Mishnayos Bava Basra Perek 9 Mishnah 3
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בבא בתרא פרק ט׳ משנה ג׳
In the case of one who died and left behind adult and minor sons, if the adult sons enhanced the property, they enhanced it so that the profit goes to the middle, i.e., it is distributed among all the heirs. If the adult sons said from the outset: See that which our father left behind; we are going to engage in business with our share of the property and profit from it, then they enhanced the property for themselves. And similarly, with regard to a wife who enhanced the property of her deceased husband, she enhanced it so that the profit goes to the middle, i.e., it is divided between her and the heirs. If she said: See that which my husband left me; I am going to engage in business with my share and profit from it, then she enhanced the property for herself.
הִנִּיחַ בָּנִים גְּדוֹלִים וּקְטַנִּים, הִשְׁבִּיחוּ גְּדוֹלִים אֶת הַנְּכָסִים, הִשְׁבִּיחוּ לָאֶמְצַע. אִם אָמְרוּ רְאוּ מַה שֶּׁהִנִּיחַ לָנוּ אַבָּא, הֲרֵי אָנוּ עוֹשִׂים וְאוֹכְלִין, הִשְׁבִּיחוּ לְעַצְמָן. וְכֵן הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהִשְׁבִּיחָה אֶת הַנְּכָסִים, הִשְׁבִּיחָה לָאֶמְצַע. אִם אָמְרָה רְאוּ מַה שֶּׁהִנִּיחַ לִי בַּעְלִי, הֲרֵי אֲנִי עוֹשָׂה וְאוֹכֶלֶת, הִשְׁבִּיחָה לְעַצְמָהּ:
Bartenura
השביחו גדולים את הנכסים. בעודן בתפוסת הבית:
השביחו לאמצע. והני מילי כששבחו הנכסים מחמת נכסים עצמן, שלא הוציאו משלהן כלום אלא מנכסי אביהן שכרו פועלים והשביחו הנכסים מחמת עצמן. אבל אם חפרו ונטעו והוציאו משלהן, מה שהשביחו השביחו לעצמן:
וכן האשה שהשביחה. בגמרא מוקמינן לה באשה יורשת. כגון שנשא ראובן את בת שמעון אחיו, ומת בלא בנים, ובנות שמעון אחיו יורשות אותו, נמצאת אשתו שהיא בת שמעון אחיו יורשת אותו עם שאר אחיותיה, וסלקא דעתך אמינא דבההיא הנאה דנפיק עלה קלא ששולטת ומשבחת, אפילו כי אמרה ראו מה הניח לי בעלי וכו׳ אפילו הכי מחלה ורוצה שיהיה השבח לאמצע, קמשמע לן דהשביחה לעצמה:
השביחו גדולים את הנכסים – while they are still belonging to the estate (before division among heirs).
השביחו לאמצע – and these words refer, when they improved the estate on account of the estate themselves, for they didn’t take out anything of their own, but only from the estate of their father, they hired workers. And they improved the estate on account of themselves. But if they dug and planted and spent their own money, the improvements they made, they made for themselves.
וכן אשה שהשביחה – In the Gemara (Tractate Bava Batra 144a) we establish it with a woman inheriting such as the case of Reuven who married the daughter of Shimon, his brother. But alas, he died without having any children. And the daughters of Shimon, his brother, inherit him. It is found that his wife, who is the daughter of Shimon, his brother, inherits him with the rest of her sisters. And you might say that with this benefit that she derives due to the emerging rumor that she manages [her husband’s property] and improves it, even if she had said, “see what my husband left me etc.,” even so, she renounced it and wants to improve it for the common fund/estate (and divide the profit equally). But it comes to teach it that she improved it for herself.