Shevuot 5

שְׁבוּעַת הַפִּקָּדוֹן נוֹהֶגֶת בַּאֲנָשִׁים וּבְנָשִׁים, בִּרְחוֹקִים וּבִקְרוֹבִים, בִּכְשֵׁרִים וּבִפְסוּלִים, בִּפְנֵי בֵית דִּין וְשֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בֵית דִּין, מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ. וּמִפִּי אֲחֵרִים, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיִּכְפֹּר בּוֹ בְּבֵית דִּין, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, בֵּין מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ בֵּין מִפִּי אֲחֵרִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכָּפַר בּוֹ, חַיָּב. וְחַיָּב עַל זְדוֹן הַשְּׁבוּעָה וְעַל שִׁגְגָתָהּ עִם זְדוֹן הַפִּקָּדוֹן, וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַל שִׁגְגָתָהּ. וּמַה חַיָּב עַל זְדוֹנָהּ, אָשָׁם בְּכֶסֶף שְׁקָלִים:

The oath over a pledge obtains with men and with women, [Since it was taught in respect to the oath of testimony "with men and not with women, etc.", here, too, all are taught.] with non-kin and with kin [i.e., where the owner of the pledge is kin to the one with whom it is deposited], with those fit (to testify) and with those unfit, before beth-din and not before beth-din by himself. [i.e., If he swore by himself or answered "Amen" after the oath and then admitted (that he had sworn falsely), he is liable for an offering, it being written (Leviticus 5:21): "…and he denies to his neighbor" — in any event.] And (if he is besworn) by others [and does not answer "Amen," as when one says to him: "I beswear you to return my pledge to me," and he says: "I have nothing of yours"], he is not liable until he denies it in beth-din. These are the words of R. Meir. The sages say: Whether by himself or by others, if he denies it, he is liable. [The halachah is in accordance with the sages.] And he is liable (for an offering) for willfulness in the oath, ["and it be hidden" not being written in this connection. (willfulness in the oath":) He remembers the pledge and he knows that denying it makes him liable to an offering.], and (he is liable) for unwittingness with willfulness in respect to the pledge [i.e., He does not know that the oath makes him liable to an offering, but he remembers that he has the pledge], and he is not liable for unwittingness (in respect to the pledge)]. And for what is he liable for willfulness in it (the oath)? A guilt-offering with silver shekels, [i.e., one which is purchased with two selaim, it being written in respect to the guilt-offering ram (Leviticus 5:15): "according to your valuation, shekels of silver."]

שְׁבוּעַת הַפִּקָּדוֹן כֵּיצַד. אָמַר לוֹ, תֶּן לִי פִקְדוֹנִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְיָדֶךָ, שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בְיָדִי, אוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ אֵין לְךָ בְיָדִי, מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב. הִשְׁבִּיעַ עָלָיו חֲמִשָּׁה פְעָמִים, בֵּין בִּפְנֵי בֵית דִּין וּבֵין שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בֵית דִּין, וְכָפַר, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, מַה טַּעַם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לַחֲזֹר וּלְהוֹדוֹת:

The oath over a pledge. How so? If one said to him: "Give me my pledge that you have," (and he said:) "I swear that I do not have it," or: "I do not have it," and the first said: "I beswear you," and he said: "Amen," he is liable. If he beswore him five times, whether before beth-din or not before beth-din, he is liable for each one. R. Shimon said: Why so? For he can go back and admit it [after he denies it, so that with each oath, he is denying money.]

הָיוּ חֲמִשָּׁה תוֹבְעִין אוֹתוֹ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ תֶּן לָנוּ פִקָּדוֹן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ בְיָדֶךָ, שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵין לָכֶם בְּיָדִי, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא אַחַת. שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בְיָדִי וְלֹא לְךָ וְלֹא לְךָ, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר שְׁבוּעָה בָאַחֲרוֹנָה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר שְׁבוּעָה לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד. תֶּן לִי פִקָּדוֹן וּתְשׂוּמֶת יָד גָּזֵל וַאֲבֵדָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְיָדֶךָ, שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בְיָדִי, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא אַחַת. שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בְיָדִי פִקָּדוֹן וּתְשׂוּמֶת יָד וְגָזֵל וַאֲבֵדָה, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. תֶּן לִי חִטִּין וּשְׂעֹרִין וְכֻסְּמִין שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְיָדֶךָ, שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בְיָדִי, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא אַחַת. שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בְיָדִי חִטִּין וּשְׂעֹרִין וְכֻסְּמִים, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אֲפִלּוּ אָמַר חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְכֻסֶּמֶת, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת:

