the Sages did not say this only with regard to shepherds; rather, they said that all people may go out wearing sackcloth; however, the Sages spoke in the present, addressing situations that were prevalent.
9§ We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Yehuda says: Everything is determined according to the one who vows. It is taught in a baraita : How, i.e., in what circumstances, did Rabbi Yehuda say: Everything is according to the one who vows? If one was wearing a woolen garment and it caused him discomfort, and in reaction he said: Wool is konam for me, and I will therefore not place it upon myself, it is prohibited for him to wear woolen garments, but it is permitted to place a burden of woolen garments upon him. If one was burdened with flax and was sweating, and said: Flax is konam for me, and I will therefore not place it upon myself, it is permitted for him to wear flaxen garments and it is prohibited for him to place a burden of flaxen garments upon him.