1Our Sages decreed that a man give a certain portion of his holdings to his daughter as a dowry.1 This is referred to as parnasah.אצִוּוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁיִּתֵּן אָדָם מִנְּכָסָיו מְעַט לְבִתּוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּנָּשֵׂא בּוֹ. וְזֶה הוּא הַנִּקְרָא ‘פַּרְנָסָה’.
When a man marries off his daughter, he should provide her with at least the wardrobe that is given to the wife of a poor Jewish man, as we have explained.2הַמַּשִּׂיא אֶת בִּתּוֹ סְתָם, לֹא יִפְחֹת לָהּ מִכְּסוּת שֶׁפּוֹסְקִין לְאֵשֶׁת עָנִי שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.
When does the above apply? When the bride’s father is poor. If he is wealthy, he should provide for his daughter according to his standards.בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בְּשֶׁהָיָה הָאָב עָנִי; אֲבָל אִם הָיָה עָשִׁיר, הֲרֵי זֶה רָאוּי לִתֵּן לָהּ כְּפִי עָשְׁרוֹ.
2If a father explicitly tells the prospective husband that his daughter does not possess anything, and that his intent is that he marry her although she does not possess a wardrobe, the bride is not entitled to anything of her father’s. In such a situation, the prospective husband should not say: “When she comes to my home, I will provide her with a wardrobe.” Instead, he should provide her with a wardrobe while she is living in her father’s home.בפֵּרַשׁ עַל הַבַּעַל שֶאֵין לָהּ כְּלוּם וְשֶׁיַּכְנִיסֶנָּה עֲרֻמָּה - אֵין לָהּ כְּלוּם; וְלֹא יֹאמַר הַבַּעַל 'כְּשֶׁתָּבוֹא לְבֵיתִי אֲכַסֶּנָּה', אֶלָא מְכַסֶּה וְהִיא בְּבֵית אָבִיהָ.
3When a father dies and leaves at least one son and a daughter she is provided with a dowry from his estate. We estimate what the father would have desired to give the daughter as a dowry, and she is given that sum.גהָאָב שֶׁמֵּת וְהִנִּיחַ בַּת - אוֹמְדִין דַּעְתּוֹ כַּמָּה הָיָה בְּלִבּוֹ לִתֵּן לָהּ לְפַרְנָסָתָהּ, וְנוֹתְנִין לָהּ.
How is it possible to arrive at such an estimate? We survey the habits of his friends and acquaintances, his business affairs and his standard of living. If he married off a daughter during his lifetime, we base our estimate on what she was given. If the court is unable to determine what he would have desired to give his daughter, she is given a tenth of his estate as a dowry.3וּמְנַיִן יוֹדְעִין אֻמְדַּן דַּעְתּוֹ? מֵרֵעָיו וּמְיֻדָּעָיו וּמִמַּשָּׂאוֹ וּמַתָּנוֹ וּכְבוֹדוֹ. וְכֵן אִם הִשִּׂיא בַּת בְּחַיָּיו, אוֹמְדִין בָּהּ. וְאִם לֹא יָדְעוּ לוֹ לְבֵית דִּין אֻמְדַּן דַּעְתּוֹ, נוֹתְנִין לָהּ מִנְּכָסָיו עִשּׂוּר לְפַרְנָסָתָהּ.
4When a man leaves a son and many daughters, the first daughter who desires to marry4 is given a tenth of the estate. The second daughter to marry receives a tenth of what was left after providing the first daughter with her dowry. And the third daughter receives a tenth of what was left after providing the second daughter.דהִנִּיחַ בָּנוֹת רַבּוֹת - כָּל שֶׁתָּבוֹא לְהִנָּשֵׂא, נוֹתְנִין לָהּ עִשּׂוּר הַנְּכָסִים; וְשֶׁלְּאַחֲרֶיהָ, עִשּׂוּר מַה שֶׁשִּׁיְּרָה רִאשׁוֹנָה; וְשֶׁלְּאַחֲרֶיהָ, עִשּׂוּר מַה שֶׁשִּׁיְּרָה שְׁנִיָּה.
