📜 Mishnah Ketubot 11

Chapter 11 of Mishnah Ketubot

Verses: 6

Verses

Verse 1

אַלְמָנָה נִזּוֹנֶת מִנִּכְסֵי יְתוֹמִים, מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיהָ שֶׁלָּהֶן, וְאֵין חַיָּבִין בִּקְבוּרָתָהּ. יוֹרְשֶׁיהָ, יוֹרְשֵׁי כְתֻבָּתָהּ, חַיָּבִין בִּקְבוּרָתָהּ:

A widow is sustained from the property of orphans. Her earnings belong to them, and they are not obligated to see to her burial. Her heirs, who inherit her marriage contract, are obligated to see to her burial.

Verse 2

אַלְמָנָה, בֵּין מִן הָאֵרוּסִין בֵּין מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין, מוֹכֶרֶת שֶׁלֹּא בְּבֵית דִּין. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין, מוֹכֶרֶת שֶׁלֹּא בְּבֵית דִּין. מִן הָאֵרוּסִין, לֹא תִמְכֹּר אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין לָהּ מְזוֹנוֹת, וְכָל שֶׁאֵין לָהּ מְזוֹנוֹת, לֹא תִמְכֹּר אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין:

A widow, whether widowed from betrothal or from marriage, sells her husband’s property when not in court. Rabbi Shimon says: A widow from marriage sells when not in court, but a widow from betrothal may sell only in court, because she does not receive sustenance from her husband’s property. She receives only her marriage contract, and anyone who does not receive sustenance may sell only in court.

Verse 3

מָכְרָה כְתֻבָּתָהּ אוֹ מִקְצָתָהּ, מִשְׁכְּנָה כְתֻבָּתָהּ אוֹ מִקְצָתָהּ, נָתְנָה כְתֻבָּתָהּ לְאַחֵר אוֹ מִקְצָתָהּ, לֹא תִמְכֹּר אֶת הַשְּׁאָר אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מוֹכֶרֶת הִיא אֲפִלּוּ אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה פְעָמִים, וּמוֹכֶרֶת לִמְזוֹנוֹת שֶׁלֹּא בְּבֵית דִּין, וְכוֹתֶבֶת, לִמְזוֹנוֹת מָכָרְתִּי. וּגְרוּשָׁה לֹא תִמְכֹּר אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין:

If a woman sold all or part of her marriage contract, or if she mortgaged all or part of her marriage contract, or if she gave away as a gift all or part of her marriage contract to another, then she sells the remainder only in court. And the Rabbis say: She sells even four or five times, and she is not obligated to sell everything at one time. And despite selling several times, she sells for her sustenance even when not in court, and she writes in the bill of sale: I sold this for my sustenance.And a divorcée, who does not receive sustenance, sells only in court.

Verse 4

אַלְמָנָה שֶׁהָיְתָה כְתֻבָּתָהּ מָאתַיִם וּמָכְרָה שָׁוֶה מָנֶה בְמָאתַיִם אוֹ שָׁוֶה מָאתַיִם בְּמָנֶה, נִתְקַבְּלָה כְתֻבָּתָהּ. הָיְתָה כְתֻבָּתָהּ מָנֶה וּמָכְרָה שָׁוֶה מָנֶה וְדִינָר בְּמָנֶה, מִכְרָהּ בָּטֵל. אֲפִלּוּ הִיא אוֹמֶרֶת אַחֲזִיר אֶת הַדִּינָר לַיּוֹרְשִׁין, מִכְרָהּ בָּטֵל. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, לְעוֹלָם מִכְרָהּ קַיָּם עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא שָׁם כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּשַׁיֵּר בְּשָׂדֶה בַּת תִּשְׁעָה קַבִּים, וּבְגִנָּה בַּת חֲצִי קַב, וּכְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא בֵּית רֹבַע. הָיְתָה כְתֻבָּתָהּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת זוּז, וּמָכְרָה לָזֶה בְמָנֶה וְלָזֶה בְמָנֶה וְלָאַחֲרוֹן יָפֶה מָנֶה וְדִינָר בְּמָנֶה, שֶׁל אַחֲרוֹן בָּטֵל וְשֶׁל כֻּלָּן מִכְרָן קַיָּם:

