Responsa for Bava Batra 312:1
אמרו לו מעשה באמן של בני רוכל שהיתה חולה ואמרה תנו כבינתי לבתי והיא בשנים עשר מנה ומתה וקיימו את דבריה אמר להן בני רוכל תקברם אמן:
THEY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sages. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> SAID UNTO HIM: THE MOTHER OF THE SONS OF ROKEL ONCE FELL ILL; AND SHE SAID, 'LET MY BROOCH WHICH IS WORTH TWELVE <i>MANEH</i> BE GIVEN TO MY DAUGHTER', AND WHEN SHE DIED, HER INSTRUCTIONS WERE CARRIED OUT!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Supra, 151b, q.v. for notes. Since the verbal instructions of the mother were in this case carried out, how could R. Eleazar maintain that the word of a dying man has no more force than that of one in good health? ');"><sup>2</sup></span> HE REPLIED TO THEM: [AS TO] THE SONS OF ROKEL, MAY THEIR MOTHER BURY THEM!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They were wicked men and the instructions of their mother, who deprived them of a portion of her estate in favour of her daughter, were carried out, (though there was no legal acquisition on behalf of the daughter), as some sort of punishment for their wickedness. No inference, therefore, as regards the case of other testators, may be derived from this special one. ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
Teshuvot Maharam
A. The decision of the teacher is incorrect, for ordinarily whatever a Jew is not allowed to do on the Sabbath, he is not permitted to tell a Gentile to do.
This Responsum is addressed to R. Nathan, an uncle of R. Meir. But according to Cr. 20, it was sent to R. Hezekiah of Merseburg.
SOURCES: Cr. 20; Pr. 637; Wertheimer 15; Mord. Shabb. 314; Hag. Maim., Shabbat 6, 9.