If there fell to her, old bondsmen and bondswomen, they are sold, and land is bought for them, and he eats fruits. R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: They are not to be sold, for they are the "pride" of her father's house. [She can prevent it. The halachah is in accordance with him.] If old olive (trees) and vines fell to her, they are sold for wood and land is bought for them and he eats fruits. R. Yehudah says: They are not to be sold, for they are the "pride" of her father's house. [The halachah is in accordance with him.] If one expended money on his wife's property — if he expended much and ate little, [even a minute mount], or if he expended a little and ate much — what he expended he expended and what he ate he ate. If he expended and he did not eat, he swears how much he expended and takes. [This oath is similar to a Torah oath. This is so when the appreciation were as much as the expenditure or more; but if the expenditure were more than the appreciation, he swears a Torah oath that he expended against the appreciation, and he takes only the amount of the appreciation and forfeits the rest. And all this is when the husband divorced her. But if she rebelled, whether or not the husband ate, he swears how much he expended and takes against the appreciation. And in tzon-barzel (mortmain) property, all of the appreciation is his, for we say: "If they increased (in value), they increased for him."]
Bartenura on Mishnah Ketubot
רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר לא תמכור – she can prevent/detain it and the Halakha is according to him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Ketubot
Introduction
The first section of this mishnah deals with a woman who inherits slaves to old to work or trees that are too old to produce fruit.
The second part of the mishnah deals with the expenditures that the husband puts out in taking care of his wife’s property.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Ketubot
רבי יהודה אומר לא תמכור – and the Halakha is according to him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Ketubot
If she inherited old slaves or female slaves, they are to be sold, and land purchased with the proceeds, and the husband can enjoy the usufruct. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: she need not sell them, because they are the glory of her father’s house. If a woman inherited old slaves who can no longer perform real work, the husband might want to sell them so that he will receive greater usufruct. According to the first opinion in the mishnah, he has a right to sell these slaves and to use the proceeds to buy land. In such a manner her property will also be preserved for the slaves would have soon died in any case. However, one doubts whether the sale would be very profitable in any case. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel rules that the woman can demand that the slaves be kept, since they are a sign of her family’s ancestral wealth. Although they cannot now perform a significant amount of work, their connection to the family and to the family’s honor gives the woman the right to retain them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Ketubot
קימעא – a small amount and even just a little bit.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Ketubot
If she inherited old olive-trees or vines they must be sold, and land purchased with the proceeds, and the husband can enjoy the usufruct. Rabbi Judah says: she need not sell them, because they are the glory of her paternal house. This section teaches the same rule with regard to old vines and olive trees. Again the husband would want to sell them to increase his usufruct.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Ketubot
ישבע במה הוציא ויטול – and this oath is similar to the Torah and these words [regard] that there was improvement/gain corresponding to the [financial] outlay or more, but if the outlay was greater than the improvement/gain, he should take the oath of the Torah that he made an outlay corresponding to the improvement/gain, and he should take corresponding to the improvement/gain and the rest he loses. And all of this [occurs] when the husband divorced her. But if she rebelled, whether the husband consumed or whether he did not consume, he should take an oath how much he spent and take corresponding to the improvement/gain and in property of mort-main, all the improvement/gain belongs to the husband, for we say, that if he increased [his outlay], he increased for himself.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Ketubot
He who spent money in connection with his wife’s property, whether he spent much and consumed little, [or spent] little and consumed much, what he has spent he has spent, and what he has consumed he has consumed. If he spent but did not consume he may take an oath as to how much he has spent and receive compensation. If a husband has expenditures in managing his wife’s property, he cannot recoup those expenditures from the wife’s property (meaning the principle). However, this is only if he also consumes the usufruct. If he does not, he may receive compensation by taking an oath as to how much he spent. The Talmud teaches that he cannot recoup more than the gain in the value of the property. In other words, if he dug a irrigation system that cost 100 zuz, and thereby raised the value of the field by 75 zuz, he only receives 75 zuz. If he raised the value by 125 zuz, he receives 100, the amount of his expenditures.