If all a man’s daughters come to marry at the same time, money is set aside for them according to the above pattern, the first daughter who desires to marry is given a tenth of the estate. The second daughter to marry receives a tenth of what was left after providing the first daughter with her dowry. And the third daughter receives a tenth of what was left after providing the second daughter. This is even if there are ten daughters or more. Afterwards, all the allotments are pooled, and then divided equally among the daughters. The remainder of the estate is given to the sons.וְאִם בָּאוּ כֻּלָּן לְהִנָּשֵׂא כְּאַחַת - רִאשׁוֹנָה נוֹטֶלֶת עִשּׂוּר, וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה עִשּׂוּר מַה שֶׁשִּׁיְּרָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית עִשּׂוּר מַה שֶׁשִּׁיְּרָה שְׁנִיָּה, וְכֵן אַפִלּוּ הֵן עֶשֶׂר, וְחוֹזְרוֹת וְחוֹלְקוֹת כָּל הָעִשּׂוּרִים בְּשָׁוֶה, וּשְׁאָר הַנְּכָסִים לָאַחִים.
5The allotment of a tenth of the estate as a dowry is not one of the provisions of the ketubah.העִשּׂוּר זֶה שֶׁהוּא לְפַרְנָסָה אֵינוֹ מִתְּנָאֵי כְּתֻבָּה.
Therefore, even according to the enactment of the later Sages,5 it is only to be collected from landed property.6 It may, however, be collected from rent due for landed property.7לְפִיכָךְ אַפִלּוּ לְתַקָּנַת חַכָמִים אַחֲרוֹנִים, אֵינוֹ נִטָּל אֶלָא מִן הַקַרְקַע. וְיֵשׁ לָהּ לִגְבּוֹת עִשּׂוּר זֶה מִשְּׂכִירוּת הַקַרְקַע.
If, however, a girl’s brothers desire to give her money in lieu of a tenth of the landed property, they have that right.וְאִם רָצוּ הָאַחִין לִתֵּן לָהּ מָעוֹת כְּנֶגֶד עִשּׂוּר הַקַרְקַע, נוֹתְנִין.
6With regard to this allotment of a tenth of the estate, the daughter is considered to be a creditor of her brothers. Therefore, she is entitled to collect it from property of intermediate quality. An oath is not required of her.והַבַּת בְּעִשּׂוּר זֶה כְּבַעַל חוֹב שֶׁל אַחִין הִיא, לְפִיכָךְ נוֹטֶלֶת אוֹתוֹ מִן הַבֵּינוֹנִית בְּלֹא שְׁבוּעָה.
If her brothers die, she is entitled to collect it from their sons, expropriating property of inferior quality, and an oath8 is required of her. For she is collecting property from heirs, and it is an accepted principle that a person who comes to collect property from heirs may collect only from that of inferior quality and is required to take an oath before doing so, as will be explained in the laws of loans.9וְאִם מֵתוּ הָאַחִין, נוֹטֶלֶת אוֹתוֹ מִבְּנֵיהֶם מִן הַזִּבּוֹרִית וּבִשְׁבוּעָה; שֶׁהֲרֵי הִיא נִפְרַעַת מִנִּכְסֵי יְתוֹמִים, וְהַבָּא לִפָּרַע מִנִּכְסֵי יְתוֹמִים, לֹא יִפָּרַע אֶלָא מִן הַזִּבּוֹרִית וּבִשְׁבוּעָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּהִלְכוֹת הַלְוָאָה.
7Should her brothers have sold the landed property of their father’s estate, or given it as collateral, the daughter may collect her dowry from the purchasers, just as other creditors are entitled to collect from the purchasers,10 as will be explained in the laws of loans.11זוְהָאַחִים שֶׁמָּכְרוּ אוֹ מִשְׁכְּנוּ קַרְקַע אֲבִיהֶם - הַבַּת טוֹרֶפֶת מִן הַלָּקוֹחוֹת פַּרְנָסָתָהּ, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁטּוֹרְפִים כָּל בַּעֲלֵי חוֹבוֹת מִן הַלָּקוֹחוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּהִלְכוֹת הַלְוָאָה.
8When a man has several daughters, but no sons, his estate is divided equally among his daughters at the time of his death. Although he married off the older daughters during his lifetime and provided them with dowries, we do not grant dowries to the younger daughters and then divide the estate.חמִי שֶׁהִשִּׂיא בָּנוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ קְטַנּוֹת וּמֵת בְּלֹא בֵּן - אֵין נוֹטְלִין פַּרְנָסָה לַקְּטַנּוֹת וְאַחַר כָּךְ חוֹלְקוֹת אֶת הַנְּכָסִים, אֶלָא חוֹלְקוֹת כֻּלָּן בְּשָׁוֶה.
