Bava Batra 302

וכי קיימא הות הדרא בה זימנא חדא חלשא שלחה ליה תא קני שלח לא בעינא שלחה ליה תא קני כל היכא דבעית אזל שיירה וקנו מינה כי קיימא הדרא בה

but as [soon as] she recovered she withdrew. On one occasion she fell ill and sent [word] to him, 'Come [and] take possession'. He replied,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'sent'. ');">¹</span> 'I have no desire'. [Thereupon] she [again] sent [word] to him, 'Come [and] take possession in whatever manner you desire'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that she shall not be able again to retract. ');">²</span> [Then] he went, left for her [some portion of the intended gift]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In such a case the donor cannot withdraw, (Cf. our Mishnah, supra 146b.) ');">³</span>

אתאי לקמיה דרב נחמן שלח ליה תא לא אתא אמר מאי איתי הא שיירה וקנו מינה שלח ליה אי לא אתית מחינא לך בסילוא דלא מבע דמא

and [symbolic] acquisition from her was [also] arranged.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and they (i.e., witnesses) acquired from her', by means of symbolic acquisition, on behalf of R. Dimi. Legal acquisition under such conditions prevents the testator from withdrawing the gift on recovery unless a specific declaration was made at the time making it evident that the presentation was due to the expectation of death. ');">⁴</span> As she [again] recovered she retracted [and] came before R. Nahman.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To reclaim her piece of orchard. ');">⁵</span> He sent for him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to him, come'. ');">⁶</span>

אמר להו לסהדי היכי הוה מעשה אמרו ליה אמרה הכי ווי דקא מיתה הך איתתא אמר להו א"כ הוה מצוה מחמת מיתה ומצוה מחמת מיתה חוזר

He, [however,] did not come, saying, 'Why should I come? Surely, [some portion of the estate] was left to her and [symbolic] acquisition from her [also] took place.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra note 4. ');">⁷</span> [Thereupon] he sent to him, [the following message]: 'If you do not come I will chastise you with a thorn that causes no blood to flow'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He would place him under the ban. ');">⁸</span> He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Nahman. ');">⁹</span>

איתמר מתנת שכיב מרע במקצת אמרוה רבנן קמיה דרבא משמיה דמר זוטרא בריה דרב נחמן דאמר משמיה דרב נחמן הרי היא כמתנת בריא והרי היא כמתנת שכיב מרע הרי היא כמתנת בריא שאם עמד אינו חוזר והרי היא כמתנת שכיב מרע דלא בעיא קנין

asked the witnesses how the incident had occurred, [and] they told him [that when she sent for her brother] she exclaimed thus: 'Alas that I am dying'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'that this woman is dying'. ');">¹⁰</span> He said unto them: If so, the disposal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'she was instructing'. ');">¹¹</span> [of her estate was] due to [her expectation of] death, and he that gives instructions owing to [his expectation of] death, may retract.

אמר להו רבא לאו אמינא לכו לא תיתלו בוקי סריקי ברב נחמן הכי אמר רב נחמן הרי היא כמתנת בריא ובעיא קנין

It was stated: [In the case where] a dying man presented a part<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a gift of … in part'. ');">¹²</span> [of his estate], Raba<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf.. BaH. a.l. Current texts read: 'The Rabbis said it before Raba in the name of Mar Zutra the son of R. Nahman who said it in the name of R. Nahman: It is like the gift of a man in good health and it is like the gift of a dying man. It is like the gift etc. ');">¹³</span> said in the name of R. Nahman: It is like the gift of a man in good health and requires [symbolic] acquisition. The Rabbis reported the following,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they said it.' ');">¹⁴</span>

איתיביה רבא לרב נחמן שייר קרקע כל שהוא מתנתו קיימת מאי לאו דלא קנו מיניה לא דקנו מיניה אי הכי אימא סיפא לא שייר קרקע כל שהוא אין מתנתו קיימת ואי דקנו מיניה אמאי אין מתנתו קיימת

in the presence of Raba, in the name of Mar Zutra, son of R. Nahman, who reported in the name of R. Nahman: It is like the gift of a man in good health; and it is like the gift of a man who is dying. 'It is like the gift of a man in good health', in that if he recovered he [can] not retract; and 'it is like the gift of a man who is dying', in that no [symbolic] acquisition is required.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And if he died the recipient acquired its ownership. ');">¹⁵</span> Raba said unto them: Did I not tell you [that] you shall not hang empty jars on R. Nahman?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e. 'do not attribute to him such absurd views', v. supra p. 27. n. 2. ');">¹⁶</span> Thus said R. Nahman: It is like the gift of a man in good health and requires [symbolic] acquisition.

