Bava Batra 305:1

סבור מיניה הני מילי לאחר אבל לעצמו לא אמר להו רב חסדא כי אתא רב הונא מכופרי פירשה בין לעצמו בין לאחרים

They understood him to mean [that] this decision<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'these words'. ');">¹</span> [applied only to the case of withdrawal in favour] of a stranger but not for himself. R. Hisda, [however]. said unto them: When R. Huna came from Kafri<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [A place in Babylonia, south of Sura. R. Hisda held a school there before his appointment as Head of the Academy at Sura.] Current texts read, 'Kufri', perhaps 'Cyprus'. ');">²</span> he explained it [to mean]. 'whether for himself or for others'.

ההוא דקנו מיניה אתא לקמיה דרב הונא אמר מאי איעבד לך דלא אקנית כדמקנו אינשי

There was a certain [man]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who, while on his death-bed, had presented his estate to a stranger. ');">³</span> from whom [symbolic] acquisition was taken, who came before R. Huna.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Desiring, on recovery, the return of his estate. ');">⁴</span> [The latter] said, 'What can I do for you [in such a case] where you did not transfer possession as [other] people do?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., cause to acquire'. Had he presented his estate without allowing symbolic acquisition to take place be could retract on recovery. After symbolic acquisition one has no right to withdraw. ');">⁵</span>

ההיא מתנתא דהוה כתוב בה בחיים ובמות רב אמר הרי היא כמתנת שכיב מרע ושמואל אמר הרי היא כמתנת בריא

There was a certain [deed of] a gift<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of a dying man who presented all, or part of his estate, and 'symbolic acquisition' was entered on the deed. ');">⁶</span> in which there was entered,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'written', ');">⁷</span> 'in life and in death'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'The gift is to belong to the donee', ');">⁸</span>

רב אמר הרי היא כמתנת שכיב מרע מדכתיב בה במות אחר מיתה קאמר ליה והאי דכתיב בחיים סימן בעלמא דחיי

Rab said: Behold it is [to be treated] like the [usual] gift of a dying man;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Possession of which by the donee is not acquired until after the death of the testator who, if he recovers, may withdraw the gift. ');">⁹</span> and Samuel said: Behold it is [to be treated] like the gift of a man in good health.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Possession of which is acquired immediately, and no withdrawal is possible even if the gift consisted of the testator's entire estate. ');">¹⁰</span> Rab said, 'Behold, it is like the gift of a dying man — since it contains the entry. 'in death', [the testator] meant [thereby] the donee [to acquire possession] after death, while the insertion,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and that that he wrote'. ');">¹¹</span>

ושמואל אמר הרי היא כמתנת בריא מדכתיב בה בחיים מחיים קאמר והאי דכתב ובמות כמאן דאמר מעתה ועד עולם אמרי נהרדעי הלכתא כוותיה דרב

'in life', was just for good luck;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a mere omen of life' (v. Rashb.) ');">¹²</span> and Samuel said, 'Behold, it is like the gift of a man in good health' — since it contained the entry, 'in life', [the testator thereby] meant [to transfer possession] while he was alive, while his entry<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 662, n, 12. ');">¹³</span> of, 'and in death', [is only] like one saying. 'from now and for evermore'.

אמר רבא ואי כתיב בה מחיים קנה

The scholars of Nehardea stated: The law is in accordance with [the decision] of Rab. Raba said: If, however, the deed contains the entry.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it is written therein'. ');">¹⁴</span> 'from life', [the donee] acquires [immediate] possession.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'From life' (unlike, 'in life') is regarded as a definite indication that the testator desired to transfer possession while he was still alive, i.e., at once. ');">¹⁵</span>

אמר אמימר לית הלכתא כוותיה דרבא אמר ליה רב אשי לאמימר פשיטא דהא אמרי נהרדעי הלכתא כוותיה דרב מהו דתימא מחיים מודי רב קא משמע לן

Amemar said: The law is not according [to the view] of Raba. Said R. Ashi to Amemar: [Is not this] obvious, seeing that the scholars of Nehardea distinctly said [that] the law was in accordance with [the decision] of Rab! — It might have been assumed [that where the entry was]. 'from life', Rab agrees,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That, unlike 'in life', possession is acquired at once as if the gift had been made by a man in good health. ');">¹⁶</span> hence it was necessary to teach us [otherwise]. There was a certain [person] who once came [with an enquiry]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To ask For R. Nahman's ruling on the legality of withdrawing a gift in the deed of which was enacted 'in life and in death', ');">¹⁷</span>