In the case of a widow whose marriage contract was worth two hundred dinars and she sold property that was worth one hundred dinars for two hundred dinars, or if she sold property worth two hundred dinars for one hundred dinars, she has received payment of her marriage contract and can demand nothing more. If her marriage contract was worth one hundred dinars and she sold property worth one hundred dinars and a dinar for one hundred dinars, the sale is void because she sold property that did not belong to her. Even if she says: I will return the additional dinar to the heirs, the sale is nevertheless void. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Actually, the sale is valid. It is not considered an invalid sale until there is an error so extreme that had there been no mistake, there would have remained in the field an area required for sowing nine kav of seed, the smallest area of land worth working. In that case, the orphans can reasonably claim that they are unwilling to give up on the land that belongs to them. However, if the error is less than this, it is enough if she returns the remainder to the orphans. And in the case of a garden, the sale is void if, had there been no error, there would have remained an area required for sowing a half-kav of seed, as this is the smallest size of garden worth working. Or, according to the statement of Rabbi Akiva, an area required for sowing a quarter-kav of seed. If her marriage contract was worth four hundred dinars, and she sold property to this one for one hundred dinars, and she sold property to that one for one hundred dinars, and again to a third one, and she sold property to the last one worth one hundred dinars and a dinar for only one hundred dinars, the sale of the last property is void, as the price she charged was below the market value. And all of the others, their sale is valid, as they were sold for the correct price.

Verse 5

שׁוּם הַדַּיָּנִין שֶׁפִּחֲתוּ שְׁתוּת אוֹ הוֹסִיפוּ שְׁתוּת, מִכְרָן בָּטֵל. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, מִכְרָן קַיָּם. אִם כֵּן מַה כֹּחַ בֵּית דִּין יָפֶה. אֲבָל אִם עָשׂוּ אִגֶּרֶת בִּקֹּרֶת, אֲפִלּוּ מָכְרוּ שָׁוֶה מָנֶה בְּמָאתַיִם, אוֹ שָׁוֶה מָאתַיִם בְּמָנֶה, מִכְרָן קַיָּם:

The halakha with regard to the assessment of the judges of the value of a piece of property in order to sell it is as follows: Where they decreased the price by one-sixth of its market value or added one-sixth to its market value, their sale is void. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Their sale is valid. If it were so that the sale is void, then what advantage is there to the power of the court over an ordinary person? However, if they made a document of inspection, i.e., an announcement that people should come to inspect the field and bid on the property, then even if they sold property worth one hundred dinars for two hundred dinars, or sold property worth two hundred dinars for one hundred dinars, their sale is valid, as the transaction was agreed upon and done publicly.

Verse 6

הַמְמָאֶנֶת, הַשְּׁנִיָּה, וְהָאַיְלוֹנִית, אֵין לָהֶם כְּתֻבָּה וְלֹא פֵרוֹת, וְלֹא מְזוֹנוֹת, וְלֹא בְלָאוֹת. וְאִם מִתְּחִלָּה נְשָׂאָהּ לְשֵׁם אַיְלוֹנִית, יֶשׁ לָהּ כְּתֻבָּה. אַלְמָנָה לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, גְּרוּשָׁה וַחֲלוּצָה לְכֹהֵן הֶדְיוֹט, מַמְזֶרֶת וּנְתִינָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְנָתִין וּלְמַמְזֵר, יֶשׁ לָהֶן כְּתֻבָּה:

An orphan girl who was married off by her mother or brother before reaching the age of majority may refuse to continue living with her husband upon reaching the age of majority, thereby retroactively annulling their marriage. In the case of one who refuses to continue living with her husband in this manner; and in the case of a woman who is a secondary forbidden relative by rabbinic law; and in the case of a sexually underdeveloped woman [ailonit], who is incapable of bearing children, each of these women is not entitled to payment of a marriage contract; and they are not entitled to remuneration for the produce that the husband consumed; and they are not entitled to sustenance; and they are not entitled to their worn clothes that were brought in to the marriage as part of their dowry and became worn out during the marriage. If, from the start, he married her with the understanding that she is an ailonit, then she is entitled to payment of a marriage contract. In the case of a widow who married a High Priest; or a divorcée or a yevama who performed ḥalitza and later married a common priest; or a daughter born from an incestuous or adulterous relationship [mamzeret] who married an Israelite; or a Gibeonite woman who married an Israelite; or a Jewish woman who married a Gibeonite or a mamzer, although each of these unions is prohibited by Torah law, the woman is still entitled to payment of a marriage contract.