Responsa for Yevamot 76:6
אמר ליה רבה אדמפלגי בגופה ולאחר מיתה לפלגו בחייה ולפירות
while they are only doubtful possessors, and doubt cannot override a certainty.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence Beth Shammai as well as Beth Hillel agree that she is fully entitled to sell the property or to give it away. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> In the final clause, however, where she is dead, both groups come equally as heirs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'those come to inherit' (bis). Had the levirate bond borne the same force as marriage the estate would undoubtedly have become the property of the levir only. Had it not borne the same force as marriage the estate would have been given to her father's heirs only, and the levir would have had no claim whatsoever. The claims of either group are consequently evenly balanced. ');"><sup>12</sup></span>
Teshuvot Maharam
Q. A, his four daughters, and his wife, were killed when the house they occupied collapsed. A's heirs claim that perhaps the wife died first and that therefore they now were the only heirs to A's estate. The wife's brothers, on the other hand, claim that perhaps the wife died last and that therefore they were entitled to her ketubah. Some Rabbis are of the opinion that the wife's heirs were entitled to one-twelfth of the estate; while other Rabbis, computing probabilities, believe that they were entitled to one thirty-second of the estate.
A. It is my humble opinion that the wife's heirs are entitled to one-half of the estate, because of the talmudic principle Kol Kavua kemahaze al mahaze domi, meaning: whenever an event is about to befall (or has befallen) one of a number of fixed persons or objects, each person or object has a fifty-fifty chance that the incident will befall (or has befallen) him or it. Therefore, legally, there is a fifty-fifty chance for each one of the six persons involved that he or she died last. Had the daughters been married and had their husbands appeared to demand their share, the estate would have had to be divided into six parts. But, since only two persons demand their share, the estate should be divided between the two. Although a woman has to take an oath before she is entitled to collect her ketubah, no such oath is required in this case since A died suddenly and we have no reason to suspect that before his death he had deposited with her valuables to be used in payment of her ketubah.
SOURCES: Cr. 172; L. 378; Mord. B. B. 638; Tesh. Maim. to Mishpatim, 5; Agudah B. B. 213; Asher, Responsa 84, 3. Cf. ibid. 85, 1; ibid. 86, 1; Maharil, Responsa 63; ibid. 169; Moses Minz, Responsa 96; Terumat Hadeshen 330.
A. It is my humble opinion that the wife's heirs are entitled to one-half of the estate, because of the talmudic principle Kol Kavua kemahaze al mahaze domi, meaning: whenever an event is about to befall (or has befallen) one of a number of fixed persons or objects, each person or object has a fifty-fifty chance that the incident will befall (or has befallen) him or it. Therefore, legally, there is a fifty-fifty chance for each one of the six persons involved that he or she died last. Had the daughters been married and had their husbands appeared to demand their share, the estate would have had to be divided into six parts. But, since only two persons demand their share, the estate should be divided between the two. Although a woman has to take an oath before she is entitled to collect her ketubah, no such oath is required in this case since A died suddenly and we have no reason to suspect that before his death he had deposited with her valuables to be used in payment of her ketubah.
SOURCES: Cr. 172; L. 378; Mord. B. B. 638; Tesh. Maim. to Mishpatim, 5; Agudah B. B. 213; Asher, Responsa 84, 3. Cf. ibid. 85, 1; ibid. 86, 1; Maharil, Responsa 63; ibid. 169; Moses Minz, Responsa 96; Terumat Hadeshen 330.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Teshuvot Maharam
Q. A, his four daughters, and his wife, were killed when the house they occupied collapsed. A's heirs claim that perhaps the wife died first and that therefore they now were the only heirs to A's estate. The wife's brothers, on the other hand, claim that perhaps the wife died last and that therefore they were entitled to her ketubah. Some Rabbis are of the opinion that the wife's heirs were entitled to one-twelfth of the estate; while other Rabbis, computing probabilities, believe that they were entitled to one thirty-second of the estate.
A. It is my humble opinion that the wife's heirs are entitled to one-half of the estate, because of the talmudic principle Kol Kavua kemahaze al mahaze domi, meaning: whenever an event is about to befall (or has befallen) one of a number of fixed persons or objects, each person or object has a fifty-fifty chance that the incident will befall (or has befallen) him or it. Therefore, legally, there is a fifty-fifty chance for each one of the six persons involved that he or she died last. Had the daughters been married and had their husbands appeared to demand their share, the estate would have had to be divided into six parts. But, since only two persons demand their share, the estate should be divided between the two. Although a woman has to take an oath before she is entitled to collect her ketubah, no such oath is required in this case since A died suddenly and we have no reason to suspect that before his death he had deposited with her valuables to be used in payment of her ketubah.
SOURCES: Cr. 172; L. 378; Mord. B. B. 638; Tesh. Maim. to Mishpatim, 5; Agudah B. B. 213; Asher, Responsa 84, 3. Cf. ibid. 85, 1; ibid. 86, 1; Maharil, Responsa 63; ibid. 169; Moses Minz, Responsa 96; Terumat Hadeshen 330.
A. It is my humble opinion that the wife's heirs are entitled to one-half of the estate, because of the talmudic principle Kol Kavua kemahaze al mahaze domi, meaning: whenever an event is about to befall (or has befallen) one of a number of fixed persons or objects, each person or object has a fifty-fifty chance that the incident will befall (or has befallen) him or it. Therefore, legally, there is a fifty-fifty chance for each one of the six persons involved that he or she died last. Had the daughters been married and had their husbands appeared to demand their share, the estate would have had to be divided into six parts. But, since only two persons demand their share, the estate should be divided between the two. Although a woman has to take an oath before she is entitled to collect her ketubah, no such oath is required in this case since A died suddenly and we have no reason to suspect that before his death he had deposited with her valuables to be used in payment of her ketubah.
SOURCES: Cr. 172; L. 378; Mord. B. B. 638; Tesh. Maim. to Mishpatim, 5; Agudah B. B. 213; Asher, Responsa 84, 3. Cf. ibid. 85, 1; ibid. 86, 1; Maharil, Responsa 63; ibid. 169; Moses Minz, Responsa 96; Terumat Hadeshen 330.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy