I saw in the name of the Chidushei ha'Rim (by the Gerer Rebbe zt'l, 1799-1866) here in Nedarim, a Derush which I am going to say over, bs'd, the way I understand it and according to some ideas I gleaned from it. It may come out somewhat different from the original.

1) The Gemara cites a Pasuk about the moon, the Levanah. The word "Levanah" means "white," and some explain that it is called this in a similar way that a blind person is called by Chazal a "Sagi Nahor," a person of "abundant light." Out of honor to the blind we say he has great light, and out of honor to the moon we call it white, even though if you go to the moon it is dark since it has no light of its own.

2) We learn from "v'Chafrah ha'Levanah" that the husband can annul his wife's vow, even though it has already been made. This shows us the modesty of a woman. Even though the vow alresdy exists, it can be vetoed. Now there are two other Hebrew words for moon, "Yare'ach" and "Sahar." But when we recite Kidush Levanah every month, we do not use either of those words. This is because we are performing a Kidush, a sanctification. The moon is holy and, because of its modesty, the word "Levanah" is on a higher Madregah than the other two names. This is why it attains Kedushah.

3) The Jewish people are compared to the moon. Our calendar follows the moon, while the calendar of the nations of the world follows the sun. Out of modety we acknowledge that we are small in relation to Hash-m. But modest people acquire wisdom -- "With the modest is wisdom" (Mishlei 11:2). The Gemara (Nidah 45b) tells us that women have a greater understanding than men. This is the reward for the modesty of a righteous woman.

4) What we learn from our Gemara is the greatness of the Jewish woman. Her modesty makes her white and pure like the moon, and grants her special understanding.

5) Regarding a Neder being an indication of understanding and the way to reach Yerushalayim, I saw a deep Pshat here in the Shitah Mekubetzes. He writes that the proof of the Gemara is not from the first part of Yeshayah 24:23 that the Gemara cites, "And the moon shall be confounded," but rather from the end of Yeshayah 24:23, "And Hash-m Tzevakos will rule on Har Tziyon and Yerushalayim." The Shitah Mekubetzes writes that Hash-m has vowed that He will rule over us. This vow has already been "Chal." This proves that it is considered a Neder only if it already applies. The Neder that Hash-m has taken that He will rule in Yerushalayim and Tziyon already applies and there is nobody who can annul it.

6) This is connected with what the Shelah ha'Kadosh writes (Shnei Luchos ha'Bris, part 1, Toldos Adam, Beis Yisrael #94, DH Amnam) that "the place of a Neder is in Understanding" -- "Neder Mekomo b'Binah." The word "Neder" hints at "Nun Dar." The numerical value of the letter "Nun" is 50, and the dwelling place of a Neder is in the Fifty Gates of Understanding.

7) Zichron Shmuel (by Rav Shmuel Hayna 1758-1847) in Parshas Matos on the verse, "When a man makes a vow," writes that when the Torah states "Ki Yidor," this refers to the Dirah; the dwelling place of Jerusalem in this world. Every Israeli man must prepare himself so that Hash-m can enter the Yerushalayim on High. A Neder means the Jerusalem on High, as written in Sefer Sha'arei Orah that Neder means Nun Dar, which is Yerushalayim on High, the World of Understanding of Fifty Gates.

8) As we reach the end of Maseches Nedarim we learn that a good vow leads us to holiness. If we Jews are holy, then Hash-m will be able to dwell on Mount Zion and rule over us.

9) Why we say Kol Nidrei on Yom Kippur?

a) The Megaleh Amukos (by Rav Nasan Shapira zt'l, 1584-1633) writes in "Ofen ha'Shlishi" that since Nedarim are in "Sod ha'Binah," the "Secret of Understanding," we annul our vows on Yom Kippur (see Nedarim 23b and Tosfos there, DH v'At).

b) I found in Sefer "Avnei Zikaron" (by Rav Nachum Rotshtein, Derashah 22, page 224, DH ume'Atah) that he cites the Megaleh Amukos and writes that the connection between Yom Kippur and understanding is to be found in the verse, "And his heart will understand and do Teshuvah" (Yeshayah 6:10). On Yom Kippur we gain the understanding that we have been making mistakes all year long, so we do Teshuvah.

c) The Avnei Zikaron also connects this with the Gemara in Nidah 45b that I cited briefly earlier. The Mishnah (Nidah 45b) states that we check the vows of an eleven year-old girl. If she is mature enough to know that we make the Neder to Hash-m, then the Neder takes effect. The Mishnah states that for a boy it is only when he is twelve that we start checking his vows. The Gemara (45b) quotes Rebbi who says that the reason why a girl is capable of making a vow younger than a boy is that women have greater Binah than men.

d) So we now have an explicit Gemara that Nedarim are connected with understanding, and this is why we say Kol Nidrei on Yom Kippur.

10) If we put together some of the ideas we have seen above, bs'd, and also add on one or two more sources, I think we have a classic Siyum on Maseches Nedarim based on a Gemara just one page before the end of the Maseches.

a) What we learn from Maseches Nedarim is that good vows, vows to do a Mitzvah, originate from understanding, and that they lead to the building of an individual, the building of his family, and the building of the world. Nedarim (90a) compares Nedarim to the moon, and Rashi (DH di'Chtiv) points out that the word "Levanah" contains the word "Banah." This is because the same Rebbi Nasan who compares a Neder to the Levanah on 90a also says (Nedarim 22a) that making a Neder is equivalent to building a Bamah. If one makes the wrong type of Neder, or does not fulifil the Neder, this can be very dangerous, but if someone makes a good Neder to do a Mitzvah and carries out his promise, this can be very constructive.

b) "Banah" means that he built, and this is related to the word "Binah." A good Neder originates in understanding. This is why the Gemara (Nidah 45b) states that women can make Nedarim a year earlier than men -- because their understanding is greater. The extra modesty of women is what gives them the advantage with Nedarim.

c) This is why Nedarim 23b states that the time to say Kol Nidrei is on Rosh Hashanah. Tosfos (DH v'At) writes that this actually means Yom Kippur. This is because Yom Kippur is the day in the year when we reach the highest level of understanding and we now know what we have to improve in the coming year. This is the most suitable day to annul undesirable Nedarim.

d) We now can also understand the Gemara in Shabbos (32b) which states that for the sin of unfulfilled vows, one's children die. Banim, sons, is almost the same word as Banah and Binah. Our children are our builders; they build our future and our families, but one requires a lot of understanding to know how to educate them.

e) The end of the verse cited on 90a is that Hash-m will rule over us on Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Now that we have completed learning Maseches Nedarim, we are ready to greet the Mashi'ach!

Tizku l'Mitzvos,

Dovid Bloom