ההוא דאתא לקמיה דרב נחמן לנהרדעא שדריה לקמיה דר' ירמיה בר אבא לשום טמיא אמר הכא אתרא דשמואל היכי נעביד כוותיה דרב

to Nehardea before R. Nahman, [but] he sent him to Shumtamya before R. Jeremiah b. Abba,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A disciple of Rab. ');">¹⁸</span> declaring.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he said', ');">¹⁹</span> 'This is Samuel's province;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Samuel was the head of the College at Nehardea and a native of that town, ');">²⁰</span>

ההיא דאתאי לקמיה דרבא עבד לה רבא כשמעתיה הוה קא טרדא ליה

how could we act in accordance with [a decision] of Rab!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though the Nehardean scholars themselves decided the law to be in accordance with Rab's view, R. Nahman did not consider it proper to give a ruling contrary to Samuel's view in the place where Samuel had enjoyed supremacy and preferred to send the case to a place under Rab's jurisdiction. ');">²¹</span> There was a certain [woman] who once came before Raba [to ask for his ruling].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On a deed of a gift in which she wrote 'from life', and now wished to withdraw the gift. ');">²²</span> [As] Raba gave his decision<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'did'. ');">²³</span>

אמר ליה לרב פפא בריה דרב חנן ספריה זיל כתוב לה וכתוב בה שוכר עליהן או מטען אמרה ליטבע ארביה אטעויי קא מטעית לי אמשינהו למניה דרבא במיא ואפי' הכי לא איפרק מטיבעא:

in accordance with his traditional [teaching]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Telling the woman that she was not entitled to withdraw the gift. ');">²⁴</span> she worried him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' She demanded a written statement that (in accordance with the view of Rab) she was entitled to withdraw the gift. ');">²⁵</span> He [consequently]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To put an end to the disturbance she created. ');">²⁶</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> לא כתב בה שכיב מרע הוא אומר שכיב מרע הייתי והן אומרים בריא היית צריך להביא ראיה ששכיב מרע היה דברי ר"מ וחכ"א המוציא מחברו עליו הראיה:

said to R. Papa. the son of R. Hanan, his scribe: Go, write for her [a statement [ but add to it,'He may hire at their expense<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'upon them'. ');">²⁷</span> or deceive them'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is an extract from a Mishnah (B.M. 75b), dealing with workmen who broke the arrangements entered into with their employers. 'Deceive them', was expressly to be inserted in order to indicate that the statement dictated by Raba was to be of no value whatsoever to the woman, its only object being to make her believe that it contained a decision in her favour and that, consequently, the disturbance she created might come to an end. ');">²⁸</span> She<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Perceiving the subterfuge. ');">²⁹</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ההוא מתנתא דהוה כתב בה כד הוה קציר ורמי בערסיה ולא כתב בה ומגו מרעיה איפטר לבית עולמיה

called out, 'May your<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'his'. ');">³⁰</span> ship sink! Are you trying to fool me?' Raba's clothes were soaked in water;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To ward off thereby the imprecation. IF the curse was to be fulfilled the soaking of the clothes might form a substitute For the drowning of their wearer or of any of his possessions. ');">³¹</span> and yet he did not escape the drowning. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF HE HAS NOT ENTERED IN IT<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the deed of a gift be made of his entire estate. ');">³²</span> [THAT] HE WAS LYING SICK, [AND] HE [NOW] PLEADS, 'I WAS LYING SICK',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the time the gift was made and, consequently, be claims his right to retract. ');">³³</span> AND THEY PLEAD, 'YOU WERE IN GOOD HEALTH,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And that, consequently, he cannot retract. ');">³⁴</span> HE MUST PRODUCE EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS A DYING MAN;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When he made the gift. If no such proof is forthcoming, the donee is entitled to the gift. ');">³⁵</span> [THESE ARE] THE WORDS OF R. MEIR. THE SAGES, HOWEVER, SAY: HE WHO CLAIMS FROM THE OTHER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The donee. The gift is regarded as being in the possession of its original owner until proof to the contrary is produced. ');">³⁶</span> MUST PRODUCE THE PROOF. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Once a [deed of a] gift contained the entry, 'As he was lying sick in his bed', but not,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As was customary to enter in a deed of a gift that was written after the death of the testator, to indicate that the gift was made by a dying man and that, having died from that same illness, he did not retract. ');">³⁷</span> 'And as a result of his illness he departed from the world'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to the house of his world', i.e., eternity. ');">³⁸</span>