Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat Siman 11

Siman 11

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א כיצד מזמינים לדין ועל פי מי. ובו ו סעיפים: כיצד מזמינים בעל דין לדין שולחים לו ב"ד שלוחם שיבא ליום המזומן לדין לא בא מזמינים אותו פעם שנית לא בא מזמינים אותו פעם שלישית לא בא ממתינים לו כל היום לא בא מנדין אותו למחרתו בד"א במי שהיה בכפרים ויוצא ונכנס אבל מי שהוא מצוי בעיר אין קובעים לו זמן אלא פעם אחת ואם לא בא כל אותו יום מנדין אותו למחרתו: הגה הלך הב"ד למקום אחר צריך לילך אחריהם ואם לא הלך מנדין אותו (ב"י) והשליח ב"ד נאמן לומר הקלני או הקלה הדיין או לא רצה לבוא לדין ומשמתין (פי' הנדוי או החרם שם מיתה) אותו על פיו אבל אין כותבין עליו פתיחא של שמתא עד שיבואו שנים ויעידו שנמנע לבוא ואין שליח ב"ד חייב באמירת דברים משום לשון הרע: הגה מי שאומר שאינו חושש על גזירת ב"ד או חכם אע"פ שבא לב"ד מנדין אותו הואיל ואומר שלא בא מחמת גזירתו הוי אפקירותא וע' בי"ד סי' של"ד ואם אמר לא אדון לפניכם אלא לפני ב"ד אחר ע' לקמן סי' י"ד מי שלא יוכל לבא לב"ד כי צריך לילך למרחקים יש להודיע לב"ד ולשום התנצלותו ולבקש זמן אחר ואם לא עשה מנדין אותו אע"פ שלא היה יכול לבא (מהרי"ק שורש י"א) מי שקבל עליו ב"ד של שנים (בקנין) והזמינוהו ולא בא מנדין אותו בב"ד של שלשה (ב"י בשם תשו' הרשב"א):
1 In which manner is a defendant summoned to appear in Court? — The [members of the] Court send their messenger to him in order that he come on the appointed day to Court. [If] he did not appear [on the appointed day], they summon him a second time; [if] he did not appear [after the second summons], they summon him a third time; [if] he [still] did not appear, they wait for him all day, and if he did not appear, they place him under the ban on the morrow. When does this apply? — In [the case of one] who was in country towns and departs from and returns to [the city], but [in the case of one] who is usually in the city, only one date is fixed for him [in a legal summons], and if he did not appear on that entire day, they place him under the ban on the morrow. Rema: [ If ] the [ members of the ] Court went to another place, he [ the defendant ] is required to go after them [ in order to be tried before them ], and if he did not go, they place him under the ban. The Court messenger is relied upon to state, '[The defendant] behaved insolently towards me or towards the Judge or refused to appear for trial,' and they decree the Shammeta, ( i.e., the ban or excommunication, [ the etymology of Shammeta being ], ' there is death '), against him on his [the Court messenger's] testimony, but we do not write a warrant of excommunication on his [the messenger's testimony] until two witnesses appear and testify that he [the defendant] refused to come. The messenger of Court is not held responsible in reporting [this] information on grounds of slander. Rema: One who states that he is not afraid of the Court order or the Sage, — [ the law is that ] although he does appear in Court [ for trial ], they place him under the ban, for since he states that he comes not on account of the [ Court ] order, it is regarded as contempt of the law., Y.D. § 334, [ par. 43 ]. If he stated, 'I do not wish to be tried before you, only before another Court,' v., infra § 14. One who is not able to come to Court because he is required to go to distant countries, should inform the Court thereof, and make excuses [ for the postponement of the trial ] and request another date [ for the hearing ], and if he did not do [ this ] they place him under the ban, although he was not able to come. One who accepted [ to be tried before ] a Court of two by making an agreement by means of a Kinyan, and they summoned him and he did not appear, — [ the law is that ] they [ have the power to ] place him under the ban as a Court of three.
ב שליח שאמר פלוני שלחני בשם א' מהדיינים ולא רצה לבוא אין כותבין עליו פתיחא של שמתא עד שיאמר בשם שלשתן ואם יש בהם מומחה חולקין לו כבוד ומזכירין לו שם המומחה (נ"י פ' אלו מגלחין) בד"א שהלך השליח ביום שאינו ידוע לישיבת הדיינים אבל ביום הידוע שהדיינים יושבים בו לדין הכל יודעים שכל הדיינים מקובצים ואע"פ שבא השליח בשם אחד כאלו בא בשם שלשתן:
2 A [Court] messenger who stated, 'So-and-so has sent me [to summon you to Court]' in the name of one of the Judges, and [the defendant] refused to come, — [the law is that] they do not write against him a warrant of excommunication until he [the messenger] states [this] in the name of the three [Judges]. And if there is among them an expert [ Judge ], they accord him honour and one [ the Court messenger ] mentions to him [ only ] the name of the expert [ Judge ]. When does this apply? — Where the [Court] messenger went [to summon the defendant] on an [ordinary] day that is not known [to be appointed] for a judicial session, but [if] on the day that is known [to be appointed as a Court-day] when the Judges sit in judgment, everyone knows that all the Judges are assembled [at their meeting place] and although the [Court] messenger came [to summon the defendant] in the name of one [Judge], it is as though he came in the name of the three [Judges].
