A contract arranged with the court that allows for debt extension past the Sabbatical year.
Notable Sources
All Sources
A
Hillel's Solution to Lending During ShemitahMISHNAH
Hillel's Solution to Lending During Shemitah
MISHNAH
Hillel the Elder observed that people were refraining from lending money to one another, thus transgressing a Torah commandment. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel, explains Hillel's enactment of the prozbul to ensure loans would continue to be made even during the Shemitah year.
Hillel's Moral DilemmaJEWISH THOUGHT
Hillel's Moral Dilemma
JEWISH THOUGHT
Hillel's prosbul represents a profound moral and ethical deliberation, balancing Torah principles with societal needs. Eliezer Berkovits explores how Hillel the Elder resolved the conflict between the biblical law of debt cancellation and practical economic realities without relying on an explicit Torah text.
Orphans and the ProsbolTALMUD
Orphans and the Prosbol
TALMUD
Orphans do not require a prosbol because the court automatically acts as their steward, transferring their debts to the court. The Talmudic tractate Bava Kamma, part of the Order of Damages, discusses this unique legal provision.
The Authority of Hillel's ProzbulTALMUD
The Authority of Hillel's Prozbul
TALMUD
The Talmud here entertains the possibility that Hillel's prosbul was not a blanket solution but was intended for courts with significant authority. The Gemara in tractate Gittin discusses the specific conditions under which Hillel's prosbol was instituted.
The Exemption of Torah Scholars from PruzbolHALAKHAH
The Exemption of Torah Scholars from Pruzbol
HALAKHAH
Torah scholars are eligible for a unique exemption from composing a pruzbol due to their understanding of Rabbinic decrees. Rambam, in his comprehensive legal code, explains the special status of Torah scholars regarding debt nullification during the Sabbatical year.
The Legal Intricacies of ProzbulTOSEFTA
The Legal Intricacies of Prozbul
TOSEFTA
The procedural details and debates surrounding the prozbul highlight the complexities of ensuring loans can be collected after the Sabbatical year. The Tosefta, an ancient collection of rabbinic laws and teachings from the land of Israel, provides insights into the formal requirements and legal debates about the prozbul.
The Versatility of ProzbulCOMMENTARY
The Versatility of Prozbul
COMMENTARY
Even a small plot of land can fulfill the stipulation for writing a prozbul that the borrower own land, connecting it to various other Jewish laws. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel, discusses the prozbul and its relation to property ownership.
The Timing of ProzbulTALMUD
The Timing of Prozbul
TALMUD
The timing of a Prozbul document can determine its legal validity, affecting whether debts can be collected after the Sabbatical year. The Jerusalem Talmud, an ancient corpus of law, ethics, and stories from the land of Israel, in tractate Sheviit discusses the legal distinctions between predated and postdated Prozbul documents.
Hillel's Prozbul Solves Debt IssuesCOMMENTARY
Hillel's Prozbul Solves Debt Issues
COMMENTARY
The prozbul, a legal innovation by Hillel the Elder, addresses the practical concerns of debt remission during the Sabbatical year. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel, in Chapter 10 of Sheviit outlines the laws of remitting loans on the Sabbatical year and the introduction of the prozbul.
Cashing Checks Before Rosh ha-ShanahHALAKHAH
Cashing Checks Before Rosh ha-Shanah
HALAKHAH
According to Rabbi Nachum Spira, every check, even those given as gifts, must be cashed before Rosh ha-Shanah unless a prozbol is executed, as each check is considered a binding promissory note. Rabbi J. David Bleich, in his analysis of shemittah laws, examines this approach and its limitations.
Navigating Debt Cancellation in the Shemitah YearHALAKHAH
Navigating Debt Cancellation in the Shemitah Year
HALAKHAH
The shemitah year mandates debt cancellation, which remains relevant and obligatory even outside of Israel. The Kitzur Shulchan Arukh provides practical guidance on using a prosbol to avoid monetary loss during the shemitah year.