Mishnayos Gittin Perek 5 Mishnah 6
Change text layout:
גיטין פרק ה׳ משנה ו׳
The law of Sicarii [Sikarikon] did not apply in Judea in the time that people were being killed in the war. From the time that people were being killed in the war and onward, the law of Sicarii did apply there. What is this law of Sicarii? If one first purchased land from a Sicarius, who extorted the field from its prior owners with threats, and afterward the buyer returned and purchased the same field a second time from the prior landowner, his purchase is void. The prior owner of the field can say that he did not actually mean to sell him the field. By contrast, if he first acquired the field from the prior owner and afterward he returned and purchased the same field from a Sicarius, his purchase stands. Similarly, if one first purchased from the husband the rights to use a field belonging to his wife, and afterward he returned and purchased the same field from the wife, so that if the husband were to predecease or divorce her, the purchaser would then own it fully, his purchase is void. The woman can claim that she did not wish to quarrel with her husband and to object to the transaction but that in truth she did not agree to the sale. By contrast, if he first acquired the field from the wife, and afterward he returned and purchased the same field from the husband, his purchase stands. This is the initial version of this mishna. Later, the court of those who came after the Sages who composed that mishna said: With regard to one who purchased a field from a Sicarius, he must give the prior owner one-fourth of the field’s value. When does this apply? At a time when the prior owner is unable to purchase the field himself. But if he is able to purchase it himself, he precedes anyone else. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi later convened a court, and they counted their votes and determined that if the field remained before, i.e., in the possession of, the Sicarius for twelve months, whoever first purchases the field acquires possession of it, but he must give the prior owner one-fourth of the field’s value.
לֹא הָיָה סִיקָרִיקוֹן בִּיהוּדָה בַהֲרוּגֵי מִלְחָמָה. מֵהֲרוּגֵי מִלְחָמָה וְאֵילָךְ, יֶשׁ בָּהּ סִיקָרִיקוֹן. כֵּיצַד. לָקַח מִסִּיקָרִיקוֹן וְחָזַר וְלָקַח מִבַּעַל הַבַּיִת, מִקָּחוֹ בָטֵל. מִבַּעַל הַבַּיִת וְחָזַר וְלָקַח מִסִּיקָרִיקוֹן, מִקָּחוֹ קַיָּם. לָקַח מִן הָאִישׁ וְחָזַר וְלָקַח מִן הָאִשָּׁה, מִקָּחוֹ בָטֵל. מִן הָאִשָּׁה וְחָזַר וְלָקַח מִן הָאִישׁ, מִקָּחוֹ קַיָּם. זוֹ מִשְׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה. בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל אַחֲרֵיהֶם אָמְרוּ, הַלּוֹקֵחַ מִסִּיקָרִיקוֹן נוֹתֵן לַבְּעָלִים רְבִיעַ. אֵימָתַי, בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין בְּיָדָן לִקַּח. אֲבָל יֵשׁ בְּיָדָן לִקַּח, הֵן קוֹדְמִין לְכָל אָדָם. רַבִּי הוֹשִׁיב בֵּית דִּין וְנִמְנוּ, שֶׁאִם שָׁהֲתָה בִפְנֵי סִיקָרִיקוֹן שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, כָּל הַקּוֹדֵם לִקַּח, זוֹכֶה, אֲבָל נוֹתֵן לַבְּעָלִים רְבִיעַ:
Bartenura
לא היה סקריקון. נכרי רוצח. כלומר לא דנו דין סקריקון, לומר שהקונה קרקע של ישראל מיד הנכרי רוצח, יהיה חייב לדון עם הבעלים:
בשעת הרוגי המלחמה. בשעה שהיתה הגזירה קשה על ישראל ליהרג במלחמה. שהלוקח ממנו באותה שעה היה מקחו קיים ולא היה צריך לדון עם הישראל בעל הקרקע, משום דאגב אונסיה דישראל הוה גמר ומקנה לסיקריקון. וקיי״ל [ב״ב מז:] תלוהו וזבין זביניה זביני:
אבל מהרוגי המלחמה ואילך. שלא היתה הגזירה ליהרג, דנו דין סקריקון, לומר שהקונה ממנו יעשה דין עם הבעלים. כמו שמפורש במשנה:
מקחו בטל. דאמרינן מיראה עבד:
לקח מן האיש. קרקע המיוחד לכתובת אשתו:
מקחו בטל. דאמרה נחת רוח עשיתי לבעלי:
נותן לבעלים רביע. ששיערו, דסיקריקון מתוך שבחנם בא לידו מוזיל גביה רבעא:
לא היה סקריקון – a murdering heathen, that is do say, that they did not adjudicate the law concerning the purchase of confiscated property (see Talmud Gittin 55b) to say that whomever purchases Jewish land from a murdering heathen, will be liable to adjudicate with the owners.
משעת הרוגי מלחמה – At the time when the decree was difficult for the Jews [that they would be] killed during warfare, for a person who buys from him at that time, his purchase is valid, and there was no need to adjudicate with an Israelite who owns the land, since as a result of unavoidable compulsion where an Israelite would complete a sale to the heathen murderers, and we hold (Talmud Bava Batra 47b): “If a person consents to sell something through fear of physical violence (literally, “if they hang him and he sells”), the sale is valid.
אבל מהרוגי המלחמה ואילך – when there was no decree to be killed, they adjudicated the law concerning the purchase of confiscated propery, to say that when he purchases it from him, they should do a judgment with the owners as it is explained in the Mishnah.
מקחו בטל – for as we say that he did it out of fear.
לקח מן האיש – land that is designated for his wife’s Ketubah.
מקחו בטל – for she said that I did it only to gratify my husband (but did not mean to sell – see Talmud Ketubot 95a).
נותן לבעלים רביע – that they estimated, for the heathen murderers which it had come into his hand without paying for it, he bought [the confiscated field] for one-fourth less than its real value.