Bava Batra 270:1

לעולם אימא לך חייב ושאני הכא דכמנה לאחר בידך דמי:

It may still be maintained [that he is] liable,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the one party is certain of its claim while the other is doubtful. ');">¹</span> but here [the case is] different,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The doubtful brother does not himself advance a certain claim, but one of his brothers does that for him, so that as far as he is concerned his claim is as doubtful as that of the other brothers. ');">²</span> for it resembles [the case where one states]. 'You owe a <i>maneh</i> to another [person]'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One of the brothers claims that the others owe a share to the brother whose claim is disputed. ');">³</span>

מת יחזרו נכסים למקומן: בעי רבא שבח ששבחו נכסים מאליהם מהו

IF HE DIES THE PROPERTY REVERTS TO ITS OWNER [etc.]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. BaH. a.l. ');">⁴</span> Raba inquired: What [is the law in respect of] the natural appreciation of the estate? As regards appreciation which reaches the carriers<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., fruit, which is carried in baskets. If the land given to him by the brother who acknowledged him was fallow and he improved it so that it produced quantities of fruit. Heb. [H] 'carriers', with the Lamed of the dative. R. Tam reads [H] 'shoulders', with the Lamed of the instrument; i.e., appreciation due to hard and strenuous work (v., supra 42b, Tosaf. s.v., [H].) Cf. 'putting the shoulder to the wheel', a barren track was turned into a fruit-producing field. ');">⁵</span> there is no question at all,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That all the brothers are entitled to have shares in it. ');">⁶</span>

בשבח המגיע לכתפים לא תיבעי לך דכי נפלו לו נכסים ממקום אחר דמי כי תיבעי לך בשבח שאינו מגיע לכתפים כגון דיקלא ואלים ארעא ואסקא שרטון מאי תיקו:

since this resembles PROPERTY ACQUIRED FROM OTHER SOURCES.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which, according to our Mishnah, is shared by all the brothers. ');">⁷</span> The question, however, arises [as to] what [is the law] in [the case of] appreciation which does not reach the carriers as, for example, [where he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The brother who acknowledged him. ');">⁸</span> gave him] a palm-tree and it grew stronger [or a plot of] land and it yielded alluvial soil.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And similar cases where there is no appreciation that can be carried away, or that had been brought about by human effort, in such cases there might apply the law that 'the property reverts to its owner,' that is, the brother who had given it to him. ');">⁹</span>

<big><strong>מתני'</strong></big> מי שמת ונמצאת דייתיקי קשורה על יריכו הרי זו אינה כלום זיכה בה לאחר בין מן היורשין בין שאינן מן היורשין דבריו קיימין:

This remains undecided. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF A PERSON DIED AND A WILL<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. deyathiki [H], [G]. ');">¹⁰</span> WAS FOUND TIED TO HIS THIGH,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., even on his thigh, in which case it is obvious that the deceased himself had written it, ');">¹¹</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> תנו רבנן איזה היא דייתיקי כל שכתוב בה דא תהא למיקם ולהיות ואיזה היא מתנה כל שכתוב בה מהיום ולאחר מיתה

IT IS OF NO LEGAL VALUE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'this is nothing'. The person to whom a bequest was made in this will is not entitled to receive it; since possession is to be acquired by means of the receipt of the will, and since, at the time it reaches him, the owner, being dead, is not there to transfer to him the right of ownership. ');">¹²</span> IF THEREBY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., by the handing over of the will, ');">¹³</span> HE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The testator. ');">¹⁴</span>

אלא מהיום ולאחר מיתה הוא דהויא מתנה מעכשיו לא הויא מתנה אמר אביי הכי קאמר איזו היא מתנת בריא שהיא כמתנת שכיב מרע דלא קני אלא לאחר מיתה כל שכתוב בה מהיום ולאחר מיתה

MADE AN ASSIGNMENT<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' While he was still alive. ');">¹⁵</span> TO SOMEONE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to another'. I.e., if when handing over the will to the assignee he said that thereby he desired to confer upon him the ownership of the bequest mentioned in it. ');">¹⁶</span> WHETHER [THIS PERSON IS ONE] OF THE HEIRS OR NOT, HIS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The testator's. ');">¹⁷</span>

יתיב רבה בר רב הונא באכסדרא דבי רב ויתיב וקאמר משמיה דר' יוחנן שכיב מרע שאמר כתבו ותנו מנה לפלוני ומת אין כותבין ונותנין שמא לא גמר להקנותו אלא בשטר ואין שטר לאחר מיתה

INSTRUCTIONS ARE LEGALLY VALID.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if the assignee is not the testator's legal heir, and even though his name is not mentioned in the will, he receives all that is enumerated in it. The verbal instructions of a dying person are legally binding. ');">¹⁸</span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Our Rabbis taught: What is a deyathiki?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. note I. The question is, which kind of will entitles one to acquire ownership of an estate after the death of the testator, in the case where 'immediate' acquisition is not provided for? ');">¹⁹</span> — Any [deed] in which is written, 'This is to stand and to be'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., after death. [H] a play upon the word [H]. ');">²⁰</span>

אמר להו רבי אלעזר איזדהרו בה רב שיזבי אמר רבי אלעזר אמרה ואמר להו רבי יוחנן איזדהרו בה

And which is a [legal] gift?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of a person in good health. ');">²¹</span> — Any [deed] in which is written, '[Acquire the gift]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the property itself, ');">²²</span> from this day, and<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Its produce. ');">²³</span>

