One who says, “This is my son,” is believed. [If he said,] “This is my brother,” he is not believed, but he must share his portion with him. [If] he died, the possessions return to their place. [If] possessions fell to him from another source, his brothers in-herit with him.  [If] one died, and a will was found tied to his thigh, it is void. [If] he granted title to someone else with it, whether from the heirs or not, his words are upheld.

One who signs over his property to his sons must write: from today and after death; [these are] the words of R' Yehudah. R' Yose says: He need not.  [If] one signs over his possessions to his son to [take effect] after his death, the father cannot sell [them], because they are signed over to the son; and the son cannot sell [them], because they are in the possession of the fa-ther. [If] the father [went and] sold [them], they are sold until his death. [If] the son [went and] sold [them], the buyer has no share in them until the father dies. The father may detach [produce] and give to eat to whomever he wishes, and what [pro-duce] he leaves over detached [from the field] belongs to the heirs.  [If] he leaves older and younger sons, the older ones are not supported at the expense of the younger ones, nor are the younger ones fed at the expense of the older ones; rather they divide equally.  [If] the older ones married, the younger ones may marry. If the younger ones said, “We will marry just as you married,” we do not listen to them. Rather, whatever their father gave them, he gave.

[If] he leaves older and younger daughters, the older ones are not supported at the expense of the younger ones, nor are the younger ones fed at the expense of the older ones; rather they divide equally.  [If[ the older ones married, the younger ones may marry. If the younger ones said, “We will marry just as you married,” we do not listen to them.  This is the strin-gency of daughters over sons: that the daughters are fed at the expense of the sons but they are not fed at the expense of the daughters.

One who died and left sons and daughters —- when there is much property, the sons inherit it and the daughters are sup-ported; [when] there is little property, the daughters are supported and the sons must go begging. Admon says: Because I am a male, I lose? Said Rabban Gamliel: I approve of Admon's view.

[If] he left sons, daughters, and a tumtum —- when there is much property, the males can relegate him to the females. [If there is] little property, the females can relegate him to the males.  One who says, “If my wife bears a male [child], let him take one hundred [zuzin]” —- if she bore a male, he takes one hundred [zuzin]. “[If] a female, [let her take] two hundred [zuzin]” —- if she bore a female, she takes two hundred [zuzin]. [If he said,] “If a male, one hundred; if a female, two hun-dred,” and she bore a male and a female, the male takes one hundred and the female takes two hundred. [If] she bore a tumtum, he does not take [anything]. If he said, “Whatever my wife bears, let him take,” he takes. If there is no other heir but him, he inherits everything.

[If] he left sons who were of age as well as minors —- [if] those of age improved the properties, they improved [them] for the common estate. If they said, “See what our father left us; we shall labor and eat [for ourselves],” they have improved [them] for themselves.  Similarly, a wife who improved the properties improved them for the common estate. If she said, “See what my husband left me; I shall labor and eat [for myself],” she has improved [them] for herself.

[If] brothers were partners, [and] one of them happened into a profession, it belongs to the common estate. [If] he fell ill and was healed, he is healed from his own [money].  Brothers, some of whom gave groomsmen's gifts during their father's lifetime, [when] the groomsmen's gifts are returned, they return to the common estate, for groomsmen's gifts are collectible in court. However, if one sent to another jars of wine or oil, they are not collectible in court, because they [were given] as act of kindness.

[If] one sent wedding gifts to the house of his father-in-law, [even if] he sent a hundred maneh there, and he ate there a groom's meal worth [as little] as a dinar, they cannot be reclaimed. [If] he did not eat a groom's meal there, they can be re-claimed. [If] he sent many wedding gifts, [on the understanding] that they return with her to her husband's house, they can be reclaimed. [If he sent] few wedding gifts [on the understanding] that she use them in her father's house, they cannot be re-claimed.

[If] one who was lying ill wrote [away] all his property to others, but retained some property, his gift is upheld. [If] he did not retain any property, his gift is not upheld.  [If] he did not record in it [that he was] lying ill, [and] he says that he was ly-ing ill, whereas they say that he was healthy, he must bring proof that he was lying ill; [these are] the words of R' Meir. But the Sages say: The one who exacts from another must bring the proof.

[If] someone distributes his property orally —- R' Eliezer says: Whether he is healthy or dangerously ill, properties which can become subject to a lien are acquired through money, a document, or an act of possession. Those which cannot become sub-ject to a lien are acquired only through meshichah. They said to him: It occurred with the mother of the sons of Rochel that she was ill and she said, “Give my veil to my daughter; it is worth twelve maneh,” and she died, and they upheld her words. He said to them: [As to] the sons of Rochel, their mother should bury them. The Sages say: On the Sabbath his words are upheld, be-cause he cannot write, but not on weekdays. R' Yehoshua says: They said [it] on the Sabbath, and certainly on weekdays.  Similarly, one can acquire on behalf of a minor, but one cannot acquire on behalf of an adult. R' Yehoshua says: They said [it] for a minor, and certainly for an adult.