אבן העזר צ״וEven HaEzer 96

Se’if 1א׳

אֵין אַלְמָנָה גּוֹבָה כְּתֻבָּתָהּ, עִקָּר וְתוֹסֶפֶת, אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבוּעָה. וְנִכְסֵי מְלוֹג וְנִכְסֵי צֹאן בַּרְזֶל, אוֹ נְכָסִים שֶׁיִּחֵד לָהּ בִּכְתֻבָּתָהּ בְּעַיִן, אִם אוֹתָם שֶׁהִכְנִיסָה לוֹ הֵם בְּעַצְמָם קַיָּמִים, אוֹ דְּבָרִים שֶׁיָּדוּעַ שֶׁבָּאוּ מִכֹּחָם, נוֹטֶלֶת אוֹתָם בְּלֹא שְׁבוּעָה. וְאִם נִכְסֵי צֹאן בַּרְזֶל אֵינָם קַיָּמִים, וְלֹא דְּבָרִים הַבָּאִים מִכֹּחָם, וּבָאָה לִפָּרַע מִנְּכָסָיו, אֵינָהּ נִפְרַעַת אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבוּעָה. וְהוּא הַדִּין אִם יִחֵד לָהּ מִטַּלְטְלִים בִּכְתֻבָּתָהּ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְחַלֵּק בָּהֶם כְּמוֹ שֶׁחִלַּקְנוּ בְּנִכְסֵי צֹאן בַּרְזֶל. וְאִם יִחֵד לָהּ קַרְקַע בִּכְתֻבָּתָהּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא פֵּרַשׁ אֶלָּא מִצַּד אֶחָד, נוֹטַלְתּוֹ בְּלֹא שְׁבוּעָה. וְאִם מֵתָה קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּעָה, אֵין יוֹרְשֶׁיהָ יוֹרְשִׁין כְּתֻבָּתָהּ, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם מוֹרִישׁ לְבָנָיו מָמוֹן שֶׁאֵין יָכוֹל לִגְבּוֹתוֹ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבוּעָה. הַגָּה: וְעַיֵּן בְּחִלּוּקֵי דִּין זֶה בְּחשֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּט סִימָן ק"ח. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים הָא דְּאֵין יוֹרְשֶׁיהָ יוֹרְשִׁין כְּתֻבָּתָהּ הַיְינוּ בִּדְלֹא תָּפְסָה, אֲבָל תָּפְסָה, יוֹרְשֶׁיהָ יוֹרְשִׁין כְּתֻבָּתָהּ הוֹאִיל וְהֵן מֻחְזָקִין; (כֵּן מַשְׁמַע בַּטּוּר חשֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּט סִימָן ק"ח וּבַמָּרְדְּכַי רֵישׁ אַלְמָנָה נִזּוֹנֵית וּבְפֶרֶק מִי שֶׁמֵּת וּמהרי"ו סִימָן צ"ה וּבִתְרוּמַת הַדֶּשֶׁן סִימָן ש"ל). וְיֵשׁ חוֹלְקִים (מָרְדְּכַי פֶּרֶק כָּל הַנִּשְׁבָּעִין בְּשֵׁם מוהר"ם), וְעַיֵּן בְּחשֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּט סִימָן ק"ח. אִם הַיּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹמְרִים: נִשְׁבְּעָה, עֲלֵיהֶם לְהָבִיא רְאָיָה (רִיבָ"שׁ סִימָן קס"ט). אִם פָּרְעוּ לָהּ מִקְצָת כְּתֻבָּתָהּ וְעָשׂוּ לָהּ שְׁטָר חוֹב עַל הַנִּשְׁאָר, יוֹרְשֶׁיהָ יוֹרְשִׁין הַחוֹב הַהוּא אֲפִלּוּ לֹא נִשְׁבְּעָה (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם תְּשׁוּבַת הָרַשְׁבָּ"א סִימָן תתפ"ו). אַלְמָנָה שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּתְּקָה, וְרָמְזָה קֹדֶם מִיתָתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא נָטְלָה כְּלוּם, סָגֵי בְּכָךְ וְהָוֵי כְּאִלּוּ נִשְׁבְּעָה (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם תְּשׁוּבַת הָרַשְׁבָּ"א). אִשָּׁה שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּטֵּית וְנִתְאַלְמְנָה, אֵין יוֹרְשֶׁיהָ נוֹטְלִין כְּתֻבָּתָהּ הוֹאִיל וְאֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לִשָּׁבַע (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם תְּשׁוּבַת הָרַשְׁבָּ"א, וְכֵן כָּתַב הָרַמְבַּ"ן בִּתְשׁוּבוֹת סִימָן ס"ו). וְעַיֵּן לְקַמָּן סִימָן ק"ה סָעִיף ג'. אֲבָל אִם נִתְגָּרְשָׁה וּמֵתָה, יוֹרְשֶׁיהָ נִשְׁבָּעִים: שֶׁלֹּא פְּקָדַתְנוּ, וְנוֹטְלִין וַאֲפִלּוּ מִיּוֹרְשָׁיו, אִם מֵת אַחֲרֶיהָ:

A widow may only collect her Ketubah, both the primary portion and any additions, with an oath [that she has not yet been paid]. Properties that she brought into the marriage (whether dowry or not), or properties that were specified in the Ketubah, in the event that the particular items that she brought into the marriage are still extant or if we know what items were purchased with the proceeds from those items, may be collected without an oath. If the dowry properties are no longer extant and we cannot identify items that were purchased with the proceeds from them, and she now seeks reimbursement from his estate [for such properties] she may only collect with an oath. The same applies if [her late husband] designated movable properties in the Ketubah - these are subject to the same determinations as the dowry properties. If he designated land for her in the Ketubah, even if he only delineated one of its boundaries, she may collect it without an oath. If she died before taking the oath, her heirs do not inherit her Ketubah, for [the general rule is that] a person does not bequeath money that can only be collected with an oath. Rem"a: See the details of this rule in (Shulchan Arukh, Choshen Mishpat 108). Some authorities say that though her heirs do not inherit her Ketubah, this is only true is she did not seize it. If she did seize it, the heirs do inherit it because the properties are possessed. Other authorities dispute this. See (Shulchan Arukh, Choshen Mishpat 108). If the heirs say, "she took an oath," they must provide proof. If they paid part of her Ketubah and produced a contractual debt on the remainder, her heirs inherit this debt even though she took no oath. A widow that became mute and hinted before her death that she had not collected anything, this is sufficient to be considered an oath. Rem"a: If a woman became mute and was subsequently widowed, her heirs may not collect her Ketubah because she is unable to take the oath. See (Shulchan Arukh, Even HaEzer 105:3). If however, she was divorced and then died, her heirs may take the oath, "that we were not commanded [*verify*]." They may even collect form his heirs, if he died after her.

Se’if 2ב׳

מַה שְּׁבוּעָה נִשְׁבַּעַת הָאַלְמָנָה, שֶׁלֹּא הִתְפִּיסָהּ הַבַּעַל, וְשֶׁלֹּא תָּפְסָה הִיא מִשֶּׁלּוֹ כְּלוּם. וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר, שֶׁצְּרִיכָה לִשָּׁבַע שֶׁלֹּא מָחֲלָה לוֹ כְּתֻבָּתָהּ וְשֶׁלֹּא מָכְרָה לוֹ. הַגָּה: וְאִם נִשְׁבְּעָה סְתָם: שֶׁלֹּא נֶהֱנֵיתִי מִכְּתֻבָּתִי, סָגֵי בְּכָךְ (הָרַ"ן פֶּרֶק הַשּׁוֹלֵחַ). וְנָהֲגוּ גַּם כֵּן לְהַשְׁבִּיעַ אוֹתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּזְבְּזָה כְּלוּם שֶׁלֹא בִּרְשׁוּת בַּעֲלָהּ, וְאִם בַּעֲלָהּ אֵינוֹ בַּר דַּעַת אוֹמְרִים סְתָם: שֶׁלֹּא בִּזְבְּזָה יוֹתֵר מִן הָרָאוּי (מַהֲרִי"ק שֹׁרֶשׁ י"ט):

What oath does the widow swear? That the husband did not allot [anything] for her, and that she did not allot anything for herself from his possessions. And there is one that says, that she needs to swear that she did not forgive her marriage document and that she did not sell [it] to him: gloss: And if she swore plainly: that I did not benefit from my marriage document, it is sufficient (the Ran, ch. ha-sholeah). And they had a custom also to make her swear that she did not waste anything without the permission of the husband, and if her husband is mentally incapable, they say plainly: that she did not waste more than what is appropriate (Ma"Hariq Root 19):

Se’if 3ג׳

אִם הָאַלְמָנָה רוֹצָה לִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ, וְאֵינָהּ רוֹצָה לִשָּׁבַע עַד שֶׁיִּגְדְּלוּ בָּנֶיהָ, שֶׁמָּא יִמְחֲלוּ לָהּ הַשְּׁבוּעָה, אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לָהּ:

If the widow wants to collect her ketuba, but does not want to swear until her children grow up, for maybe they will exempt her from the oath, we do not listen to her.