עברית
Halachot and Customs
Annulment of Vows by Family Members
Question
Can a father annul a vow for his unmarried daughter? If not, can brothers and brothers-in-law annul vows for their sister? Of course, this is about a matter I was stringent about myself and have kept for several years. There is no halachic problem with this. Thank you very much.
Answer
Moadim l'simchah (times of joy), Any close family member can perform the annulment of vows, except for the husband, who may not join with others to annul his wife's vows. Sources: This is stated in Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah (siman 228, se'if 3) that relatives are fit to annul vows. It is also in Shulchan Aruch (siman 235, se'if 57) that a father is permitted to annul the vows of his daughter in the language of annulment just like any other sage. Furthermore, the responsa Yafeh Nof (Yoreh De'ah siman 181) writes that the annulment of vows is not a 'din' (legal ruling), and therefore it is possible to annul by three who are related to each other. And it follows that a husband may not join two others to annul his wife's vows, as it is in Shulchan Aruch (ibid). Blessings, Hillel Meirs
