Topic in one line: The Shulchan Aruch rules that a litigant cannot be forced to submit written claims, and even when claims are written, the dayanim should still hear the claims orally from the parties themselves.

Topic in one line: Although Siman 13 mainly discusses choosing דיינים — dayanim, the Shulchan Aruch also discusses whether the parties’ claims may or must be written down, because this is one interpretation of שטרי בירורין — documents of selection/clarification in the Gemara.

Topic in one line: Once the choice of דיינים — dayanim has been formalized, either through a written document, a קנין — formal act of commitment, or beginning the claims before them, the parties can no longer change the selected dayanim.

Topic in one line: The commentators emphasize that even in זבל"א — Zabla, the selected dayanim remain full judges, and therefore they may not be relatives, may not hear one side privately, and may not be paid by one party to favor him.

Topic in one line: The Shulchan Aruch rules that in זבל"א — Zabla, each party chooses one דיין — dayan, the two dayanim choose a third, and if the process fails, the case returns to a standard Beit Din framework.

The Rambam on Zabla and the Right of Each Party to Choose a Dayan

Topic in one line: The Rambam rules that even if one party chooses an expert dayan, the other party still has the right to choose his own dayan under the system of זבל"א — Zabla.

Topic in one line: Although each party in זבל"א — Zabla chooses one דיין — dayan, that dayan remains a judge and may not act as an advocate for the party who selected him.

Topic in one line: This section introduces the system of זבל"א — “זה בורר לו אחד” (Zeh Borer Lo Echad), where each litigant selects one dayan, and a third dayan is then chosen to complete the Beit Din.

Topic: The final סעיפים of סימן י"ב: waiver of an oath, whether multiple compromisers need unanimity, whether collateral can replace a קניין, and why contemporary Batei Din require authority to rule by פשרה.

Topic: The final סעיפים of סימן י"ב: when a compromise can be undone because it was a פשרה בטעות — a compromise made in error.