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק כותיה דרב שיזבי מסתברא אי אמרת בשלמא רבי אלעזר אמרה אצטריך רבי יוחנן לאסהודי עליה דר' אלעזר אלא אי אמרת רבי יוחנן אמרה אצטריך רבי אלעזר לאסהודי עליה דר' יוחנן רביה

after my death'. But, [accordingly], a gift would be [legal only when it is written] 'from this day, and after my death',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., where 'after my death' was explicitly added to 'from this day'. ');">²⁴</span> [if. however, it were written].'from now<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without the addition of 'after my death'. ');">²⁵</span> the gift would not be [legal]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How is this possible? Surely, the expression, 'from now, without any additions, rather implies that both land and produce are given to the recipient at once. ');">²⁶</span>

ועוד תא שמע דר' אלעזר אמרה דשלח רבין משמיה דרבי אבהו הוו יודעים ששלח רבי אלעזר לגולה משום רבינו שכיב מרע שאמר כתבו ותנו מנה לפלוני ומת אין כותבין ונותנין שמא לא גמר להקנותו אלא בשטר ואין שטר לאחר מיתה ור' יוחנן אמר תיבדק

— Abaye replied: [It is] this that was meant: 'Which is the gift of a person in good health that is [regarded] as the gift of a dying man in that no possession [of its fruit] is acquired until<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'but'. ');">²⁷</span> after death? — Any [deed] in which it is written, "from this day and after my death".' Rabbah, son of R. Huna sat in the hall,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [G]. ');">²⁸</span>

מאי תיבדק כי אתא רב דימי אמר דייתיקי מבטלת דייתיקי שכיב מרע שאמר כתבו ותנו מנה לפלוני ומת רואין אם כמיפה את כחו כותבין ואם לאו אין כותבין

of the school-house,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Taking [H] as meaning, 'teacher', v. supra 11b. ');">²⁹</span> and reported [the following statement] in the name of R. Johanan: [If] a dying man said, 'Write [the deed] and deliver a <i>maneh</i> to X', and he died,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before his instructions were carried out. ');">³⁰</span> they [must] neither write not deliver, since it is possible<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'perhaps'. ');">³¹</span>

מתיב ר' אבא בר ממל בריא שאמר כתבו ותנו מנה לפלוני ומת אין כותבין ונותנין הא שכיב מרע כותבין ונותנין הוא מותיב לה והוא מפרק לה במיפה את כחו

that he has determined to give him the right of ownership by means of the deed only, and no deed [may be the means of acquiring possession] after [the testator's] death. R. Eleazar said to them, 'Be careful about this'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., this is the accepted law, ');">³²</span> R. Shezbi said [that] R. Eleazar had reported it, and [that] R. Johanan said to them, 'Be careful about this'. R. Nahman b. Isaac said: Logical reasoning favours the opinion of R. Shezbi. [For] if it be said that R. Eleazar had reported it, it was quite right [for] R. Johanan to corroborate his statement;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It would be quite natural and necessary for the master (R. Johanan) to corroborate the view of his disciple (R. Eleazar). ');">³³</span>

היכי דמי מיפה את כחו

if, however, it be said [that] R. Johanan had said it, [was] it necessary [for] R. Eleazar to corroborate the view of R. Johanan his master? And, furthermore, come and hear [the following which proves] that R. Eleazar had recited it. For Rabin sent in the name of R. Abbahu: Be [it] known to you that R. Eleazar has sent [word] to [those in] the diaspora<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Heb. [H] denoting generally Nehardea, the earliest and most important centre of Babylonian Judaism; after its destruction in 259 by Odenathus its place was taken by Pumbeditha, which then became also known as Golah (v. R.H. 23a and Lewin, Methiboth I).] ');">³⁴</span> in the name of our Master<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rab, or Abba Arika, ');">³⁵</span> [that] if a dying man said, 'Write and deliver a <i>maneh</i> to X', and he died, they must neither write nor deliver, since it is possible that he has determined to give him the right of ownership by means of the deed only, and no deed [may serve as a means of acquiring possession] after [the testator's] death. And R. Johanan said,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' in amplification of the previous statement. ');">³⁶</span> '[The matter]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whether the testator wished the beneficiary to acquire possession by means of the receipt of the deed only. ');">³⁷</span> shall be investigated'. What is meant by, 'it shall be investigated'? — When R. Dimi came<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From Palestine. ');">³⁸</span> he said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He made two statements, the second of which explains the method of the investigation. ');">³⁹</span> [i]. [One] will annuls [another] will.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A dying man who bequeathed his estate in his will to one person can cancel this by making a second will in favour of another person. ');">⁴⁰</span> [ii], [If] a dying man said, 'Write [a deed] and give a <i>maneh</i> to X' and he died, [his motive] is inquired into.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., '(they) see'. ');">⁴¹</span> If [it was] to strengthen his claim,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the beneficiary shall have documentary proof of the gift. ');">⁴²</span> [the deed] is written; but if not,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the object of the deed was to make acquisition of the gift dependent upon the receipt of the deed by the beneficiary. ');">⁴³</span> it is not written.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it is possible that the testator had since changed his mind. ');">⁴⁴</span> R. Abba b. Memel raised an objection: [It was taught,] 'If a person in good health said, "Write [a deed] and deliver a <i>maneh</i> to X", and he died, they must neither write nor deliver.' But, [it follows,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since a person 'in good health' had been mentioned. ');">⁴⁵</span> in the case of] a dying man, they may both write and deliver!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because a dying man's instructions must be scrupulously adhered to. How, then, could it be said above that his motive must be inquired into first? ');">⁴⁶</span> — He raised the objection and he himself explained it: [This refers to the case] where [the testator desired] to strengthen his<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The beneficiary's. ');">⁴⁷</span> claim. How is one to understand [whether a testator desired] to strengthen [the beneficiary's] claim?