9The following rules apply when a man has died, leaving two daughters and a son. The older daughter received a tenth of the estate as a dowry, but before the younger daughter had collected her dowry, the son died without leaving any heirs, and the two sisters inherited the entire estate. In this situation, the younger sister is not entitled to her tenth of the estate.12 Instead, the entire estate is divided equally, but the older sister is granted the tenth she had received previously.13טמִי שֶׁמֵּת וְהִנִּיחַ שְׁתֵּי בָּנוֹת וָבֵן, וְקָדְמָה רִאשׁוֹנָה וְנָטְלָה עִשּׂוּר נְכָסִים, וְלֹא הִסְפִּיקָה הַשֵּׁנִיּת לִגְבּוֹת עַד שֶׁמֵּת הַבֵּן, וְנָפְלוּ כָּל הַנְּכָסִים לִשְׁתֵּיהֶן - אֵין הַשְּׁנִיָּה נוֹטֶלֶת עִשּׂוּר, אֶלָא חוֹלְקוֹת בְּשָׁוֶה, וְזָכָת רִאשׁוֹנָה בָּעִשּׂוּר שֶׁלָּהּ.
10When a man gives an order at the time of his death: “Do not give my daughters a dowry from my estate,” his words are heeded. The rationale is that a dowry is not one of the provisions of a ketubah.14ימִי שֶׁצִּוָּה בִּשְׁעַת מִיתָה 'אַל תְּפַרְנְסוּ בְּנוֹתַי מִנְּכָסַי' - שׁוֹמְעִים לוֹ, שֶאֵין זֶה מִתְּנָאֵי כְּתֻבָּה.
11The following rules apply when a man dies, leaving a widow and a daughter. It has already been explained15 that the support of a man’s widow16 takes precedence over the support of his daughter.יאמִי שֶׁמֵּת וְהִנִּיחַ אַלְמָנָה וּבַת, כְּבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ שֶׁמְּזוֹנוֹת הָאַלְמָנָה קוֹדְמִין לִמְזוֹנוֹת הַבַּת.
Similarly, if the daughter marries, she is not entitled to collect her tenth of the estate, because of the obligation to support the widow.17וְכֵן אִם נִשֵּׂאת הַבַּת - אֵינָהּ נוֹטֶלֶת עִשּׂוּר נְכָסִים, מִפְּנֵי מְזוֹנוֹת הָאַלְמָנָה.
Even if the daughter dies after she marries, her husband is not entitled to inherit the dowry that should have been given her.18 For the entire estate is considered to be in the possession of the widow so that she can derive her sustenance.וְאַפִלּוּ מֵתָה הַבַּת אַחַר שֶׁנִּשֵּׂאת, אֵין הַבַּעַל יוֹרֵשׁ פַּרְנָסָה הָרְאוּיָה לְהִנָּתֵן לָהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי הַנְּכָסִים כֻּלָּן בְּחֶזְקַת הָאַלְמָנָה שֶׁתְּהֵא נִזֹּנֶת מֵהֶן.
12When an orphan girl is married off by her brothers or her mother as a child with her consent, and she is given 50 or 100 zuz as a dowry, she is entitled to collect the dowry that is due her - according to the estimation of her father’s desires or one tenth of the landed property19 of his estate - from them after she attains the age of majority.יבקְטַנָּה יְתוֹמָה שֶׁהִשִּׂיאַתָּהּ אִמָּהּ אוֹ אָחִיהָ לְדַעְתָּהּ, וְנָתְנוּ לָהּ מֵאָה אוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים זוּז - יְכוֹלָה הִיא מִשֶּׁתַּגְדִּיל לְהוֹצִיא מִיָּדָם פַּרְנָסָה הָרְאוּיָה לָהּ, אוֹ בְּאֻמְדַּן דַּעַת הָאָב אוֹ עִשּׂוּר הַקַרְקַעוֹת.
This applies even if her brothers did not provide her with sustenance,20 and even if she did not object at the time of the wedding. For a minor is not capable of making an objection in court.21וְאַפִלּוּ לֹא הָיוּ הָאַחִין זָנִין אוֹתָהּ, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא מִחַתָה בִּשְׁעַת נִשּׂוּאִין, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַקְּטַנָּה אֵינָהּ בַּת מֶחָאָה.
