Bava Batra 149 – Actions of a Seriously Ill Person

If a seriously ill person consecrates all his possessions to the Temple treasury and then recovers, does his bequest stand? Do we say that whenever the Temple Estate is involved, the person is likely to grant possession with complete resolve, and thus, the bequest stands? Or does he value his own interests more, and the gift is revocable if he recovers?

If you say that the gift to the Temple stands if he recovers, what if he declares all his belongings ownerless? Both the rich and the poor can avail themselves of his possessions, so his act is somewhat meritorious - does it stand if he recovers?

If you say that in the above case, the merit is not enough and he does not resolve to give completely, what if he distributes all only to the poor? Is there a complete resolve?

All these questions remain unanswered.

Art: Poor People on the Seashore by Pablo Picasso