Wenn er es im Stall gefunden hat [auch wenn es dort unbewacht ist, wie wenn der Stand entsperrt ist], muss er es nicht zurückgeben. (Wenn er es gefunden hat) im öffentlichen Bereich ist er dazu verpflichtet. Und wenn es auf dem Friedhof wäre [und er war ein Cohein], könnte er sich dafür nicht unrein machen. [Die Rückgabe einer Aveida ist ein positives Gebot, nämlich. (5. Mose 22: 1): "Kehre zurück, um sie deinem Bruder zurückzugeben", und die Unreinheit eines Cohein (beinhaltet die Übertretung) des positiven Gebotes von (3. Mose 21: 6): "Heilig wirst du sein" und des negativen Gebot von (ebd. 1): "Für einen toten Körper soll er unter seinem Volk nicht unrein werden." Und ein positives Gebot überschreibt nicht ein negatives und ein positives Gebot. Wenn sein Vater zu ihm sagte: "Werde unrein" (um eine Aveida zurückzugeben) oder wenn er zu ihm sagte: "Gib sie nicht zurück" [und die Aveida war an einem Ort, an dem es eine Mizwa ist, sie zurückzugeben], er sollte ihn nicht beachten, wie geschrieben steht (ebd. 19: 3): "Einen Mann, seine Mutter und seinen Vater sollst du fürchten, und meine Sabbate sollst du halten": Wenn dein Vater dir sagt, du sollst den Sabbat entweihen, beachte ihn nicht ihm. Das Gleiche gilt für alle Mizwoth.] Wenn er viermal oder fünfmal entladen und geladen (ein Tier), entladen und geladen wird, ist er verpflichtet (dies weiterhin zu tun), was geschrieben wird (2. Mose 23: 5). : "Hilfe sollst du helfen." Wenn er (der Besitzer des Esels) ging und sich setzte (nichts tat) und ihm sagte: "Da es Ihre Mizwa ist, wenn Sie entladen wollen, entladen", ist er befreit, es wird geschrieben (ebenda): " mit ihm." Aber wenn er (der Besitzer) alt oder krank war, ist er verpflichtet (die Mizwa selbst auszuführen). Es ist eine Mizwa der Tora, [gratis] zu entladen, aber nicht [gratis, sondern gegen Bezahlung] zu laden. R. Shimon sagt: Auch zu laden [gratis. Die Halacha stimmt nicht mit R. Shimon überein.] R. Yossi Haglili sagt: Wenn sie mehr als ihre (erträgliche) Last trägt, ist er nicht verpflichtet, da geschrieben steht (ebenda): "unter ihrer Last".—eine Last, die es tragen kann. [Die Halacha stimmt nicht mit R. Yossi überein.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
He found it in a stable. Even though it [the animal] isn't secured in it, for example [the stable] isn't locked.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
Mishnah ten deals with three subjects. 1) Further defining what is a lost object. 2) Potential conflicts between the commandment of returning lost objects and other commandments. 3) The commandment mentioned in Exodus 23:5 to help a person whose ass has fallen under its burden. The verse states: “When you see the ass of your enemy lying under its load and you would refrain from raising it, you must surely raise it with him.” A similar commandment appears in Deuteronomy 22:4.
Mishnah eleven deals with conflicts between helping return his father’s lost object, his teacher’s lost object and his own lost object.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
If it was in a cemetary. And he [the finder] is a Kohen. He shouldn't become impure [to retrieve it]. This is because returning a lost object is a positive commandment, "You shall surely return it to your brother". [However,] with impurity for a Kohen, it is the positive commandment of (Leviticus 21:6) "They shall be holy", and the negative commandment of (Leviticus 21:1) "They shall not become impure for a soul of their nation". And a positive commandment does not push aside a positive commandment plus a negative commandment.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If he found an [animal] in a stable, he is not responsible for it [even though the stable door was loose and unguarded. But if he found it in the public domain he is responsible for it. If he finds the animal in an improperly closed and unguarded stable he is not obligated to treat the animal as lost. Only if it was roaming in the public domain is he obligated to help return it to its owner.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
Or he says to him don't return it. And the lost item is in a place that it is a mitzvah to [retrieve and] return. He [the finder] should not listen to him [his father]. As it is written (Leviticus 19:3) "A man should fear their mother and father, and my Sabbaths he should guard", [this teaches us] that if your father tells you go and break the Shabbat, don't listen to him. Similarly with all other commandments.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If it was in a cemetery he need not contract uncleanness because of it. If his father said to him, “Contract uncleanness”, or if he said to him, “Do not return it”, he may not listen to him. This section deals with conflicting commandments. If a Kohen (priest) sees a lost object in the cemetery into which he is forbidden to enter since he would thereby contract ritual uncleanness, he is not obligated to take care of the object. If his father tells him to break a commandment, either the commandment that a Kohen may not enter a cemetery or the commandment that one must return lost objects, he should not listen to his father. Even though there is a commandment to respect one’s parents, respect does not include transgressing another commandment. [Note, this is an extremely important principle with many implications in our lives.]
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
He went and sat down. The owner of the donkey.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If he unloaded [the ass fallen under its load] and reloaded it and again unloaded it and reloaded it, even four or five times he is still obligated, for it is written, “You must surely raise it with him”. If the owner went and sat down and said, “Since the commandment is upon you, if you wish to unload, unload”, he is not obligated, for it is written “with him”. But if the owner was aged or sick, he is obligated. The Torah states that a person must help raise another person’s fallen ass. Even if he has to do so several times, he is still obligated. This is learned from the Torah’s repetition of the Hebrew word “raise”. From the fact that it was used twice the Rabbis conclude that the commandment applies even if it must repeatedly be performed. (For a similar teaching see mishnah nine). The owner of the animal must help the other person raise the animal and cannot sit idly and watch. This is learned from the word “with him” at the end of the verse. Only a sick or old person who could not help is exempt from doing so.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
It's a commandment from the Torah to unload. for free.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
It is a commandment from the Torah to unload but not to reload. Rabbi Shimon says, “To reload as well.” Rabbi Yose the Galilean says, “If the beast was carrying more than its proper load he is not obligated [to help unload it], for it is written, “under its load”, [which is to say] a load which it is able to endure. The Rabbis disagreed with regards to the extent of the help that needs to be given to the person who’s ass has fallen. Some said that he must only raise the animal and some said that he must help reload as well. Rabbi Yose the Galilean adds that he need not help an owner who put too large of a load on the animal. The owner should have been more careful and does not deserve to be helped for his own negligent act.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
But don't load. for free; rather for pay.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Questions for Further Thought: Mishnah ten, section two: Why shouldn’t a Kohen enter a cemetery and become unclean in order to take care of the lost object? Does this mishnah mean that ritual cleanliness is more important than returning lost objects or is there another explanation?Mishnah ten, section four: What would be the result if the person was obligated to help unload an ass even if too great a load had been placed upon it?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
Rabbi Shimon says even load. for free. The halacha is not like Rabbi Shimon.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
Rabbi Yossi HaGlili says etc. The halacha is not like Rabbi Yossi.
