A sh'chiv me'ra says 'Give X to Ploni but do not tell anyone.' Ploni later hears about it. Is the gift valid?
A request for secrecy is not a legal condition on the gift. The transfer is valid regardless of whether the instruction was followed — secrecy was a personal preference, not a condition.
Question 2
A sh'chiv me'ra says 'Let Ploni benefit from my property.' Does Ploni acquire the property?
The Rambam distinguishes between 'give,' which transfers ownership, and 'let him benefit/stand in it/be supported,' which are too vague to constitute a transfer of ownership.
Question 3
A sh'chiv me'ra says 'Give my property to Ploni.' Ploni says 'I don't want it.' What happens?
When the intended recipient explicitly refuses a deathbed gift, he does not acquire it. The refusal is legally effective, and the property does not transfer to him.
Question 4
A sh'chiv me'ra gives property to Ploni and a kinyan is performed on Ploni's behalf. Can the dying man retract?
Generally a sh'chiv me'ra may retract. But once a kinyan is performed on the recipient's behalf, the gift is fully acquired and cannot be retracted.
Question 5
A document is found tied to a deceased person's thigh. How is it treated?
A document found on the body is examined carefully. If it contains clear language transferring ownership, it is honored. Otherwise, the Rambam treats it as a deathbed gift taking effect at death.