א"ל הכי אמר שמואל שכ"מ שכתב כל נכסיו לאחרים אע"פ שקנו מידו עמד חוזר בידוע שלא היה מצוה אלא מחמת מיתה

Raba raised an objection against R. Nahman: [IF] HE LEFT [FOR HIMSELF] ANY LAND WHATSOEVER, HIS GIFT IS VALID.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 146b. ');">¹⁷</span> Does not [this refer to the case] where no [symbolic] acquisition from him took place?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'where they (i.e.. a court of law or witnesses) did not acquire From him', on behalf of the donee, by means of symbolic acquisition. ');">¹⁸</span> — No; where symbolic acquisition did take place. If so.explain the second clause: [IF. HOWEVER] HE DID NOT LEAVE [FOR HIMSELF] ANY LAND WHATSOEVER, HIS GIFT IS INVALID!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 146b. ');">¹⁷</span>

איתיביה רב משרשיא לרבא מעשה באמן של בני רוכל שהיתה חולה ואמרה תנתן כבינתי לבתי והוא בשנים עשר מנה ומתה וקיימו דבריה התם במצוה מחמת מיתה

Now if, [as you assert, our Mishnah refers to the case] where symbolic acquisition took place.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'where they (i.e.. a court of law or witnesses) did not acquire From him', on behalf of the donee, by means of symbolic acquisition. ');">¹⁸</span> why is his gift invalid? — He replied unto him: Thus said Samuel, 'If a dying man gave all his property, in writing, to strangers, although [symbolic] acquisition took place,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they took possession from his hand'. Cf. previous note but one. ');">¹⁹</span> he may retract if he recovered, because it is known that he disposed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'instructed', or (cf. BaH) 'symbolic acquisition took place', v. infra p. 660. ');">²⁰</span>

איתיביה רבינא לרבא האומר תנו גט זה לאשתי ושטר שחרור זה לעבדי ומת לא יתנו לאחר מיתה תנו מנה לפלוני ומת יתנו לאחר מיתה

[of his estate] only on account of [his expectation of] death. R. Mesharsheya raised an objection against Raba: The mother of the sons of Rokel once fell ill and she said, 'Let my brooch<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], 'brooch, 'buckle', or 'a wrap that is pinned on' (Jast.); [or 'veil', v. Krauss, op. cit. I, 188.] ');">²¹</span> be given to my daughter', and it was worth twelve <i>maneh</i>,' and when she died they fulfilled her words?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 156b. The brooch or wrap was certainly a gift of a portion only of the estate, and there was no symbolic acquisition! Had there been some legal form of acquisition, an expression other than 'her words' would have been used. ');">²²</span>

וממאי דלא קנו מיניה דומיא דגט מה גט לאו בר קנין אף האי נמי דלא קנו מיניה התם נמי במצוה מחמת מיתה

— There [it was a case] of an Instruction [clearly] given owing to [the expectation of] death.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., she stated distinctly the reason of the gift she was making. An instruction given in such circumstances, if followed by the death of the testator, requires no symbolic acquisition whether a portion of, or all the estate was presented. ');">²³</span> Rabina raised an objection against Raba: If a person said, 'Give this bill of divorce to my wife', or, '[Give] this writ of emancipation to my slave', and he died, it must not be delivered after [his] death.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since a divorce or the liberation of a slave does not take effect until actual delivery of the respective documents has taken place, and by that time the husband or master is dead and be can neither divorce nor liberate. ');">²⁴</span> [If. however, he said.] 'Give a <i>maneh</i> to X, and he died, it is to be given [to X] after [the testator's] death!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Git. 13a. Even though, apparently, there was no symbolic acquisition. How, then, can Raba maintain that such acquisition is required? ');">²⁵</span>

רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע אמר מצוה מחמת מיתה בעלמא בעיא קנין וכי תניא הני מתנייתא במחלק כל נכסיו דההיא מתנת שכיב מרע שויוה

— And what reason is there to assume that no symbolic acquisition took place?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and from that that they did not acquire of him'. Cf. supra p. 656, n. 4. ');">²⁶</span> — [Because it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The disposal of the maneh. ');">²⁷</span> is obviously] similar to a bill of divorce;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With which it was mentioned in the same context. ');">²⁸</span>

והלכתא מתנת שכיב מרע במקצת בעיא קנין ואע"ג דמת מצוה מחמת מיתה לא בעיא קנין והוא דמת עמד חוזר ואף על גב דקנו מיניה

as a bill of divorce is not an object for [symbolic] acquisition.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Actual delivery of it being required. ');">²⁹</span> so this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The disposal of the maneh. ');">²⁷</span> also [was not attended by] a symbolic acquisition!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra p. 656, n. 4. ');">³⁰</span> — There<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The case of the maneh. ');">³¹</span> also [it is a case] of one giving instructions [clearly] on account [of his expectation] of death. R. Huna the son of R. Joshua replied: Elsewhere, an Instruction [given] owing to [the expectation of] death requires [symbolic] acquisition. but the Mishnayoth mentioned refer [to the case]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and when those Mishnayoth were taught'. ');">³²</span> of one who distributed all his estate,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case no symbolic acquisition is required. [The words that follow do not occur in some MSS. and are best left out.] ');">³³</span> for in such a case it was given the same legal force as<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they made it'. ');">³⁴</span> the gift of a dying man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which requires no symbolic acquisition. ');">³⁵</span> And the law is [that where] a dying man presented a part [of his estate].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a gift … in part'. ');">³⁶</span> [symbolic] acquisition is required although he [subsequently] died. [If. however] his instructions [concerning the gift] were due to [his expectation of] death, no [symbolic] acquisition is required. This, however, [only] when he died; [if] he recovered he [may] retract even though [symbolic] acquisition from him took place.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra p. 656, n. 4 and 5. ');">³⁷</span>