Commentary for Numbers 30:16

אחרי שמעו [BUT IF HE SHALL AT ALL ANNUL THEM] AFTER HE HATH HEARD THEM i.e., after he has heard and confirmed them — that he had said, “I am content with it”, then if he turns and annuls it even on the same day (Sifrei Bamidbar 156:2).

[BUT IF HE SHALL MAKE THEM NULL AFTER THAT HE HATH HEARD THEM], THEN HE SHALL BEAR HER INIQUITY — “he [the husband] takes her place.⁵⁵According to Rashi the verse speaks about a case where the husband confirmed his wife’s vow, and then on the same day annulled it, which he can no longer do. If she only heard about the annulment but not about the confirmation, and therefore unknowingly violated her oath — he bears her iniquity. Ramban presents another interpretation. Thus we learn that one who causes somebody else to commit an offense takes the place of that person with respect to all punishments [which that person would otherwise incur].” This is Rashi’s language, taken from the Sifre.⁵⁶Sifre, Matoth 156. It would appear that this woman [broke her vow] in error or was misled, for Scripture speaks [here] of a husband who heard [his wife’s vow and did not annul it on that day], and the wife does not know about this, and after some time he “annulled” [the vow, although he in fact no longer had the power to do so], and told her that [he annulled it] in the day he heard it.⁵⁷Above, Verse 15. Thus Scripture teaches us two things: that the husband bears her iniquity as if he had made a vow and profaned his word, and that she is totally free and not liable to any of the punishments [found elsewhere] for errors.⁵⁸See Ramban on Leviticus 1:4, (towards the end). But if the wife knows that he [her husband] did not annul it in the day he heard it,⁵⁷Above, Verse 15. and she is versed in this law [that he only has a right to annul her vows on the day that he hears it, and not later, and nonetheless she breaks her vow], then she is the guilty one, and [since] the husband did not cause the offense, therefore his punishment is [only] like that of someone who can protest [at another person committing a sin] and does not protest.
Now Scripture mentions this case with reference to a husband [misleading his wife to think that he annulled her vow in the day he heard it,⁵⁷Above, Verse 15. when in actual fact he “annulled” it only afterwards when he no longer had the right to], although the same law applies to a father [and his daughter’s vows], because Scripture speaks of normal circumstances, that a father usually guards himself against doing this because of his love for his daughter, whereas a husband might perhaps hate his wife and think that he will make her guilty [by misleading her to break her vow]. Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: “Then he shall bear her iniquity, because she is under his control.” If so, the verse is speaking of a case where he forces her to do that which she has bound herself⁴⁷Verse 9. [not to do, and it is then that he shall bear her iniquity]. But it is not correct [since the same laws obviously apply when he misleads her without actually forcing her].

ואם הפר יפר אותם אחרי שמעו, more than 24 hours after he had heard about it, i.e. when the period during which he could have cancelled it had expired, he can no longer change his mind;

ואם הפר יפר, "and if he surely decides to disallow, etc." This verse means that even when the vows he now decides to disallow are the type which he could have disallowed during the prescribed period, now that he has waited too long, he can no longer exercise his authority but must bear her guilt (if she violates her vow).

ואם הפר יפר אותם אחרי שמעו, and she does not even know that her husband had become aware of her vow, she must bear the burden of having violated her vow. Although, legally, her husband’s cancellation is effective, since she was not aware of this she had sinned unintentionally by violating her vow seeing she did not know that it was no longer valid.

ונשא את עונה, ”and he shall bear her iniquity.” If someone, -in this case the husband- causes someone else to commit a sin, the latter person is burdened with that guilt. In this instance, the husband, by rescinding his wife’s vow after the time limit for this privilege had expired, thereby deceived his wife into believing that her vow had been cancelled. If she then violates the terms of her vow, it is the husband who bears the iniquity.

Saying, “I approve.” Rashi wishes to answer the question: Why is it written, “If he annuls them after having heard them, he must bear her transgression” which implies that if he annuls them immediately after hearing, he will bear her transgression? But surely [in doing so] he has acted appropriately. We cannot explain that if he heard and endorsed, then later annulled on the same day, they would be annulled. For if so, why does the Torah say, “After having heard them” which implies that if he did not annul her vows immediately upon hearing them, he may not go back and annul them? Therefore, one must say that if he heard her vow and said, “I approve” that he can no longer annul it, even during the same day.

V. 16. ואם הפר, wenn er nach schweigender oder ausdrücklicher Zustimmung sie dennoch zum Brechen des Gelübdes bringt, trägt er ihre Schuld.

ונשא את עונה, “and he will bear the burden of her guilt.” She was as if having acted under compulsion, as she was under the impression that her husband was able to cancel her vow even after he had known about it for more than 24 hours.

ונשא את עונה HE SHALL BEAR HER INIQUITY — He takes her place. We learn from here that he who makes another take a false step takes his place in respect to all punishments which he would incur (Sifrei Bamidbar 156:2).

ונשא את עונה, the same guilt as that of a person who forces someone else to commit a violation of Torah law, or who teaches Torah other than according to the halachah, thereby misleading the student.