בַּעַל חוֹב גּוֹבֶה אֶת הַשֶּׁבַח שֶׁהִשְׁבִּיחַ הַלּוֹקֵחַ בֵּין שֶׁהִשְׁבִּיחוּ מֵחֲמַת הוֹצָאָה בֵּין שֶׁשָּׁבְחוּ נְכָסִים מֵאֲלֵיהֶן. אֶלָּא שֶׁאִם שָׁבְחוּ מֵאֲלֵיהֶן טוֹרֵף כָּל הַשֶּׁבַח וְאִם הִשְׁבִּיחוּ מֵחֲמַת הוֹצָאָה גּוֹבֶה חֲצִי הַשֶּׁבַח. כֵּיצַד. רְאוּבֵן שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ חוֹב עַל שִׁמְעוֹן מָאתַיִם וּמָכַר שִׁמְעוֹן לְלֵוִי שָׂדֶה בְּמָנֶה וְהוֹצִיא עָלֶיהָ לֵוִי הוֹצָאוֹת וְהִשְׁבִּיחָהּ וַהֲרֵי הִיא שָׁוָה מָאתַיִם. כְּשֶׁיָּבוֹא רְאוּבֵן לִטְרֹף מִלֵּוִי טוֹרֵף מִמֶּנָּה בְּמֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים שֶׁל חֲצִי הַשֶּׁבַח. וְאִם הִשְׁבִּיחָה מֵחֲמַת עַצְמָהּ כְּגוֹן שֶׁהוּקְרָה בְּדָמִים אוֹ עָלוּ בָּהּ אִילָנוֹת גּוֹבֶה אֶת כֻּלָּהּ. הוֹרוּ חֲכָמִים גְּדוֹלִים וְאָמְרוּ לֹא יְהֵא הַלּוֹקֵחַ רַע כֹּחוֹ מֵהַיּוֹרֵד לִשְׂדֵה חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְשׁוּת שֶׁשָּׁמִין לוֹ וְיָדוֹ עַל הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה לְפִיכָךְ אִם הִשְׁבִּיחַ מֵאָה וְהוֹצִיא חֲמִשִּׁים נוֹטֵל כָּל הַהוֹצָאָה וַחֲצִי הַשֶּׁבַח הַיָּתֵר עַל הַהוֹצָאָה וְהַחֲצִי עִם הַקֶּרֶן טוֹרֵף בַּעַל חוֹב [וּדְבָרִים שֶׁל טַעַם הֵם וְכָךְ רָאוּי לָדוּן] וְחוֹזֵר הַלּוֹקֵחַ וְגוֹבֶה אֶת הַקֶּרֶן מִנִּכְסֵי שִׁמְעוֹן אַף מִן הַמְשֻׁעְבָּדִין שֶׁמָּכַר אוֹ נָתַן מֵאַחַר זְמַן שֶׁמָּכַר בּוֹ לְלֵוִי. אֲבָל הַשֶּׁבַח שֶׁטָּרַף מִמֶּנּוּ בַּעַל חוֹב בֵּין בְּחֶצְיוֹ בֵּין בְּכֻלּוֹ אֵין לֵוִי גּוֹבֵהוּ אֶלָּא מִנְּכָסִים בְּנֵי חוֹרִין שֶׁל שִׁמְעוֹן שֶׁתַּקָּנַת עוֹלָם הִיא שֶׁלֹּא יִגְבֶּה הַשֶּׁבַח וְלֹא הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁאָכַל הַגַּזְלָן וְלֹא מְזוֹן הָאִשָּׁה וְהַבָּנוֹת מִנְּכָסִים מְשֻׁעְבָּדִין שֶׁאֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶן קִצְבָה. וּמִקֻּלֵּי כְּתֻבָּה שֶׁלֹּא תִּטְרֹף אִשָּׁה מִן הַשֶּׁבַח כְּתֻבָּתָהּ. וְלָמָּה יִטְרֹף בַּעַל חוֹב חֲצִי הַשֶּׁבַח בִּלְבַד הַבָּאָה מֵחֲמַת הוֹצָאָה עַצְמָהּ לְפִי שֶׁהַשֶּׁבַח בָּא לְאַחַר שֶׁלָּוָה מֵרְאוּבֵן וּלְאַחַר שֶׁמָּכַר לְלֵוִי וְנִמְצָא רְאוּבֵן וְלֵוִי כִּשְׁנֵי בַּעֲלֵי חוֹבוֹת לְשִׁמְעוֹן וְהַשֶּׁבַח בַּנְּכָסִים שֶׁבָּאוּ לוֹ אַחַר שֶׁלָּוָה מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם שֶׁהֵן חוֹלְקִין כְּאֶחָד כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ. לְפִיכָךְ רְאוּבֵן שֶׁלָּוָה מִשִּׁמְעוֹן מָנֶה וְכָתַב לוֹ שֶׁאֲנִי עָתִיד לִקְנוֹת וְחָזַר וְלָוָה מִלֵּוִי מָאתַיִם וְכָתַב לוֹ שֶׁאֲנִי עָתִיד לִקְנוֹת וְקָנָה אַחַר כָּךְ שָׂדֶה וּמְכָרָהּ לִיהוּדָה בְּמֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים וְהִשְׁבִּיחָהּ יְהוּדָה בְּהוֹצָאָתוֹ וַהֲרֵי הִיא שָׁוָה שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת טוֹרֵף שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי הַקֶּרֶן וְחוֹלְקִין אוֹתוֹ בְּשָׁוֶה וְנִמְצָא בְּיַד זֶה חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים וּבְיַד זֶה חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים. וְחוֹזְרִין שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי וִיהוּדָה שְׁלָשְׁתָּן וְחוֹלְקִין מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים שֶׁל שֶׁבַח עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ. נִמְצָא שִׁמְעוֹן טוֹרֵף מָנֶה שֶׁלּוֹ מִשָּׂדֶה זוֹ וְלֵוִי טוֹרֵף מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁבְעָה וּמֶחֱצָה וִיהוּדָה נוֹטֵל מִן הַשֶּׁבַח שְׁנַיִם וְשִׁשִּׁים וּמֶחֱצָה. וְכָזֶה הֵן חוֹלְקִין אֲפִלּוּ הֵן מֵאָה:
When a creditor expropriates a field, he may also expropriate the increase in value that the purchaser brings about within the field. This applies whether the field increases in value because of an investment, or it increases in value as a matter of course. There is, however, a difference between the two instances. If it increases in value as a matter of course, the creditor may expropriate the entire increase in value. If it increased in value because of an investment, the creditor may expropriate only half the increase. What is implied? Reuven was owed a debt of 200 zuz by Shimon. Shimon sold a field to Levi for a maneh. Levi made an investment in the field and caused its value to increase and it is now worth 200. When Reuven expropriates it from Levi, he expropriates it from him for 100 and also the 50 that constitutes half the increase of value. If it increased in value on its own accord - e.g., the price rose or trees grew - he can expropriate the entire amount. Great sages issued a ruling stating that a purchaser should not have lesser legal power than a person who occupies a field belonging to a colleague without permission, in which instance the increase in the field's value is appraised, and the squatter is given the weaker position. Therefore, if the field increased 100 zuz in value and Levi spent 50, Levi should receive all of his expenses and half of the increase in value beyond the expenses. The other half of the increase in value, and the principal, should be expropriated by the creditor. These are words of logic, and it is appropriate to rule accordingly. The purchaser then returns and expropriates the principal from Shimon's property, including even property that he sold or gave away after the time he sold this field to Levi. The increase in value that the creditor expropriated from Levi, the purchaser - whether half the increase in value or the entire increase - Levi may then expropriate only from property in the possession of Shimon. For it is an enactment instituted for the sake of society not to expropriate a property's increase in value, nor produce eaten by a thief, nor the sustenance given a widow and the deceased's daughters from property that has been sold. The rationale is that these are matters that have no limit. And it is one of the leniencies associated with a ketubah that a woman is not granted the opportunity of expropriating the money due her by virtue of her ketubah from a property's increase in value. Why is a creditor able to expropriate only half the increase of value that comes after the investment was made? Because the increase in value comes after Shimon, the original owner borrowed money from Reuven and sold the property to Levi. Thus, Reuven and Levi can be considered to be two creditors of Shimon's and the increase in the value of the field as an increase in the value of his property that came after he borrowed from both of them. In such an instance, they divide the increase equally, as we have explained. Accordingly, the following rules apply in the ensuing circumstance. Reuven borrowed a maneh from Shimon, and in the promissory note wrote that he is extending the lien to: "the property that I will acquire in the future." He then borrowed 200 zuz from Levi, and in the promissory note wrote that he is extending the lien to: "the property that I will acquire in the future." He then purchased a field and sold it to Yehudah for 150 zuz. Yehudah made an investment and caused its value to increase, and ultimately it was worth 300 zuz. Shimon and Levi expropriate the principal and divide it equally. Thus, each receives 75 zuz. The three - Shimon, Levi and Yehudah - then divide the 150 zuz of the field's increase in value according to the principles that we explained. Thus, Shimon expropriates the complete payment of the maneh owed him from this field. Levi expropriates 137 1/2, and Yehudah receives 62 1/2 from the field's increase in value. They should divide the increase in value in this manner. These principles apply even if there are 100 creditors.