Bli neder after הדרן עלך?
Question
When saying הדרן ילך upon finishing a Masechet, must one add בלי נדר because it might be considered a form of a vow to learn the Masechet again? Or does הדרן עלך refer to the past i.e. the learning just completed?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
Some are stringent and say "bli neder", but in practice, there is no obligation for this, since one may rely (concerning this matter) on the declaration made Erev Rosh Hashanah.
There are other reasons brought why one doesn't need to say "Bli Neder" for example; the word “Hadran” in Aramaic means “we have come back to you” (as in Bava Basra 74b) and NOT “we WILL come back to you.” This is not a false statement because everyone learns the entire Torah in their mother’s womb, so no area of Torah is truly new. Another reason is some say that the “Hadran” passage is a prayer not a commitment.