Bound property [(nechasim sheyesh lahem achrayuth) [i.e., land. One who lends another money depending upon it (for repayment) in that it is always present and intact. "achrayuth" denotes "chozer" ("following after"), i.e., the creditor "follows after" it and seizes it from the buyer when the debtor has nothing else] — (Bound property) is acquired by money, [viz. (Jeremiah 32:44): "They shall buy fields for money." This, where it is not the custom to write a deed; but where it is the custom, he does not acquire it until he writes a deed.], by writ, [writing on paper or on a shard: "My field is given to you," "My field is acquired by you," and giving it (the deed) to the buyer. And it is only when the land is given as a gift that it is acquired by a deed; but when it is sold, it is not acquired until the money is given (unless it is sold because of its poor condition, in which instance it is acquired by writ alone.) And whence is it derived that land is acquired by writ? From (Jeremiah 32:44): "And they shall write it in a deed and seal it."], and by chazakah, [such as by digging a little in the land, or fencing, or breaching somewhat in the presence of the seller. If not in his presence, he must say to him: "Go chazek (perform an act of chazakah) and acquire it." And whence is it derived that land is acquired by chazakah? From (Deuteronomy 11:31): "And you shall inherit it, and you shall dwell in it." How will you inherit it? By dwelling in it.] And unbound property is acquired only by meshichah ("drawing forth"), [it being written (Leviticus 25:14): "or acquire from the hand of your fellow." What may be transferred from hand to hand is acquired only by such transference.] Unbound property is acquired together with bound property, (which is acquired by) money, writ, or chazakah. [If he sold movable objects together with the land, when the buyer acquires the land by one of these three means of acquisition, those objects are acquired with it. This, on condition that the seller say to the buyer: "Acquire these together with the land." This is derived from (II Chronicles 21:3): "And their father gave them many gifts (consisting) of silver, and gold, and precious things together with fortified cities."] And unbound property links bound property to be subject to an oath. [Even though land is not subject to an oath — where movable objects and land are claimed, and he is obliged to swear vis-à-vis the first, the oath thereon links the land for a gilgul shevuah [a "rolled-on" oath]. Gilgul shevuah is derived from what is written in respect to sotah (a woman suspected of adultery), viz. (Numbers 5:22): "And the woman shall say: 'Amen, Amen'" — Amen (to the oath: "I have not become unclean") relative to this man (the suspected adulterer); Amen, relative to any other man; Amen, that I did not go astray when I was betrothed; Amen, that I did not go astray when I was married, awaiting yibum, or taken in yibum.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
נכסים שיש להם אחריות – that is landed property, that the person who lends his fellow relies upon them that they are enduring and standing. And the explanation of the word אחריות/property which may be resorted to in case of non-payment is “return” – that the lender can return to them and forcibly seize the mortgaged property [that had been sold] if he would not find anything with borrower [upon his non-payment of the loan].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Introduction
Today’s mishnah discusses the acquisition of land and movable property. Land in the Mishnah is called property which “has security.” This means that creditors can collect from this property for outstanding debts, even if the land is already owned by a third party (not the debtor). “Movable property” cannot be used for debt collection from third parties.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
נקנין בכסף – as it is written (Jeremiah 32:44): “Fields shall be purchased [and deeds written and sealed...],” and these words [apply] in a place where it is not customary to write a document, but in a place where it is customary to write a document, he does not acquire it until he writes a document.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Property which has security is acquired by money, by deed or by possession. Land is acquired through money, deed or possession. That is to say if Reuven wants to acquire land from Shimon he can do one of three things. Either he can pay money to Shimon, write out a document, or demonstrate possession over the land with Shimon’s consent.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
בשטר – that he writes on paper/parchment or on earthenware, that it is enough that is given to you or it is enough that is purchased by you, and he transfers it to the purchaser. And specifically, when it is a gift, land is purchased by a document. But in a sale, [it is not transferred] until he gives him the money, unless he sells his field because of its poor [quality], and in this, it is sold by a document alone. And from where do we learn that land is acquired by a document? It is written (Jeremiah 32:44): “[Fields shall be purchased,] and deeds written and sealed, [and witnesses called in the land of Benjamin and in the environs of Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah…].”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
[Property] which does not have security is acquired only by being drawn [to the purchaser]. Just as animals are not acquired by money, so too “things” are not acquired through money. Rather the purchaser must physically take the object he wishes to acquire into his possession. Until he does so, the item still belongs to the seller.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ובחזקה – such as that he dug a bit into the ground, or locked or fenced in or made a slight breach in the presence of the seller. But if it was not in his presence, he must say to him: “Go, take possession and acquire.” And from where do we learn that property is acquired by a claim based upon a presumption of undisturbed possession until evidence of a change is produced? As it is written (Deuteronomy 11:31): “…when you have occupied it and are settled in it.” How does one occupy it? Through settling it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Property which does not have security may be acquired in conjunction with property which does have security by money, deed, or possession; A person may acquire land through money, deed or possession, and at the same time acquire movable property without making a separate demonstration of acquisition. For instance if Reuven wishes to buy from Shimon a piece of land and a herd of sheep, he may acquire the land and the sheep with money, even though money alone would not be sufficient to acquire the sheep.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ושאין להם אחריות אין נקנין אלא במשיכה – As it is written (Leviticus 25:14): “[When you sell property to your neighbor,] or buy any from your neighbor, [you shall not wrong one another].” A thing which is possible to give him from hand to hand is not acquired other than by giving [it] from hand to hand.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
And it obligates the property which provides security, to take an oath concerning them. In Shevuoth 6:5 we learned that people do not take oaths over land. For instance, if Reuven claims that Shimon owes him land, and Shimon admits to part of the claim, he need not swear that he does not owe him the rest, as he would were Reuven to claim that Shimon owes him money or animals. However, if Shimon needs to take an oath over movable property and land, since he must take an oath over the movable property he must also take an oath over the land. This could happen if Reuven claims that Shimon owes him a piece of land and a 100 sheep. If Shimon admits that half of the land is Reuven’s and half of the sheep, he must take an oath over both the land and the sheep which he claims not to owe.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
נקנין עם נכסים כו' – If he sold movables with the land, since the purchaser bought the land in one of these three [forms] of acquisition, the movables are purchased with it, and he (i.e., the seller) should say to him: “acquire these subsidiary to the property, and we derive this from a Biblical verse, as it is written in Chronicles (II Chronicles 21:3): “Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and [other] presents, as well as fortified towns [in Judah…..].”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
וזוקקין – these properties which cannot be resorted to (i.e., movable properties), with property from which debts may eventually be collected (i.e., landed property). And even though no oath is imposed on these properties, where they claimed movables and landed property and mandated an oath on the movables, the movables obligate an oath on the landed properties through an oath of implication (i.e., the rule permitting the court to insert in an oath an affirmation to which the person concerned could not have been compelled directly). And we learned the oath of implication from the woman suspected of having committed adultery, as it is written (Numbers 5:22): “And the woman shall say, ‘Amen, Amen,’” “Amen” from this man, “Amen” from another man,” “Amen” that she did not act foolishly while she was betrothed; “Amen” that she did not act foolishly while married, a widow waiting for the יבם/the dead husband’s brother to marry or reject her and the case of a woman conduced to one’s house to consummate the marriage.
