Responsa for Gittin 103:18
אמר להו א"כ היינו דרב חנילאי בר אידי אמר שמואל דאמר רב חנילאי בר אידי אמר שמואל נכסי יתומין הרי הן כהקדש ולא מקני אלא בכספא
The guardians are not at liberty to sell fields and buy slaves with the proceeds, but they can sell slaves and buy fields with the proceeds. Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says that they may not even sell slaves and buy fields, since there is a risk that they will not be left in peaceable possession.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As their title to the fields may be disputed. ');"><sup>17</sup></span>
Teshuvot Maharam
Q. A drained the water in his yard by means of a ditch which was adjacent to B's stone wall. B claimed that when the ditch was full, the water had flooded his house. He, therefore, demanded that A fill up his ditch. A claimed that the ditch had been in his yard for a period of twenty-four years and that B had never protested before. B, however, contended that the ditch had not previously caused him any damage. A's father bought the property with the ditch from a Jew who, in turn, had bought it from a Gentile.
A. If A removes his ditch one tefah from B's wall, he is free from further obligation. But even if A does not do so, he is free from any obligation since he inherited the ditch from his father, who, if alive, could claim that he bought the right to maintain the ditch from B. Moreover, A is not required to take an oath to the effect that he never heard his father say that he did not buy from B (or B's father) the right to maintain the ditch for the following reasons: a) Orphans are not required to take an oath in order to free themselves from a money obligation; b) the oath of orphans is a rabbinical decree and the Rabbis did not decree anything disadvantageous to the interests of the orphans.
The fact that A's yard originally belonged to a Gentile, has nothing to do with the case since B does not claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally. If B does put forth the claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally, it will avail him nothing, since, again, the court will have to put forth the claim, for A's benefit, that A's father bought the right to maintain the ditch from B or B's predecessors.
This Responsum was sent to R. Manahem b. David and R. Hillel b. Azriel of Würzburg (Cr. 23).
SOURCES: Cr. 23; Pr. 143; L. 388; Mord. B. B. 548; Agudah B. M. 180.
A. If A removes his ditch one tefah from B's wall, he is free from further obligation. But even if A does not do so, he is free from any obligation since he inherited the ditch from his father, who, if alive, could claim that he bought the right to maintain the ditch from B. Moreover, A is not required to take an oath to the effect that he never heard his father say that he did not buy from B (or B's father) the right to maintain the ditch for the following reasons: a) Orphans are not required to take an oath in order to free themselves from a money obligation; b) the oath of orphans is a rabbinical decree and the Rabbis did not decree anything disadvantageous to the interests of the orphans.
The fact that A's yard originally belonged to a Gentile, has nothing to do with the case since B does not claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally. If B does put forth the claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally, it will avail him nothing, since, again, the court will have to put forth the claim, for A's benefit, that A's father bought the right to maintain the ditch from B or B's predecessors.
This Responsum was sent to R. Manahem b. David and R. Hillel b. Azriel of Würzburg (Cr. 23).
SOURCES: Cr. 23; Pr. 143; L. 388; Mord. B. B. 548; Agudah B. M. 180.
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Teshuvot Maharam
Q. A drained the water in his yard by means of a ditch which was adjacent to B's stone wall. B claimed that when the ditch was full, the water had flooded his house. He, therefore, demanded that A fill up his ditch. A claimed that the ditch had been in his yard for a period of twenty-four years and that B had never protested before. B, however, contended that the ditch had not previously caused him any damage. A's father bought the property with the ditch from a Jew who, in turn, had bought it from a Gentile.
A. If A removes his ditch one tefah from B's wall, he is free from further obligation. But even if A does not do so, he is free from any obligation since he inherited the ditch from his father, who, if alive, could claim that he bought the right to maintain the ditch from B. Moreover, A is not required to take an oath to the effect that he never heard his father say that he did not buy from B (or B's father) the right to maintain the ditch for the following reasons: a) Orphans are not required to take an oath in order to free themselves from a money obligation; b) the oath of orphans is a rabbinical decree and the Rabbis did not decree anything disadvantageous to the interests of the orphans.
The fact that A's yard originally belonged to a Gentile, has nothing to do with the case since B does not claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally. If B does put forth the claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally, it will avail him nothing, since, again, the court will have to put forth the claim, for A's benefit, that A's father bought the right to maintain the ditch from B or B's predecessors.
This Responsum was sent to R. Manahem b. David and R. Hillel b. Azriel of Würzburg (Cr. 23).
SOURCES: Cr. 23; Pr. 143; L. 388; Mord. B. B. 548; Agudah B. M. 180.
A. If A removes his ditch one tefah from B's wall, he is free from further obligation. But even if A does not do so, he is free from any obligation since he inherited the ditch from his father, who, if alive, could claim that he bought the right to maintain the ditch from B. Moreover, A is not required to take an oath to the effect that he never heard his father say that he did not buy from B (or B's father) the right to maintain the ditch for the following reasons: a) Orphans are not required to take an oath in order to free themselves from a money obligation; b) the oath of orphans is a rabbinical decree and the Rabbis did not decree anything disadvantageous to the interests of the orphans.
