His statement, “and taking one’s wife back”: it is valid to appoint an agent for this. Thus, when a man has divorced his wife, he may say to someone, “I appoint you to take her back on my behalf.”
If someone were to ask: Why would he appoint someone to take her back? Why does he not take her back himself?
We reply: He may be absent and say to the agent, “Keep watch over her; do not let her waiting period expire before you take her back.” The husband may not wish to take her back himself; rather, he may wish to humble her somewhat so that she reforms. He may also refrain from informing her that he has taken her back, so that she reforms as well. It is also permissible for him to appoint the wife’s father as his agent in taking her back, saying, “I appoint you to take your daughter back on my behalf.” But if he fears that the father will not take her back—if the wife’s father does not want the husband to return to his wife—then in that case he must take precautions and not appoint him, lest he lose his right to take her back.
“And taking possession of ownerless permissible things, such as game, herbage, and the like—but not ẓihār, liʿān, or oaths—and in every right that admits representation, including acts of worship and prescribed punishments, in their establishment and execution …”
His statement, “and taking possession of permissible things, such as game”: “permissible things” refers to things that are not owned by another person. A permissible unowned thing is something acquired without any human action, such as herbage or game. That is, one may appoint an agent to acquire such things on one’s behalf. He may say, “I appoint you to hunt a bird, a rabbit, and a gazelle for me.” The other replies, “I accept,” takes the rifle, goes out, and hunts. According to the author’s view, this is permissible, because it is a permissible act for which I have appointed another person as my representative.
The second view is that it is not permissible to appoint an agent to acquire ownerless permissible things, because at the time of appointing the agent, the principal does not own them and therefore has no authority to dispose of them. Based on this view, if the agent acts and brings back game, it belongs to the agent, because the agency was invalid. If the agent wishes to give it to the principal