Bava Batra 159 – A Hard-to-Understand Ruling From Israel

They sent a ruling from Israel: If a son borrowed against his father's property and subsequently died, his son can seize it from purchasers.

Now, what is hard to understand here? The son stood to inherit his father. He sold some properties that would be coming to him in the future. Later, he died and thus never inherited those properties. Now, his son (a grandson) can tell the buyers, "My father sold you property that he stood to inherit but never inherited, so the sale is void. I inherit it not from my father but directly from my grandfather." In this case, the rule that the grandson inherits directly from the grandfather is derived from the following: "In place of your fathers shall be your sons..."

So what is difficult? That "In place of your fathers..." refers to blessings, not monetary laws.

Art: Grandfather's Jack in the Box by Arthur Boyd Houghton