13When a daughter marries after she reaches majority - whether as a na’arah or as a bogeret - and does not demand her dowry, she forfeits her dowry.יגנִשֵּׂאת הַבַּת אַחַר שֶׁגָּדְלָה, בֵּין נַעֲרָה בֵּין בּוֹגֶרֶת, וְלֹא תָבְעָה פַּרְנָסָתָהּ - אִבְּדָה פַּרְנָסָתָהּ.
If, however, she protested at the time of her marriage, she may collect her due whenever she desires.וְאִם מִחַתָה בְּעֵת נִשּׂוּאֶיהָ, הֲרֵי זוֹ מוֹצִיאָה אֶת הָרָאוּי לָהּ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁתִּרְצֶה.
A further point must be considered when she reaches the age of bagrut and remains in her father’s house - regardless of whether she reaches bagrut after his death, or he died when she had already reached the age of bagrut.22 If her brothers have already ceased providing her with her sustenance, which is their prerogative, as we have explained,23 and the girl remained silent and did not demand her dowry, she forfeits her dowry. If she protests, she does not forfeit her dowry.בָּגְרָה וְעוֹדָהּ בְּבֵית אָבִיהָ, בֵּין שֶׁבָּגְרָה אַחַר מוֹתוֹ בֵּין שֶׁהִנִּיחָהּ בּוֹגֶרֶת: אִם פָּסְקוּ הָאַחִין מְזוֹנוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין לָהּ מְזוֹנוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ, וְשָׁתְקָה וְלֹא תָבְעָה פַּרְנָסָתָהּ - אִבְּדָה פַּרְנָסָתָהּ; וְאִם מִחַתָה - לֹא אִבְּדָה פַּרְנָסָתָהּ.
If, however, her brothers had not ceased providing her with her sustenance although she reached bagrut, she is not considered to have forfeited her dowry as long as they continue to provide her with her sustenance, even though she did not protest. For she can claim that she did not demand her dowry because her brothers are supporting her although they are not obligated to do so,24 and she has not yet married.25לֹא פָסְקוּ הָאַחִין מְזוֹנוֹתֶיהָ וְזָנוּ אוֹתָהּ בְּבֶגֶר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא מִחַתָה - לֹא אִבְּדָה פַּרְנָסָתָהּ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהֵן זָנִין אוֹתָהּ; שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ לִטְעֹן: מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן זָנִין אוֹתָהּ אַף עַל פִּי שְׁאֵינָן חַיָּבִין, וְהִיא עֲדַיִן לֹא נִשֵּׂאת, מִפְּנֵי זֶה לֹא תָבְעָה פַּרְנָסָתָהּ.
14The following rules apply when a man stated - whether while making an oral will before death or while healthy - that his daughter should be given a specific sum of money as a dowry, and that this sum should be used to purchase landed property, and then died afterwards. When the money is in the possession of a third party and the daughter states: “Give the money to my husband and let him do with it as he desires,” the third party should do as follows.ידמִי שֶׁצִּוָּה לִתֵּן לְבִתּוֹ כָּךְ וְכָּךְ מָעוֹת לְפַרְנָסָתָהּ לִקַּח בָּהֶן קַרְקַע, בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה שְׁכִיב מְרַע בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה בָּרִיא, וּמֵת, וַהֲרֵי הַמָּעוֹת בְּיַד הַשָּׁלִישׁ, וְאָמְרָה הַבַּת 'תְּנוּ אוֹתָם לְבַעְלִי', כָּל מַה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה יַעֲשֶׂה בָּהֶן - אִם הָיְתָה גְּדוֹלָה וְנִשֵּׂאת, הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדָהּ.
If the daughter has reached the age of majority and has married, she is granted this prerogative.26 If she is past majority, but merely consecrated, the third party should follow the instructions he was given.27 And if she is a minor, even if she is already married, her request is not heeded.28 Instead, the third party should carry out her father’s instructions.29וְאִם עֲדַיִן מְאֹרֶסֶת הִיא, יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלִישׁ מַה שֶׁהֻשְׁלַשׁ בְּיָדוֹ, וְאִם עֲדַיִן קְטַנָּה הִיא - אַפִלּוּ נִשֵּׂאת, אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לָהּ, אֶלָא יַעֲשֶׂה שָּׁלִישׁ כְּמוֹ שֶׁצִּוָּה הָאָב.
