Responsa for Bava Batra 281:3
לענין ירושה בן עדיף ליה לענין הרווחה בתו עדיפא ליה
is implied, for it is said, That day is a day of wrath!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Zeph. I, 15. Wrath, [H] ');"><sup>8</sup></span> — As regards succession, a son has preference;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'better to him', since he perpetuates the name of the tribe. ');"><sup>9</sup></span> as regards maintenance, a daughter is given preference.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is more difficult for a woman to earn her living, and a father would naturally desire to make provision for her maintenance rather than for that of a son. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> And Samuel said: We deal here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In our Mishnah, where preference is given to a daughter. ');"><sup>11</sup></span>
Teshuvot Maharam
A. Since B has been prevented, by death, from fulfilling his promise, he never became obligated to pay the 20*In some sources (Pr. 50, L. 355) the reading is “marks.” The discrepancy arose because of the similarity of the two Hebrew letters of Khaf and Beth, which stand for 20 and 2 respectively. The Cremona source and the Mord., however, used the word Esrim, 20, specifically. marks to A. Consequently his heirs owe nothing to A.
This question was also sent to R. Meir by his father, R. Baruch, who was one of the judges in this case.
SOURCES: Cr. 31; Pr. 50; Pr. 939; L. 355; Mord. B.M. 247; cf. Jacob Weil, Responsa 105; ibid. 142.
Teshuvot Maharam
A. Since B has been prevented, by death, from fulfilling his promise, he never became obligated to pay the 20*In some sources (Pr. 50, L. 355) the reading is “marks.” The discrepancy arose because of the similarity of the two Hebrew letters of Khaf and Beth, which stand for 20 and 2 respectively. The Cremona source and the Mord., however, used the word Esrim, 20, specifically. marks to A. Consequently his heirs owe nothing to A.
This question was also sent to R. Meir by his father, R. Baruch, who was one of the judges in this case.
SOURCES: Cr. 31; Pr. 50; Pr. 939; L. 355; Mord. B.M. 247; cf. Jacob Weil, Responsa 105; ibid. 142.