About this episode
Study Guide Gittin 14 Today's daf is sponsored by the Hadran Women of Long Island group in loving memory of Yitzchak HaLevi Staum, beloved father of their friend Estair Staum Katz. "May our learning be a zechut for the Aliya of his neshama. תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים" On what basis does Rav hold that saying one should return a loan to a third person in the presence of all three people is as if it was acquired by the third person? After raising two suggestions that are rejected, they conclude that it can't be fully understood why he held this way. The Gemara brings two stories that are associated with this principle of Rav. If someone sends a messenger to repay a loan or return an item, who is responsible if something happens to the money/item before the messenger delivers it? Can the sender change his mind after he sends the messenger? Rav and Shmuel both hold that the one who sent the messenger is responsible until the item gets back to the owner/creditor, but they disagree about whether or not the sender can change his/her mind. First, they suggest the debate is whether or not when someone says, "Take this to..." did the messenger already acquire it on their behalf or not. However, this suggestion is rejected and they conclude that the debate is connected to responsibility - do we say that since the sender is responsible for the item still, they can change their mind or not? Two cases are brought to highlight this issue. If one sends a gift to another but before it gets there, the one receiving the gift dies, to whom does the gift go? Can we see from a debate regarding this issue that there is a tannaitic debate about whether "take this to..." is considered as if the recipient already received it or not. Another tannaitic debate is brought to prove this point as well, but both debates are explained in other ways.