Section
The dispositions of a sick person whose illness is not regarded as life-threatening are binding just like those of a healthy person, even if he later dies from that illness.

Should the illness be one that inspires fear of death—such as inflammation of the membranes (birsām), pleurisy, continuous vomiting or a severe nosebleed, the initial stage of paralysis, the terminal stage of consumption, an unremitting fever, any condition that two reliable physicians deem perilous, the outbreak of plague in his town, or a woman seized by labor pains until she is safely delivered—then any gift he makes is treated as a bequest (1). If he dies of that illness (2), the rules of bequests apply; if he recovers, the gift is treated as though made by a healthy person.

The one-third limit is assessed at the moment of death, and his gifts are executed in the order in which they were made.

Once such a gift becomes binding it cannot be revoked. Acceptance must occur at that stage, and ownership is confirmed by the donor’s permission—unlike a bequest, which takes effect over the entire estate only after death.