Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 104

Siman 104

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 בֵּית דִּין שֶׁמּוֹכְרִים לְהַגְבּוֹת לְאַלִמָנָה כְּתֻבָּתָהּ, אֵין מוֹכְרִין אֶלָּא בְּהַכְרָזָה. וּמַכְרִיזִים שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם רְצוּפִים, אוֹ שִׁשִּׁים יוֹם שֵׁנִי וַחֲמִישִׁי. וּמַכְרִיזִין בַּבֹּקֶר וּבָעֶרֶב. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁמַּכְרִיזִין מְסַיְּמִין הַשָּׂדֶה בִּמְצָרֶיהָ וּמוֹדִיעִים כַּמָּה הִיא יָפָה וּבְכַמָּה הִיא שׁוּמָא, וְשֶׁרוֹצִים לְמָכְרָהּ כְּדֵי לְהַגְבּוֹת לָאִשָּׁה כְּתֻבָּתָהּ:

1 When a court sells property to collect the Ketubah for a widow they must first announce that they will do so. They may announce it for 30 consecutive days, or for 60 days if they only announce it on Monday and Thursday. They must announce both morning and night. When they make the announcement they must define the field [to be sold] by it's boundaries and the value and estimation, and that they intend to sell it to collect for a woman's Ketubah.

ב בֵּית דִּין שֶׁמָּכְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּהַכְרָזָה, אֲפִלּוּ מָכְרוּ שָׁוֶה בְּשָׁוֶה, נַעֲשׂוּ כְּמִי שֶׁטָּעָה בִּדְבַר מִשְׁנָה וְחוֹזְרִים וּמוֹכְרִים בְּהַכְרָזָה:

2 If the court sold without first announcing the sale, even if they sold it for the proper price, it is considered as an error in a basic law, and they must redo the sale with [the required period of] announcement.

ג בֵּית דִּין שֶׁהִכְרִיזוּ כָּרָאוּי וּבָדְקוּ יָפֶה וְדִקְדְּקוּ בַּשּׁוּמָא, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁטָּעוּ וּמָכְרוּ שְׁוֵה מָנֶה בְּמָאתַיִם אוֹ מָאתַיִם בְּמָנֶה, הֲרֵי מִכְרָם קַיָּם. אֲבָל אִם לֹא בָּדְקוּ בַּשּׁוּמָא, וְלֹא כָּתְבוּ אִגֶּרֶת בִּקֹּרֶת שֶׁהִיא דִּקְדּוּק הַשּׁוּמָא וְהַהַכְרָזָה, וְטָעוּ וְהוֹתִירוֹ שְׁתוּת אוֹ פִּחֲתוּ שְׁתוּת, מִכְרָם בָּטֵל. פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁתוּת, מִכְרָם קַיָּם. וְכֵן אִם מָכְרוּ קַרְקַע בְּעֵת שֶׁאֵינָם צְרִיכִים לְהַכְרִיז עָלֶיהָ, וְטָעוּ, וּפִחֲתוּ שְׁתוּת אוֹ הוֹתִירוּ שְׁתוּת, מִכְרָן בָּטֵל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִכְרִיזוּ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִכְרִיזוּ, אֲפִלּוּ טָעוּ בְּכֶפֶל, הַמִּקָּח קַיָּם (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרֹא"שׁ) פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁתוּת, מִכְרָם קַיָּם וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַחֲזִיר אוֹנָאָה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הִכְרִיזוּ. אֵיזֶהוּ הָעֵת שֶׁאֵינָם צְרִיכִים הַכְרָזָה, בְּעֵת שֶׁיִּמְכְּרוּ קַרְקַע לִקְבוּרָה אוֹ לִמְזוֹנוֹת הָאִשָּׁה וְהַבָּנוֹת אוֹ לִתֵּן מְנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ, אֵינָם צְרִיכִים הַכְרָזָה, לְפִי שֶׁהַדָּבָר נָחוּץ. וְכֵן אִם לָווּ לְצֹרֶךְ דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ, כְּשֶׁמּוֹכְרִים לְפָרְעָם אֵינָם צְרִיכִים הַכְרָזָה:

3 A court that announced as is proper and checked well and was exacting in the evaluation, even though they erred and sold [property] worth 100 zuz for 200 or 200 for 100, their sale is upheld. However, if they did not check the evaluation, and they did not write a letter of review, which reflects the scrupulousness of the evaluation and announcement, and they erred and overvalued by one sixth or undervalued by one sixth, their sale is nullified. [If they erred by] less than one sixth [of the actual value], their sale is upheld. So too, if they sold real estate at a time when they did not need to announce it, and they erred and undervalued by one sixth or overvalued by one sixth, their sale is nullified, even though they announced it. There are those who say that since they announced it, even if they erred by double [the actual value], the transaction is upheld (Tur citing the Ro"sh). [If they erred by] less than one sixth, their sale is upheld and they need not return the over- or undercharge, even though they did not announce the sale. What is the time when they are not required to announce? At the time when they are selling real estate for burial or for food for the woman and the sons, or to give taxes, they do not require an announcement, for the matter is widely known. So too if they lent money for these needs, when they sell property to repay the loans, they do not need to announce.

ד וְכֵן בֵּית דִּין שֶׁמָּכְרוּ דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָם טְעוּנִים הַכְרָזָה וְטָעוּ בִּשְׁתוּת, מִכְרָם בָּטֵל. פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁתוּת, מִכְרָם קַיָּם. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵין מַכְרִיזִים עֲלֵיהֶם: הָעֲבָדִים וְהַשְּׁטָרוֹת וְהַמִּטַּלְטְלִים. הָעֲבָדִים, שֶׁמָּא יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִבְרְחוּ; וְהַשְּׁטָרוֹת וְהַמִּטַּלְטְלִים, שֶׁמָּא יִגָּנְבוּ; לְפִיכָךְ שָׁמִין אוֹתָם בְּבֵית דִּין וּמוֹכְרִים אוֹתָם מִיָּד. וְאִם הַשּׁוּק קָרוֹב לַמְּדִינָה, מוֹלִיכִים אוֹתָם לַשּׁוּק. וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין נוֹהֲגִין לְהַכְרִיז שׁוּם דָּבָר, דִּינוֹ כִּדְבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָן מַכְרִיזִין (טוּר):

4 Similarly if a court sold items that do not require public notice [of sale to attract bidders] and erred by a sixth [or more, in evaluating the value] the sale is void. Less than a sixth, the sale is valid. These are the things which do not require public notice: Slaves, documents, and movable effects. Slaves lest they run away; documents and effects lest they be stolen. Therefore they are appraised in court and sold then and there, though if the marketplace is close to the city, the items are taken there to be sold. In a place where public notice is never given, all items are treated [in all respects] as things for which notice is not given. Tur

ה הֵיכָא דְּטָעוּ וְנִתְאַנּוּ בִּשְׁתוּת, שֶׁהַמֶּכֶר בָּטֵל, אִם יִרְצוּ בֵּית דִּין לְקַיֵּם הַמִּקָּח וּלְהַחֲזִיר הָאוֹנָאָה, הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדָם. וְיֵשׁ חוֹלְקִים בָּזֶה:

5 If they did err by a sixth, in which case the sale is void, they may uphold the sale by returning the ona'ah money (unilaterally). There are those who disagree.

ו שָׁלִיחַ שֶׁמָּכַר וְטָעָה וְנִתְאַנָּה אֲפִלּוּ בְּכָל שֶׁהוּא, הַמֶּכֶר בָּטֵל אֲפִלּוּ אִם הוּא שְׁלִיחַ בֵּית דִּין. וְאִם הִטְעָה אֶת הַלּוֹקֵחַ, עַד שְׁתוּת, הַמִּקָּח קַיָּם וְזָכָה הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ בַּיִּתְרוֹן. הַגָּה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּדַיָּן שֶׁנִּתְמַנָּה עַל פִּי הֻרְמָנָא דְּמַלְכָּא וּמָכַר עַל יְדֵי שְׁלוּחוֹ, עָדִיף מִשְּׁאָר שְׁלִיחַ בֵּית דִּין, וְהָוֵי כְּבֵית דִּין שֶׁטָּעוּ וּמִכְרָן קַיָּם; וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִם מָכַר בְּעַצְמוֹ (רִיבָ"שׁ סִימָן קע"ט):

6 A proxy [for the widow] who sold [the 'ketuba'] but made a mistake and/or was cheated, even for the most insignificant sum - the sale is null and void even if the proxy was appointed by the court. On the other hand, if the proxy misled the buyer, up to 20%, the sale is legally binding and the one who appointed the proxy is entitled to the difference. Rema: Some say that a judge appointed by royal command who sells [the 'ketuba'] via a proxy is preferable to other court appointed proxies and is like a court that erred but whose sales are valid, and certainly if he/it sold [the 'ketuba'] him/itself (Ribash, section 179).

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