עזרא, פרק י׳, פסוק ח׳

The leadership issues a severe ultimatum to ensure absolute compliance from the people. It carries the threat of a harsh dual punishment, both economic and social, for anyone who refuses to follow orders. This warning comes with a strict time limit, requiring individuals to present themselves by the end of three days from the moment the proclamation is issued [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This establishes an important legal principle that a person must be given a clearly defined timeframe before facing punishment or excommunication [רב סעדיה גאון].

The deadline and its accompanying penalties are established through the counsel of the officials and elders [מצודת דוד]. The authority to enforce such severe measures, particularly the confiscation of property, stems from the collective power of the community [מלבי״ם]. It also relies on the royal authority granted to Ezra to punish anyone who defies his directives [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The penalty itself unfolds in two distinct stages. The first is economic ruin. A person who fails to appear will face the absolute loss, destruction, and confiscation of all their personal property [מצודת ציון, רלב״ג]. This serves as the basis for the legal rule that a court possesses the ultimate authority to declare a person's property ownerless and confiscate their wealth [רב סעדיה גאון]. The second stage of the punishment is social. The offender is entirely separated from the community of the returning exiles, suffering complete excommunication [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This separation dictates that they will not be included in the community for any matter whatsoever [מצודת דוד], creating an absolute ban on meeting or interacting with them in any public setting [רב סעדיה גאון].