ז אַלְמָנָה שֶׁנִּזּוֹנֵית מִן הַיְתוֹמִים, וְהִנִּיחַ בַּעֲלָהּ קַרְקַע וְהִשְׁבִּיחַתּוּ, יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר, שֶׁכָּל הַשֶּׁבַח שֶׁלָּהֶם, וַאֲפִלּוּ שְׂכַר טִרְחָה אֵינָהּ נוֹטֶלֶת. וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר, שֶׁהַשֶּׁבַח הוּא לְעַצְמָהּ. וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר, שֶׁנּוֹטֶלֶת שְׂכַר טִרְחָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁיָּדָהּ עַל הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה. וְאִם אֵינָהּ נִזּוֹנֵית מִשֶּׁלָּהֶם, וְהִנִּיחַ בַּעֲלָהּ נְכָסִים מוּעָטִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם כְּדֵי כְּתֻבָּתָהּ, יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר, שֶׁאִם אָמְרָה: רְאוּ מַה שֶּׁהִנִּיחַ לִי בַּעֲלִי וְאַשְׁבִּיחַ לְעַצְמִי, וְנִתְעַצְּלוּ מִלְּהַגְבּוֹת כְּתֻבָּתָהּ, אֲפִלּוּ הִשְׁבִּיחוּ הַנְּכָסִים אֶלֶף זוּז, הַשֶּׁבַח לְעַצְמָהּ. אֲבָל אִם הִשְׁבִּיחָה הַנְּכָסִים סְתָם, נוֹטֶלֶת כְּתֻבָּתָהּ וְהַמּוֹתָר לַיּוֹרְשִׁים. וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר, שֶׁבֵּין אָמְרָה רְאוּ, בֵּין לֹא אָמְרָה, כָּל הַשֶּׁבַח לַיּוֹרְשִׁים, וַאֲפִלּוּ כְּתֻבָּתָהּ לֹא תִּגְבֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁנּוֹטֶלֶת שְׂכַר טִרְחָה וְיָדָהּ עַל הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה. הַגָּה: וְכֵן עִקָּר, דְּהַשֶּׁבַח כֻּלּוֹ הוּא שֶׁל הַיְתוֹמִים, וְאֵינָהּ גּוֹבָה כְּתֻבָּהּ וְלֹא מְזוֹנוֹת מֵאוֹתוֹ שֶׁבַח (בַּמָּרְדְּכַי פֶּרֶק מִי שֶׁמֵּת); וְלָכֵן אַלְמָנָה שֶׁיָּשְׁבָה זְמַן אָרֹךְ בְּבֵית בַּעֲלָהּ וְנִזּוֹנֵית מֵהֶם עַד שֶׁבְּוַדַּאי כָּלָה הַקֶּרֶן שֶׁהִנִּיחַ בַּעֲלָהּ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּיֵשׁ כָּאן הַרְבֵּה מִן הַשֶּׁבַח שֶׁשִּׁבְּחָה, אֵינָהּ גּוֹבֵאת כְּתֻבָּתָהּ מִשָּׁם (הַטּוּר וּמהרי"ו סִימָן קע"ו). וְיֵשׁ חוֹלְקִין, אֶלָּא כָּל מַה שֶּׁהוֹצִיאָהּ מְנַכִּין מִן הַשֶּׁבַח וְגוֹבֵאת כְּתֻבָּתָהּ מִן הַקֶּרֶן וְלֹא מִן הַשֶּׁבַח (מַהֲרִי"ל סִימָן מ"ו). וְעַיֵּן לְקַמָּן רמ"א סִימָן ק':
7 A widow receiving her board payments from the orphans, to whom her husband left real property and she increased its value, some say that they are entitled to all of the increase and she is not even entitled to take compensation for her investment. And some say that she is herself entitled to the increase. And some say that she is entitled to take compensation for her investment, but that her interest is subordinate. And if she is not receiving board payments from them, and her husband left her only such small assets that they are not sufficient for the ketubah payment she is owed, some say that if she said, "See what my husband left me, and I will improve its values for myself," and they were delinquent in collecting her ketubah payment, then even if the assets increased a thousand zuz the increase is all hers. But if the assets just increased on their own, she takes her ketubah payment and the remainder goes to the heirs. And some say, that whether she said "See" or she did not say it, all increase in value belongs to the heirs, and she may not even collect her ketubah entitlement from it, but rather she takes compensation for her investment and her interest is subordinate. Rema: And this is the key point, that the increase belongs entirely to the heirs, and she cannot collect her ketubah or her board from that increase (in the Mordochai, chapter "One who dies); and so, too, a widow who dwells a long time in her husband's house and receives board payments from them so long that the principle left to her by her husband is certainly exhausted, even though there is abundant increase that she brought about, she may not claim her ketubah payment from it (Tur and Maharin paragraph 176). And some disagree, but whatever she claimed is deducted from the increased value and she is entitled to claim her ketubah payment against the principle and not against the increase (Maharil paragraph 86). And see above the Rema paragraph 100.