Bava Batra 294:1

לתפלתו של כהן גדול

— In respect of the prayer of the High Priest [on the Day of Atonement]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When he offered up a special prayer for rain. If the signs indicated heavy rains. his prayer had to be modified. ');">¹</span> Raba,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At this point is resumed the discussion of the theme introduced by R. Zera (p. 634). ');">²</span> however, said in the name of R. Nahman: The [validity of a verbal] gift of a dying man is a mere [provision] of the Rabbis<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Biblically the gift would not be valid unless attended by actual or symbolic acquisition. ');">³</span> lest his mind become affected.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As a result of any resistance which might be offered to his instructions. Hence, legal force was given to his verbal and informal instructions as if legal acquisition had taken place. ');">⁴</span>

רבא אמר רב נחמן מתנת שכיב מרע מדרבנן בעלמא היא שמא תטרף דעתו עליו

But did R. Nahman say so?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the validity of the verbal gift of a dying man n only Rabbinical. ');">⁵</span> Surely R. Nahman said: Although Samuel had stated that if a person sold a bond of indebtedness to another and subsequently<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and he returned'. ');">⁶</span> remitted [the debt] it is remitted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the buyer cannot claim the debt from the borrower. He only bought the rights of the creditor which now exist no more. He can, however, reclaim from the creditor (the seller) the sum he paid him for the bond. ');">⁷</span> and that even an heir may remit,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A debt he inherited. ');">⁸</span>

ומי אמר רב נחמן הכי והא אמר רב נחמן אע"ג דאמר שמואל המוכר שטר חוב לחבירו וחזר ומחלו מחול ואפילו יורש מוחל מודה שמואל שאם נתנו במתנת שכיב מרע דאינו יכול למוחלו

Samuel, [nevertheless]. admits that if he presented it to him as the gift of a dying man, he cannot [subsequently] remit it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' B.K. 92a; B.M. 20a; Kid. 38a. ');">⁹</span> [Now]. if it is agreed'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'you said'. ');">¹⁰</span> that [this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The validity of the verbal gift of a dying man. ');">¹¹</span> is] Biblical, one can well understand the reason why one cannot remit [the debt]; if, however, It is maintained<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'you said'. ');">¹⁰</span>

אי אמרת בשלמא דאורייתא משום הכי אינו יכול למחול אלא אי אמרת דרבנן היא אמאי אינו יכול למחול אינה של תורה ועשאוה כשל תורה

that [this is merely] Rabbinical, why should he not be able to remit [it]? — It is not Biblical; but was given<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and they made it'. ');">¹²</span> [the same force] as [a law] of the Torah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the reason given supra, viz., lest his mind become affected. ');">¹³</span> Raba said in the name of R. Nahman: If a dying man said, 'Let X live<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'shall dwell'. ');">¹⁴</span> in this house', or,'Let X eat the fruit of this date-tree', his Instructions are to be disregarded<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he said nothing'. X cannot acquire the right of living in the house or that of eating the dates. since the former is abstract, while the dates are nol yet in existence. As such rights cannot be given away by one in good health, even by means of symbolic and legal transfer, the acquisition of the object itself (the house or the tree) being required, a dying man also cannot by his mere verbal instructions (though valid in the acquisition of concrete and existing objects), confer such rights. ');">¹⁵</span>

אמר רבא אמר רב נחמן שכיב מרע שאמר ידור פלוני בבית זה יאכל פלוני פירות דקל זה לא אמר כלום עד שיאמר תנו בית זה לפלוני וידור בו תנו דקל זה לפלוני ויאכל פירותיו

unless he used the following expression:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'until he would say'. ');">¹⁶</span> 'Give this house to X that he may live in it', or 'Give this date-tree to X that he may eat of its fruit'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By transferring the possession of the concrete object. the abstract or the yet non-existing. may also simultaneously he transferred. ');">¹⁷</span> Does this mean to imply<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to say'. ');">¹⁸</span> that R. Nahman holds the opinion that [only] the rights<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'thing'. ');">¹⁹</span>

למימרא דסבר ר"נ מילתא דאיתא בבריא איתא בשכיב מרע דליתא בבריא ליתא בשכיב מרע והא אמר רבא אמר רב נחמן

that a man in good health may confer,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'there is'. ');">²⁰</span> may also be conferred by<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit.. 'there is not', i.e., that the only difference between the rights of a healthy, and those of a dying man consists in the privilege of the latter to transfer possession by a mere verbal instruction, while in the case of the former, actual or symbolic acquisition must take place. ');">²¹</span> a dying man, [while those] which a man in good health cannot confer,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit.. 'there is not', i.e., that the only difference between the rights of a healthy, and those of a dying man consists in the privilege of the latter to transfer possession by a mere verbal instruction, while in the case of the former, actual or symbolic acquisition must take place. ');">²¹</span> can neither be conferred by a dying man?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit.. 'there is not', i.e., that the only difference between the rights of a healthy, and those of a dying man consists in the privilege of the latter to transfer possession by a mere verbal instruction, while in the case of the former, actual or symbolic acquisition must take place. ');">²¹</span> Surely Raba said in the name of R Nahman: