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Gittin 5:5-6

Gittin 5:5

Rabbi Yochanan ben Gudg’da testified that: a woman with congenital deafness who was married off by her father is divorced with a get; the minor daughter of a Yisroel who marries a kohein may eat terumah; if she dies, her husband inherits her; if a stolen beam is built into an edifice, its owner is repaid the value (and not the beam itself) to encourage the thief to repent; a stolen animal that is used for a sin offering still effects atonement if it is not widely known to be stolen. This is because otherwise the kohanim might be hesitant to offer sacrifices.

Gittin 5:6

There was no law regarding purchasing land in Judea from robbers regarding those killed in the war with Titus. After that, such a law was instituted as follows: if a person bought land from a robber and then from the rightful owner, the purchase is invalid (because the owner doesn’t truly wish to sell it); if he bought if first from the rightful owner and then from the robber, the purchase is valid. If a person bought land (that was mortgaged to a woman’s kesubah) from a man and then from his wife, the purchase is invalid (because she may not really want to sell it); if he bought if first from the wife and then from her husband, the purchase is valid. This is the way they originally taught it. A later court ruled that if a person buys land from a robber, he must give the rightful owner one-quarter of it. This is when the rightful owner lacks to means to buy it himself but if he has the means, he has the option to purchase the field himself outright. Rebbi convened a court session and they voted that once land has been in the robber’s possession for 12 months, whoever comes first has the right to purchase the land but must give the original owner one-quarter.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz