Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 103

Siman 103

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 אַלְמָנָה, בֵּין מִן הָאֵרוּסִין אִם כָּתַב לָהּ כְּתֻבָּה, בֵּין מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין, מוֹכֶרֶת מִנִּכְסֵי בַּעֲלָהּ לִגְבּוֹת כְּתֻבָּתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּבֵית דִּין וְשֶׁלֹּא בְּהַכְרָזָה, לֹא שְׁנָא אִם מוֹכֶרֶת לִגְבּוֹת כָּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ בְּיַחַד, לֹא שְׁנָא אִם מוֹכֶרֶת שְׁלשָׁה אוֹ אַרְבָּעָה פְּעָמִים לִגְבּוֹת מְעַט מְעַט בְּכָל פַּעַם, מוֹכֶרֶת שֶׁלֹּא בְּבֵית דִּין מֻמְחִים, אֲבָל צְרִיכָה בֵּית דִּין הֶדְיוֹטוֹת שְׁלשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נֶאֱמָנִים בְּקִיאִים בְּשׁוּמַת קַרְקַע. הַגָּה: וְדַוְקָא עִקַּר הַכְּתֻבָּה וְהַתּוֹסֶפֶת, אֲבָל אֵינָהּ מוֹכֶרֶת שֶׁלֹּא בְּבֵית דִּין לִגְבּוֹת נְדוּנְיָתָא, דְּאֵינוֹ רַק כְּחוֹב בְּעָלְמָא (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרִיטְבָ"א פֶּרֶק אַלְמָנָה נִזּוֹנֵית). אִם מָכְרָה בֵּינָהּ לְבֵין עַצְמָהּ שָׁוֶה בְּשָׁוֶה, מִכְרָהּ קַיָּם. וְיֵשׁ חוֹלְקִים:
1 A widow, including one widowed while engaged as long as her fiance wrote her a ketuba, as well as a widow of a marriage, may sell her husband's posessions to raise the money for her ketuba without needing to go to a court or make an announcement, and it does not matter whether she is raising the full amount of the ketuba at one time or she is selling on three or four occasions to raise a small amount each time, she can sell without an expert court, but she does need a court of three regular trustworthy men who know how to appraise land. Rema: And this is specifically for the main part of the ketuba and any additions [written into the ketuba], but she cannot sell without a court in order to raise money for [reclaiming] her dowry, because the dowry money is just like a regular debt [without the special status of a ketuba] (Beit Yosef in the name of the Ritv"a chapter 11, "almanah nizoneit"). If she "sells" to herself by exchanging equal amounts [NEEDS BETTER TRANSLATION] the sale is valid, but some disagree.
ב אַחֲרָיוּת הַמֶּכֶר עַל הַיְתוֹמִים, בֵּין אִם תִּמְכֹּר הִיא אוֹ בֵּית דִּין. וְלָכֵן אַף אִם מָכְרוּ בֵּית דִּין בְּטָעוּת, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה מָחֲלָה הַכְּתֻבָּה לַיְתוֹמִים בַּסֵּתֶר, אֵין הַיְתוֹמִים יְכוֹלִין לִטְרֹף מִן הַלּוֹקֵחַ (תְּשׁוּבַת הָרֹא"שׁ כְּלָל ס"ג):
2 The orphans [children of a woman's deceased husband] must accept responsibility (i.e. title insurance) for the sale [by the wife of the husband's possessions to raise money for the ketuba], whether she sells them or a court sells them. Therefore, even if the court sold by accident, such as a case where the wife forgave to the orphans to the fulfillment of the ketuba (since the wife forgave the ketuba, she no longer should have a right to sell property to raise money to pay the ketuba), the orphans may not seize the assets from the buyer (responsum of the Ro"sh 63)
ג גְּרוּשָׁה, לֹא תִּמְכֹּר אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין מֻמְחִים. וְאַלְמָנָה נַמִּי, אִם נִשֵּׂאת, לֹא תִּמְכֹּר אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין מֻמְחִים:
3 A divorcee can only sell through an expert court. Similarly, widow who has remarried may only sell through an expert court.
ד אִם בֵּית דִּין מוֹכְרִים וְנוֹתְנִים לָהּ, אֵינָהּ נִשְׁבַּעַת שֶׁלֹּא זִלְזְלָה בַּנְּכָסִים, אֶלָּא נִשְׁבַּעַת שֶׁלֹּא אַתְפְּסַהּ צְרָרֵי וְשֶׁלֹּא תָּפְסָה הִיא מִשֶּׁלּוֹ (טוּר). אֲבָל אִם הִיא בְּעַצְמָהּ מוֹכֶרֶת, צְרִיכָה לִכְלֹל בִּשְׁבוּעָתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא זִלְזְלָה בַּנְּכָסִים:
4 If the court sells property (to raise money for her ketuba) and gives it to her, she does not need to swear that she sold too cheaply... Rema: but she swears that her husband did not give her purses of coins for her support, and that she did not grab any of his belongings (Tur). Mechaber:...but if she herself sold property (without the court), she must include in her oath that she did not sell too cheaply.
ה אַלְמָנָה שֶׁשָּׁמָה וּלְקָחַתּוּ לְעַצְמָהּ, אֵינוֹ כְּלוּם, אֲפִלּוּ הִכְרִיזוּ עָלָיו, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיוּ בַּשׁוּמָא בֵּית דִּין הֶדְיוֹטוֹת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ כְּלוּם עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שָׁם בֵּית דִּין מֻמְחִים:
5 A widow who assessed the property and took it herself (in direct payment of the ketuba, without selling it), her action is void, even if she announced a sale (and there were no takers), unless the property was assessed in a court (even) of non-scholars. Some say that it is not valid until the assessment took place in a court of experts.
ו אַלְמָנָה שֶׁהָיְתָה כְּתֻבָּתָהּ מָאתַיִם, וּמָכְרָה שְׁוֵה מֵאָה בְּמָאתַיִם אוֹ שְׁוֵה מָאתַיִם בְּמֵאָה, נִתְקַבְּלָה כְּתֻבָּתָהּ:
6 A widow whose ketuba was 200 zuz, and she sold land worth 100 zuz for 200 zuz, or she sold land worth 200 zuz for 100 zuz, her ketuba has been paid off.
ז הָיְתָה כְּתֻבָּתָהּ מֵאָה וּמָכְרָה שְׁוֵה מֵאָה וְדִינָר בְּמֵאָה, מִכְרָהּ בָּטֵל. וַאֲפִלּוּ הִיא אוֹמֶרֶת: אֲנִי אַחֲזִיר אֶת הַדִּינָר לַיּוֹרְשִׁים:
7 If her ketubah was worth 100 and she sold land worth 1o1 for 100, her sale is annulled. Even if she says: I will return the dinar to the inheritors.
ח הָיְתָה כְּתֻבָּתָהּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת זוּז, וּמָכְרָה לָזֶה מָנֶה שָׁוֶה בְּשָׁוֶה, וְכֵן לַשֵּׁנִי, וְכֵן לַשְּׁלִישִׁי, וּמָכְרָה לָרְבִיעִי שְׁוֵה מָנֶה וְדִינָר, בַּמָּנֶה שֶׁל רְבִיעִי בִּלְבַד מִכְרָהּ בָּטֵל:
8 If her ketubah was four hundred zuz, and she sold to this one land the value of a maneh (100) for a maneh, and so to the second and so to the third. And then to the fourth she sold the equivalent of a maneh and a dinar for a dinar, only the sale to the fourth one is annulled.
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