They can find grounds to annul a neder by [reason of] festivals or Sabbaths. At first they used to say: Those days are permitted, but all the other days are forbidden —- until R' Akiva came and taught that a neder which has been nullified in part is nullified in its entirety.

How? [In a case where someone] said: “Konam, what benefit I derive from any of you,” if one of them is permitted —- they are all permitted. “What I benefit from this one and from this one,” if the first one is permitted —- they are all permitted; if the last one is permitted —- the last one is permitted, but all the others are forbidden; if one in between is permitted —- from him and down are permitted, from him and up are forbidden. “What I benefit from this one is korban, and from this one, korban” —- grounds to annul each neder are needed.

[If one said:] “Konam, wine, with respect to my tasting [it] because wine is bad for the bowels,” [and] they said to him: “But isn't old wine good for the bowels?” —- he is permitted aged wine; and not only is he permitted aged wine but all wine. “Konam, onions, with respect to my tasting [them] because onions are bad for the heart,” [and] they said to him: “But isn't village onion good for the heart?” —- he is permitted the village onion; and not only is he permitted the village onion, but also all onions. It once happened, and R' Meir permitted him all onions.

They can find grounds to annul a person's neder by [reason of] his own honor or the honor of his children. They say to him: “If you would have known that tomorrow they would say about you: `Such is the habit of So-and-so —- he divorces his wives,' and about your daughters they will say: `They are daughters of a divorced woman; what did their mother see to bring about her divorce?' [would you have vowed?].” If he said: “Had I known that this would be so, I would not have vowed!” —- it is permitted.