Are there major contemporary poskim (halachic authorities) who advocate making nedarim (vows) for certain circumstance (besides donations)?
for example, someone who has a bad habit, to use a nedar (vow) to break the bad habit.
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1AFAIK, today, vows are discouraged. Actually, so many religious people I speak to use the term Bli neder to avoid making a vow. (Perhaps, occasionally, the term is overused by some, as it becomes a habitual expression that they use even when no vow could possibly occur, as in "Bli Neder, I can't cook on Shabbat." Doesn't make sense!) – DanF Aug 26 '15 at 21:41
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1For instance: "My house should be forbidden like a Korban to all Meshullachim." – Double AA♦ Aug 26 '15 at 22:10
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Vows have always been discouraged. In fact, the gemara in Masechet Nedarim specifically mentions certain halachot of nedarim exist to discourage the light usage of nedarim.
Nonetheless, your example of using nedarim to break (at least certain) bad habits is indeed something that at least some major contemporary poskim support. GuardYourEyes.org is a resource for people who have addictions related to shmiras ha-eynaim on the internet. They openly advocate nedarim to break pornography addictions as one of the intermediate steps in their program. They have haskamot from many well-known and respected contemporary poskim including Rav Aharon Feldman, Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twersky, and others.
The formulas that the website mentions might not technically be considered nedarim under the most literal definition of the term; however, they are commonly referred to as nedarim, and could potentially be formulated in a way that is a technical neder.
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2Rabbi Hershel Schachter tells of one rosh yeshiva who passed away about ten years ago would continuously make a neder to quit his smoking addiction, find it impossible to keep, and have it annulled. This process repeated far too many times. Rabbi Schachter commented that he should not be using a neder in this circumstance. – Shalom Aug 27 '15 at 0:48
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@Shalom the nedarim advocated by GYE have a time limit. Once one is finding it easier, he increases the time limit – Daniel Aug 27 '15 at 0:54
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1@ray You didn't mention that in the question. How extreme is too extreme? – Daniel Aug 27 '15 at 16:26
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2@ray I didn't say you could... You asked if there are poskim who advocate using nedarim in certain circumstances. I gave an example of poskim advocating using nedarim in certain circumstances. – Daniel Aug 27 '15 at 16:29
