If he [the owner] gave him [the emisssry] a peruta [that belongs to the Temple] and told him to buy with half of it [the peruta] candles and with the other half to buy wicks, and he [the emissary] bought with all of it wicks or with all of it candles, or if he told him to buy candles with all the money or with all of the money wicks and he bought him half candles and half wicks they have both violate <i>meilah</i>. But if he told him to buy with half the money candles from one place and with the other half wicks from another place, and he went and bought the candles from the place of [where he was to purchase] the wicks and the wicks from the place of [where he was to purchase] the candles, the messenger has violated <i>meilah</i>.
Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
שניהם לא מעלו – the houseowner did not commit sacrilege for his agency was not performed with a penny, but the agent did not commit misappropriation because he did not abrogate his agency of the houseowner with a penny, but for less than a penny, there isn’t an liability for sacrilege.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Meilah
If he gave him a perutah and said to him: “Bring me for half a perutah lamps and for the other half wicks,” and he went and brought for the whole perutah wicks or for the whole perutah lamps; Or if he said to him, “Bring me for the whole lamps or for the whole wicks,” and he went and brought for half [a perutah] lamps and for the other half wicks, neither is guilty of sacrilege. In this case the employer has not committed sacrilege because the agent changed his instructions. The agent also has not committed sacrilege for he only changed the instructions by half of a perutah (by spending the whole perutah on one thing and not half on each item). In order for the agent to be liable, he has to change the instructions for the entire perutah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
השליח מעל – that he abrogated the agency of the houseowner, whether with wicks or with candles, and there is In both of [the expenditure of] a penny.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Meilah
But if he said to him, “Bring for half a perutah lamps from one place and for half a perutah wicks from another,” and he went and brought the lamps from the place where the wicks [were to be bought] and the wicks from the place where the lamps [were to be bought], the agent is guilty of sacrilege. In this case the agent changed the instructions completely and didn’t precisely fulfill any of the instructions that he was sent to fulfill. Therefore, he has committed sacrilege.
