Study Gittin folio 15A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
כבינתי לבתי, והיא בשנים עשר מנה״, ומתה, וקיימו חכמים את דבריה! אמר להם: בני רוכל תקברם אמם.
my brooch [kevinati] to my daughter, and the brooch is worth 1,200 dinars. And this woman subsequently died, and the rabbis fulfilled her statement. R' Elazar said to them that the sons of Rokhel should be buried by their mother, i.e., he cursed them. R' Elazar meant that it is not possible to bring a proof from this incident, as these sons were wicked people. Consequently, when dealing with them the rabbis did not act in accordance with the halakha, but allowed their mother to give this valuable piece of jewelry to their sister, circumventing the halakhot of inheritance.
תנא קמא כרבי אלעזר; ורבי נתן ורבי יעקב נמי כרבי אלעזר – אף על גב דמית, לא אמרינן מצוה לקיים דברי המת; ו״יש אומרים״ – כרבנן;
The Talmud states: The first tanna holds in accordance with the opinion of R' Elazar, who holds that there must be an actual act of acquisition or the money still belongs to the giver. And R' Natan and R' Ya’akov also hold in accordance with the opinion of R' Elazar. However, they add that even though the giver died one does not say: It is a mitzva to fulfill the statement of the dead. And the rabbis in the clause beginning: Some say, hold in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, who say that the statement of a person on his deathbed effects acquisition through mere speech.
ורבי יהודה הנשיא שאמר משום רבי מאיר – כרבי אלעזר, מיהו היכא דמית אמרינן מצוה לקיים דברי המת; וחכמים אומרים: יחלוקו – מספקא להו; וכאן אמרו – שודא עדיף; ורבי שמעון הנשיא – מעשה אתא לאשמועינן.
And R' Yehuda HaNasi, who said his opinion in the name of R' Meir, holds in accordance with the opinion of R' Elazar. However, he maintains that where the giver died we say: It is a mitzva to fulfill the statement of the dead. And the Rabbis say: They should divide it, because they are uncertain about the halakha in this situation. And according to the rabbis in the clause beginning: Here they said, the discretion of the agent is preferable. And R' Shimon HaNasi came to teach us a relevant incident but does not express an additional opinion.