I am not sure if you can answer this, but if I made an oath to abstain from doing a certain aveira for 6 months, but certain things have changed in my life whereby the action is more necessary, would this have been annuled in hatarat nedarim on Rosh Hashana? I have heard from friends that the whole thing is annuled because you cannot make an oath to not do something that is already a lo taaseh. I have also heard that it needs to be made clear to three men, and i also heard that because i may have said it verbally, there is no way to annul it. Please help?
Joshua Bekhor, San Deigo, CA
Questions of Nedarim are very serious and need to be referred with all the exact details to a Rabbi well versed in these Halachos.
In general, we do not rely on the Hataras Nedarim of Rosh Hashanah for an oath made consciously. A Neder which is on a Mitzvah does not have Hatarah at all. It is true that an oath does not take effect if it is made directly on a prohibition; however, it may depend on the exact wording of the oath. All oaths need to be said verbally. All of this is general, and, as I said, it is imperative that you speak to a competent Rabbi who you can instruct you regarding what to do.
D. Zupnik