OHR TZVI: פרוזבול תשפ”ב PRUZBUL 5782
You may know that the culmination of our current shemitta year, on this coming Rosh Hashana, cancels debts (not accounts receivable!) that Jews owe to one another.
You can avoid having debts owed to you from being cancelled by filling out the following “pruzbul” document. This document transfers all such debts to a beis din (debts owed to a beis din aren’t cancelled by shemitta).
You can form the beis din that pruzbul requires by bringing together any 3 frum men (if possible, avoid people that are related to one another, to the creditor or to the debtor.)
Pruzbul works by creating a lien on the debtor’s land – which, essentially, requires debtors to “own” land. Landless debtors can “own” land if creditors or members of the beis din transfer some of their own land to the debtor through a “kinyan sudar.” (contact us at to discuss this “kinyan” or with any other questions).
The pruzbul form follows.
The names on this form should be filled out as “so and so, the son (or daughter) of so and so.” Then, add the last name. If necessary, filling out the form’s English section suffices. As well, if absolutely necessary, simply read the declaration at the end of this form in front of three men.
כתב פרוזבול PRUZBUL DOCUMENT
במותב תלתא כחדא הוינא אנחנו חתומים מטה ואתא לפנינו ר’ __________________________ למשפחת _______________________ המלווה ואמר לפנינו מוסרני לכם בית דין רב___________________ ________ והרב_______________________והרב ___________________________ שכל חוב שיש לי בין בשטר ובין בעל פה שאגבנו כל זמן שארצה. וגם אני מודה בהודאה גמורה איך שהקניתי קרקע כל שהוא לכל לווה שאין לו קרקע. ואנחנו בית דין הואיל ומסר המלווה לפנינו מילי דפרוזבול כתיקון חז”ל כתבנו שטר פרוזבול זה כמנהג חז”ל מימות הלל הזקן וייפנו כחו של מלווה ר’_______________________ למשפחת______________________ שלא ישמיט לו כל חוב שיש לו כל אדם בין בכתב ובין בעל פה עד היום הזה.
ולראיה באנו על החתום יום _______________ בשבת __________________ יום לחדש אלול שנת תשפ”ב
פה ______________________________
נאום_____________________________________________________________________דיין
נאום_____________________________________________________________________דיין
נאום_____________________________________________________________________דיין
We, the undersigned, formed a duly constituted Rabbinical court, when the creditor, ____________________________________came before us and announced, “I hereby inform and turn over to you, the court,
______________________ _
______________________ _
______________________ _
all documented and undocumented debts owed to me so that I may collect them at any time. Since the above-mentioned creditor has turned these debts over to us, we, constituting a Rabbinical Court, have written this pruzbul document in keeping with the custom of our Sages from the times of Hillel the Elder. We empower the creditor ______________________ so that none of the debts owed to him are cancelled by Shemittah.
As proof we attach our signatures today, the ____________ day of the month of Elul in the year 5782, here in the community of _______________________________.
Rabbi __________________ ____________________
Rabbi __________________ ____________________
Rabbi __________________ ____________________
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
פרוזבול PRUZBUL DECLARATION
The creditor should say in front of beis din: “This year is shemittah and I have documented and non-documented debts that I am owed. I submit those debts to you, beis din, so that I can collect them whenever I wish, as ordained by Hillel.