Gemara Ketubot (Ketubot tractate), daf tzadi heh, Masechet Ketubot, dedicated by our good friend Mr. Elliot Sutton in honor of his wife Esther and his children: hatzlachah bechol ma'asei yedeihem. We’re starting on tzadi heh amud rishon (first side), at the Mishnah.
The Mishnah begins: Mi shehayah nasui shtei nashim (One who was married to two wives), umachar et sadehu (and he sold his field)—the field was pledged against the ketubah (marriage contract). Vekatvah (and she wrote a letter) rishonah (first) laloke'ach (buyer): din (law) udevarim ein li immach (I have nothing to do with you). It sounds like she’s saying, “I forgive my rights to that field”; she waives the lien. That means, “If my husband doesn’t have money, I won’t come after you.” That’s the first lady, but the second lady didn’t do that.
So the din is hashniyah motzi'ah mehaloke'ach (the second collects from the buyer). The second lady didn’t waive her rights to the one who bought the field, so she would definitely have the right to go take the field. But it isn’t going to help, because what’s going to happen is hashniyah motzi'ah mehaloke'ach, and then veharishonah min hashniyah (and the first from the second). Once the second lady takes the field, the first lady can go to the second lady and say, “Well, that’s mine.” She says, “I forgave the loke'ach, but I’m before you.” So therefore, once she takes the field, the first wife can come along to the second one and take the field from her.
But what’s going to happen over there is veharishonah min ve— verishonah; it goes roundabout, verishonah min hashniyah, okay, vehaloke'ach min harishonah (and the buyer from the first). Then, once the rishonah takes it, the loke'ach can come back and say, “Hold it, you forgave your rights to me, therefore I want it back.” So then you just have a vicious cycle over here that you can’t get out of. Vechozerot chalilah. It just keeps on going around and around.
Of course, you don’t have to go through this process. The Gemara is just giving you the example. They don’t actually take the field, give it to him, and then bring it back to him. Since this is going to happen, beit din (rabbinical court) is posek (rules): what? Ad sheya'asu pesharah beineihem, so they have to make a settlement amongst them—who’s going to get what, and who’s going to get the fields and things like that. Obviously, they have to work it out.
Hadran alach, Mi shehayah nasui.