The following instructions are partly based on Instructions for Pruzbul Forms from the Beth Din of America.
At the end of the seventh year of the Shemitah cycle (prior to Rosh Hashana 5783 which will occur at sundown on September 25, 2022), all loans are automatically nullified. One who wishes to collect loans after the Shemitah year must make a Pruzbul before the time that the loans are nullified.
We will be writing the pruzbul in shul on Sunday morning after hataras nedarim.
Below is a link to the Pruzbul form we will be using and the process for this is the following:
- The lender asks three individuals to sit as judges on a beit din. (The individuals must be Torah observant men and should not be related to one another, to the lender, or to the borrower.)
- The lender declares before them: “I submit to you judges in this place all of the loans that I have outstanding, and I therefore may collect these loans at any time that I desire.” The lender fills in the Pruzbul form attached as evidence of the Pruzbul, the form is signed, and the lender retains the form.
- Even if one hasn’t loaned any money to someone a Pruzbul should be made since the parameters of what’s considered a loan are broad.
- One may make one Pruzbul for all past due loans. The name of the borrower or borrowers is omitted.
- The borrower must have ownership of some amount of land on which the Pruzbul can attach a lien, even a small amount of land. The parameters of ownership for this are very broad and therefore we assume that the borrowers have some form of ownership (unless we know otherwise).
- The date that the Pruzbul is written must be recorded. The Pruzbul is effective for all loans made before that date. If one makes a loan after the date of the Pruzbul, a new Pruzbul must be written for that loan. A lender who suspects that he will not be able to make a new Pruzbul should lend the money and stipulate that he cannot collect the money until the Third of Tishrei, which is after the completion of the seventh year.
- Both men and women are obligated to perform a Pruzbul. A married woman only needs to perform a Pruzbul if she has made loans with her separate assets.
- Both men and women are obligated to perform a Pruzbul. A married woman only needs to perform a Pruzbul if she has made loans with her separate assets.
- If one writes a Pruzbul and it gets lost, it is not necessary to write a new Pruzbul to replace the lost one.
If you will not be able to make the Pruzbul in person at Shul please contact me to appoint me as your agent to make the pruzbul for you at rabbi@bethisraelmalden.org or at 781-223-1471. The deadline for contacting me is Saturday night September 24 at 10:00 pm.
Shabbat Shalom!
Ketiva v’chatima tova!
Yitzchak