The question of whether wills are recognized by Halacha involves some of the fundamental concepts of Halacha (Jewish law) under a secular legal system. Rabbinic responsa regarding specific conflicts between the Jewish Law of Inheritance and the law of the land date back at least 700 years to a famous responsum by the Rashba (Rabbi Shelomo ben Aderet), and likely much earlier than that. The Halachic discussions continue today. One notable work dealing with the challenges of preparing a modern estate plan which conforms to Halacha is The Jewish Law of Inheritance, the final work by Dayan Dr. Isidor Grunfeld of the London Beth Din (Jewish court).
Here’s a quick overview of the issue:
There are two distinct questions regarding the Halakhic status of wills and trusts. First, are wills and trusts recognized as valid instruments by Jewish law? Second, if they are, or if estate plans can be made to be Halakhically valid, should they be used to leave property to someone other than those entitled to inherit under the Jewish Law of Inheritance?
Many, if not most, leading Halachic authorities throughout history consider a will to be an invalid document where it contradicts the order of succession laid out by the Torah. This is because both the will and the Jewish Law of Inheritance become effective at the same instant — the moment the testator (the person making the will) dies. According to these opinions, the Jewish Law of Inheritance prevails and the will is ignored. In fact, according to many opinions, simply executing a will is prohibited as a diversion of assets from the rightful Halachic heirs (the Talmudic prohibition of ha’avarat nahala) in a manner enforceable in a secular court.
A common solution to the problem is for the testator to separately sign a note of indebtedness to the non-Halachic heirs in an amount in excess of the estate. The note states that the debt is satisfied if the halachic heirs accept the terms of the will, essentially forcing the Halachic heirs to choose between the will and the note, with the will obviously being the better alternative for the Halachic heirs. Halacha allows a debtor to create an enforceable debt without an underlying reason for the debt. The note probably has no validity in a U.S. court.
There are many other related Halakhic issues to deal with. Does dina demalkhuta dina (the law of the land is the law of the Torah), itself a complex question, apply to the Jewish Law of Inheritance? While one can distribute estate assets during life by giving gifts, according to many opinions such distributions may be limited to assets already owned by the person making gifts. Furthermore, regardless of whether the methods are Halachically sanctioned, at what point does providing for non-Halachic heirs rise to the level of diversion of assets?
I’d be happy to discuss this topic further, so long as it is understood that there are divergent opinions at every step of the way, and that one must consult a Halachic expert for a practical application of these laws.
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