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Prozbul

A prozbul is a rabbinic legal mechanism associated with Hillel the Elder that allows qualifying debts to remain collectible despite the sabbatical-year debt-remission rule.

Also called: Prosbul

The Mishnah explains that Hillel instituted it after observing people refusing to lend as the remission year approached. The mechanism works by placing the debt-collection right into a judicial framework rather than simply repealing the underlying rule.

In practice

Common mistake: describing a prozbul as a general waiver of all Jewish debt law.

See also

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Page Last Updated: 01/Oct/2026