Kesubos 10:5-6

Kesubos 10:5

If a man married four wives and died, the first has priority over the second, who has priority over the third, who has priority over the fourth. The first swears an oath (on demand) to the second, who swears an oath to the third, who swears an oath to the fourth. The fourth wife is paid her kesubah without taking an oath. Ben Nanas says that the fourth wife is not absolved of taking an oath just because she is last. If the four kesubos were all written on the same day, we prioritize based on the hour (assuming that information is recorded). In Jerusalem, the practice was to record the hour in the kesubah. If the kesubos were all written in the same hour and the estate is only 100 zuz, they divide it evenly.

Kesubos 10:6

Let’s say that a man married two wives and sold his field, the first wife writing that she has no claim against the buyer. The second wife can still come to collect the field in order to pay her kesubah. The first wife can then claim it from the second wife and the buyer of the field can claim it from the first wife. This can go on ad infinitum until the three parties come to an agreement among themselves. The same scenario can also occur with creditors.