Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer · Siman 94

Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer 94 — English translation

Translation: Sefaria Community Translation. Section numbers match the Hebrew text above.

1. 1Just as she is fed from his property, his widow is given clothing and utensils and a place to live, or lives in the house where she lived during her husband's life. HGH: And she does not have use of the whole house with the heirs, rather they just give her sufficient living space according to her honor within the house. (Ran ch. Naarah in the name of Rashba and Maggid Mishna ch 18). Some say they can give her a fitting living space in another house (so it appears in Mordechai ch. Hanosei and the aforementioned ch. Naarah). The widow may not then rent out this living space to others. (Resp. Rashba, and Ran ch. Hanosei). And she may use the pillows and linens and male & female slaves that she used during her husband's life, when her husband was overseas (Ran ch. Naarah).
2. 2If the living space falls down, the heirs are not obligated to rebuild it. If she says "Allow me to rebuild it from my own money," they don't listen to her; similarly they don't accept her inspection, and she may not spread it out, but she lives there as it is, or leaves.
3. 3And if it fell, even if the heirs rebuilt it, her right to it is gone.
4. 4Heirs who sold the living space of a widow, have done nothing (the sale has no effect).
5. 5If the house fell, or if the husband was only a renter, they give her living space according to her honor, also her food and clothing according to her honor. And if the husband had great honor, they give her according to his honor.
6. 6If a widow says "I will not leave my father's house, support me there," the heirs can say "we will support you if you live with us, otherwise we will only give "כפי ברכת הבית" (taking into account what she is already getting by living in her father's house). However if she makes this claim because she is young and they are young, then they give her enough to support her alone [even though] she is in her father's house. Some say that the latter is not a valid claim unless she is a stepmother, not their mother.
7. 7They are obliged to disburse to her money for her per-person tax and any other taxes on her, just as her husband disbursed for her, but they are not obligated in the costs of ransoming her [from captivity] nor in her medical costs for which she has a stipend, and not in her burial costs.

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