The fact that A's yard originally belonged to a Gentile, has nothing to do with the case since B does not claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally. If B does put forth the claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally, it will avail him nothing, since, again, the court will have to put forth the claim, for A's benefit, that A's father bought the right to maintain the ditch from B or B's predecessors.
This Responsum was sent to R. Manahem b. David and R. Hillel b. Azriel of Würzburg (Cr. 23).
SOURCES: Cr. 23; Pr. 143; L. 388; Mord. B. B. 548; Agudah B. M. 180.
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Teshuvot Maharam
Q. A drained the water in his yard by means of a ditch which was adjacent to B's stone wall. B claimed that when the ditch was full, the water had flooded his house. He, therefore, demanded that A fill up his ditch. A claimed that the ditch had been in his yard for a period of twenty-four years and that B had never protested before. B, however, contended that the ditch had not previously caused him any damage. A's father bought the property with the ditch from a Jew who, in turn, had bought it from a Gentile.
A. If A removes his ditch one tefah from B's wall, he is free from further obligation. But even if A does not do so, he is free from any obligation since he inherited the ditch from his father, who, if alive, could claim that he bought the right to maintain the ditch from B. Moreover, A is not required to take an oath to the effect that he never heard his father say that he did not buy from B (or B's father) the right to maintain the ditch for the following reasons: a) Orphans are not required to take an oath in order to free themselves from a money obligation; b) the oath of orphans is a rabbinical decree and the Rabbis did not decree anything disadvantageous to the interests of the orphans.
The fact that A's yard originally belonged to a Gentile, has nothing to do with the case since B does not claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally. If B does put forth the claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally, it will avail him nothing, since, again, the court will have to put forth the claim, for A's benefit, that A's father bought the right to maintain the ditch from B or B's predecessors.
This Responsum was sent to R. Manahem b. David and R. Hillel b. Azriel of Würzburg (Cr. 23).
SOURCES: Cr. 23; Pr. 143; L. 388; Mord. B. B. 548; Agudah B. M. 180.
A. If A removes his ditch one tefah from B's wall, he is free from further obligation. But even if A does not do so, he is free from any obligation since he inherited the ditch from his father, who, if alive, could claim that he bought the right to maintain the ditch from B. Moreover, A is not required to take an oath to the effect that he never heard his father say that he did not buy from B (or B's father) the right to maintain the ditch for the following reasons: a) Orphans are not required to take an oath in order to free themselves from a money obligation; b) the oath of orphans is a rabbinical decree and the Rabbis did not decree anything disadvantageous to the interests of the orphans.
The fact that A's yard originally belonged to a Gentile, has nothing to do with the case since B does not claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally. If B does put forth the claim that the Gentile dug the ditch illegally, it will avail him nothing, since, again, the court will have to put forth the claim, for A's benefit, that A's father bought the right to maintain the ditch from B or B's predecessors.
This Responsum was sent to R. Manahem b. David and R. Hillel b. Azriel of Würzburg (Cr. 23).
SOURCES: Cr. 23; Pr. 143; L. 388; Mord. B. B. 548; Agudah B. M. 180.
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Teshuvot Maharam
Q. A trustee loaned money belonging to orphans to A on interest, at the rate of one quarter per mark. A refused to pay the interest. Moreover, A claimed to have repaid part of the loan, which claim the trustee denied. The inquiring judges decided that even money belonging to orphans can not be loaned to a Jew at a definite rate of interest.
A. Your decision was correct and the trustee's stipulation of a definite interest was illegal and, therefore, void. However, under the circumstances, the loan is as if made by the Jewish court — the natural trustee and protector of all orphans — on the usual terms [made when orphans' money is loaned]: "to share in the profits but not in the losses." Therefore, if A earned profits with the money, he must pay to the trustee, the stipulated quarter per mark. If A admits that the money he borrowed belonged to the orphans, but claims to have repaid part of it, the trustee is believed as to the amount he received from A, (in repayment of the loan), and is not required to take an oath since the trustee is a disinterested third party. But if A states his belief that the trustee loaned him his own money, and not the orphans' money, the trustee must take an oath as to the amount he received from A in repayment of the loan, though he is not required to take an oath to the effect that the money he loaned belonged to the orphans.
SOURCES: Pr. 969; Mord. B.M. 332; Agudah B.M. 98.
A. Your decision was correct and the trustee's stipulation of a definite interest was illegal and, therefore, void. However, under the circumstances, the loan is as if made by the Jewish court — the natural trustee and protector of all orphans — on the usual terms [made when orphans' money is loaned]: "to share in the profits but not in the losses." Therefore, if A earned profits with the money, he must pay to the trustee, the stipulated quarter per mark. If A admits that the money he borrowed belonged to the orphans, but claims to have repaid part of it, the trustee is believed as to the amount he received from A, (in repayment of the loan), and is not required to take an oath since the trustee is a disinterested third party. But if A states his belief that the trustee loaned him his own money, and not the orphans' money, the trustee must take an oath as to the amount he received from A in repayment of the loan, though he is not required to take an oath to the effect that the money he loaned belonged to the orphans.
SOURCES: Pr. 969; Mord. B.M. 332; Agudah B.M. 98.
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