daf bit: Nedarim 33

[cellio]

The mishnah teaches: if a man has vowed not to benefit from his neighbor, the neighbor may still pay his shekel (temple tax), settle his debts (if the debtor does not otherwise benefit), or return a lost item to him. The gemara compares these acts to driving away a lion -- a neighborly act. (33a)

(Today is really daf 34, but the discussion there is pretty complicated, with no good entry points.)

Comments

[caryabend.livejournal.com]

I see the word benefit used here in the sense of "impose upon," or perhaps in the broader sense of being in a debt of courtesy that can't be easily repaid.

For example: You will be away. You cannot ask your neighbor to look after your cat, as you will benefit from this. It may be that offering to pay your neighbor for this service removes the onus of "benefit." I wonder about the case of unsolicted action. Suppose the neighbor, knowing you're away, mows your lawn to keep up appearances so that it won't be targeted by thieves?

[zevabe.livejournal.com]

"Benefit" in the MIshna generally means something along the lines of "gain some useful thing (thing including non-concrete things) from" Essentially you prohibit anything nice he might give you/do for you to yourself.