Babylonian Talmud, Venice: Daniel Bomberg Tractate Nedarim Printed on Blue Paper, 1522 Tractate Nazir Printed on Blue Paper, 1522 Tractate Sotah Printed on Blue Paper, 1520

3 parts in one volume, folio (14 3/8 x 9¼ in.; 365 x 235 mm). collation: (Nedarim), 1-12^{8, 1-28, 39=121 leaves; (Nazir),1-88, 96=70 leaves; (Sotah), 1-68, 75=53 leaves. Owner's stamp and signature f.2.; three holes in first title of which two are mended, dampstain in upper portion of first part, a few scattered rustmarks. Seventeenth-century blind-tooled calf, decorated in a panel design; worn, covers detached.}

Moses Gaster—his stamp on verso of title page of each of three tractates

Vinograd, Venice 60, 61, 27; Haberman 51, 52, 22

3 parts in one volume, folio (14 3/8 x 9¼ in.; 365 x 235 mm). collation: (Nedarim), 1-128, 1-28, 39=121 leaves; (Nazir),1-88, 96=70 leaves; (Sotah), 1-68, 75=53 leaves. Owner's stamp and signature f.2.; three holes in first title of which two are mended, dampstain in upper portion of first part, a few scattered rustmarks. Seventeenth-century blind-tooled calf, decorated in a panel design; worn, covers detached.
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As was often the case with sets of the Babylonian Talmud, the three tractates bound here in a single volume are placed in the order in which they appear within the Mishnaic order, Nashim

Nedarim  (Vows) is the third tractate of the order Nashim and deals mainly with the binding quality of the spoken vow. Specifically, the tractate deals with various formulations of vows and which constitute binding vows. Similarly there is a discussion concerning which vows are not binding due to lack of serious intent, constraint, and the like, as well as the interpretation of certain vow formulas. Finally, the absolution of vows, and the grounds on which such absolution may be granted is treated. The inclusion of this topic in the order dealing with family law arises, in part, from the right of the father to annul the vows of his daughter during her minority and the right of a husband to annul most or all of his wife's vows.

Surrounding the text of the Talmud are the commentaries of Nissim of Gerondi along with those of the Rosh and Rashi. The latter commentary stops abruptly on f. 22b where it is replaced by another commentary. By way of explanation, the printers inserted the following notation: "here it was lacking and I copied from Rabbenu Gershom." The lack of a complete manuscript of Rashi was only one of the problems with the printing of Nedarim. Interestingly, the tosafot in Nedarim are not printed on each page as in other tractates but are placed instead at the end of the volume.  When this tractate was printed in 1522, the title page stated that the "tosafot are not in their place but rather at the end of the tractate for they are in error."  The self deprecating title page was removed from the 1522 edition and replaced with a new title page labeled 1523, and which is seen here, although according to Rabbinowicz, no new copies were printed. The presence of the second iteration of the title page on the unique blue paper copy lends support to the presumption that the blue paper copies were printed at the end of the press run for any particular tractate.

Nazir (Nazirite), fourth tractate in the order Nashim, deals, as its name indicates, with the laws of the Nazirite, a term which comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated" and refers to a man or woman who takes the ascetic vow described in Numbers 6:1-21. Among other restrictions, a nazir is required to abstain from all wine and other grape products. As explained on the first page of the Talmudic text, Nazir is placed adjacent to Tractate Sotah and appended to the order Nashim because "whosoever sees the degradation of an unfaithful wife will forbid himself the use of wine as leading to such behavior" (f. 2a). By similar reasoning tractate Nazir follows tractate Nedarim (Vows) because the assumption of Naziriteship was by vow.

Sotah (Errant Wife), the fifth tractate in the order Nashim deals mainly with the laws concerning a woman suspected of adultery.  According to the bible (Numbers 5:11–31), a woman suspected of adultery may, under certain circumstances be subject to an ordeal of jealousy. The tractate describes the various steps of the ordeal as well as the sacrificial meal-offering which must accompany it.