If five men claimed from him: "Give us our pledge that you have," (and he said:) "I swear that I do not have it," he is liable only for one. "I swear that I have neither yours, nor yours, nor yours, he is liable for each one. R. Eliezer says: (He is not liable for each one) until he says "upon oath" at the end, [viz.: "I have neither yours, nor yours, nor yours, upon oath," so that the oath appertains to all.] R. Shimon says: Until he says "I swear" for each one. [The halachah is neither in accordance with R. Eliezer nor with R. Shimon.] "Give me my pledge, my loan, (restoration of) my theft, and my lost object that you have." "I swear that I do not have it" — he is liable only for one. "I swear that I have neither pledge, nor loan, nor theft, nor lost object" — he is liable for each one. "Give me my wheat, my barley, and my spelt that you have." "I swear that I do not have it" — he is liable only for one. "I swear that I have neither wheat, nor barley, nor spelt" — he is liable for each one. R. Meir says: Even if he says "a wheat, a barley, and a spelt," he is liable for each one. [R. Meir holds that if one claims "a wheat," he means the wheat species (and not an individual grain). The same is true for barley and spelt, viz. (Exodus 9:32): "And the wheat and the barley were not smitten." So that it is as if he were claiming "wheat, barley, and spelt." The rabbis hold (that he means) one grain of wheat, of barley, and of spelt. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Meir.]

אָנַסְתָּ וּפִתִּיתָ אֶת בִּתִּי, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לֹא אָנַסְתִּי וְלֹא פִתִּיתִי. מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, חַיָּב. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פּוֹטֵר, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם קְנָס עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם קְנָס עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ, מְשַׁלֵּם בּשֶׁת וּפְגָם עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ:

"You ravished or seduced my daughter," and he says: "I did not ravish or seduce." "I beswear you," and he says: "Amen," he is liable. R. Shimon says he is not liable (for an offering) for he does not pay knass (penalty payment) by his own admission. [And since if he admitted it, he would not be liable, when he denies it, too, he is not denying money.] They said to him: Even though he does not pay knass by his own admission, he pays bosheth ("shame") and p'gam ("injury") by his own admission. [Therefore, he is denying money. The (rationale of the) dispute between the rabbis and R. Shimon: R. Shimon holds that when he says: "You have ravished or seduced my daughter," he is claiming knass, whose amount is fixed, fifty (pieces of) silver, and he is not claiming bosheth and p'gam, whose amount is not fixed. For one does not leave something determinate to claim something indeterminate. Therefore, he is denying knass, and he is not liable. And the rabbis hold that he is claiming bosheth and p'gam. For one does not leave something which, if he (the other) admits it, he is liable for it, in favor of something which, if he admits it, he is not liable. Therefore, when he denies it, he is denying money, and he is liable. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Shimon.]

גָּנַבְתָּ אֶת שׁוֹרִי, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לֹא גָנַבְתִּי, מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, חַיָּב. גָּנַבְתִּי אֲבָל לֹא טָבַחְתִּי וְלֹא מָכָרְתִּי, מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, פָּטוּר. הֵמִית שׁוֹרְךָ אֶת שׁוֹרִי, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לֹא הֵמִית, מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, חַיָּב. הֵמִית שׁוֹרְךָ אֶת עַבְדִּי, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לֹא הֵמִית, מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, פָּטוּר. אָמַר לוֹ, חָבַלְתָּ בִי וְעָשִׂיתָ בִּי חַבּוּרָה, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לֹא חָבַלְתִּי וְלֹא עָשִׂיתִי בְךָ חַבּוּרָה, מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, חַיָּב. אָמַר לוֹ עַבְדּוֹ, הִפַּלְתָּ אֶת שִׁנִּי וְסִמִּיתָ אֶת עֵינִי, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לֹא הִפַּלְתִּי וְלֹא סִמִּיתִי, מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, פָּטוּר. זֶה הַכְּלָל, כָּל הַמְשַׁלֵּם עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ, חַיָּב. וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ, פָּטוּר:

"You stole my ox." "I did not steal it." "I beswear you." "Amen" — he is liable. "I stole it, but I did not slaughter it and I did not sell it." "I beswear you." "Amen" — he is liable. "Your ox killed my bondsman." "It did not." "I beswear you." "Amen" — he is not liable, [this being knass. For he pays thirty selaim even if he is worth only a dinar.] "You struck me and wounded me." "I did not strike and wound you." "I beswear you." "Amen" — he is liable. If his bondsman said to him: "You knocked out my tooth and blinded my eye." "I did not." "I beswear you." "Amen" — he is not liable, [this being knass. For his bondsman goes free for (loss of) one of his limbs.] This is the rule: Whoever pays by his own admission is liable; whoever does not pay by his own admission is not liable.