daf bit: Erchin 20
Today's daf talks about precision in language. Apparently there was a
practice where people would vow their "valuation", meaning a fixed fee
based on factors like free/slave status and age (I think!), or their
"worth", meaning their market value as workers. A mishna on today's daf
highlights the care one must take in wording: if one said "I vow my
valuation" and he then died before paying, his heirs must pay. If,
on the other hand, he said "I vow my worth" and then died, his heirs
do not pay because dead people have no worth. The g'mara explains
that this is because his valuation was known at the time he made the
oath but his worth wasn't. (20a)