ג מי שהוא במדינה והלך שליח ב"ד ולא מצאו אין קובעים לו זמן עד שימצאנו השליח ויאמר לו היה בכפר אם דרכו לבא באותו היום אומר השליח אפי' לאחד מהשכנים אפי' אשה אם יבוא פלו' הודיעוהו שב"ד קבעו לו זמן שיבא היום לב"ד ואם לא בא מנדין אותו לערב (וכ"ש ע"פ שליח ב"ד אע"פ שלא חזר ואמר עשיתי שליחותי) (טור) בד"א כשאין בדרך שדרכו לילך בה על מקום ב"ד אבל אם דרכו עליהם אין מנדין אותו עד שיודיעו השליח בעצמו שמא לא אמרו לו השכנים שהרי הם אומרים דרכו על פתח ב"ד וכבר הלך (אליהם) ונפטר וכן אם לא בא במדינה עד למחר אין סומכים על השכנים שמא שכחו ולא אמרו לו: הגה וכן אם היה בעיר אין סומכים על השכנים שיאמרו שמא השליח ב"ד מצאו ואמר לו (טור):
3 One who is [a resident] in a city and the Court messenger went [to convey to him a legal summons] and did not find him [at home] — [the law is that] they do not fix for him a time [to appear in Court] until the [Court] messenger finds him and informs him thereof. [If] he was in a country town [away from home], — [then] if it is customary for him to come [home] on that very same day, the [Court] messenger may say even to one of the neighbours [of the defendant], even [if it be] a woman, 'If So-and-so comes [home today] inform him that the Court of Law has fixed a time for him, [viz.,] that he appear today in the Court of Law;' and if he does not come [to Court] they place him under the ban in the evening. And so much the more [ if he was summoned ] by the Court messenger [ himself ], although he [ the Court messenger ] did not return [ to Court ] and state, 'I have carried out my commission.' When does this apply [viz., that we place him under the ban]? — Where [it is known that] he [the defendant on returning home] via the route that he is accustomed to take, does not [pass] by the locality of the Court of Law; but if his route [goes] by them [viz., the members of the Court of Law], they do not place him under the ban until the [Court] messenger himself conveys [the summons] to him, for fear that the neighbours had not informed him thereof, for they might think [that since] his route [passes] by the door of the Court of Law, he had already passed by them [and the summons was conveyed to him] and [then] he left. Likewise, if he did not arrive in the city until the next day, we do not rely upon the neighbours, for fear that they forgot and did not inform him thereof. Rema: So too, if he was in the city, we do not rely upon the neighbours, since they might think that perhaps the Court messenger found him and had [ already ] conveyed [ the summons ] to him.
ד מי שכתבו עליו נידוי על שלא בא ואמר אבוא אין קורעין כתב הנדוי עד שיבא אבל מי שכתבו עליו נידוי על שהיה מסרב לעשות ציווי ב"ד מיד כשאומר הריני מקבל עלי לעשות ציווי ב"ד קורעים כתב הנידוי והוא נותן שכר הסופר: הגה מי שכתבו עליו סרבנות וטען אח"כ שלא שמע אינו נאמן דמעשה ב"ד יש לו קול (מרדכי ר"פ שני ד"ג):
4 One against whom a [warrant of] excommunication had been written for failure to appear [before Court] and [subsequently the defaulter] stated, 'I will appear,' — we do not destroy the writ of excommunication until he [actually] appears. However, one against whom a [warrant of] excommunication had been written for having refused to obey a Court order, — [then] as soon as [the defaulter] states, 'I hereby obligate myself to obey the Court order,' we destroy the warrant of excommunication, and [the defaulter] pays the expense of the Scribe [for drafting the writ of excommunication]. Rema: One against whom they [ the members of the Court ] wrote a [ document of ] refusal, and subsequently he pleaded that he did not hear [ about it ], is not relied upon, because the action of the Court ensures publicity.
ה נשים יקרות (או ת"ח שתורתו אומנתו) אם מזמנים אותם לבא לב"ד וכן אם הנתבע יכול למנות שליח שיהא במקומו לב"ד יתבאר בסי' צ"ו ובסי' קכ"ד:
5 [With regards to] noble women or a scholar whose sole occupation is the study of the Torah, — whether they are summoned to appear [in person] in Court, and likewise, whether the defendant can appoint a deputy to take his place before the Court, — will be explained in § 96 and in § 124.
ו הדיין יכול לחתום בשטר הזמנה מן הצד:
6 The Judge can sign on a document containing a summons at the side.
Previous ChapterNext Chapter