Si uno deposita dinero con su vecino y lo ató [en su bufanda] y se lo echó al hombro, [a pesar de que esto es de buena fe, es responsable. Porque si uno lleva dinero depositado con él de un lugar a otro, la única protección válida está en su mano, está escrito (Deuteronomio 14:25): "Y atarás el dinero en tu mano"—Aunque está obligado, debe estar en tu mano. Y en una casa, está vigilada solo en el suelo. Y en una pared, en el ancho de las manos cerca del techo o en el ancho de las manos cerca del suelo, no es probable que los ladrones busquen allí. Si los protegió de otra manera, se lo considera abandonado y es responsable.—a menos que estipule ab initio con el depositante que lo acepta solo con la condición de que no sea responsable de todas estas "protecciones"]; o si se lo dio a su hijo o hija menor, y "se cerró" inadecuadamente ante ellos, es responsable, porque no miró a la manera de los observadores. Pero si observaba a la manera de los observadores, no es responsable. [Pero si se lo dio a los adultos, juran que lo guardaron a la manera de los observadores y no son responsables. Y no decimos en tal caso que un observador que da a un observador sea responsable. Porque es costumbre que uno deposite con su esposa o hijos lo que se ha depositado con él. Y quien deposita algo con otro lo hace con este entendimiento.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
צררן – in his kerchief/scarf
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If a man left money in his fellow’s keeping and his fellow bound it up and hung it over his back, or delivered it to his son or his daughter who were minors, or locked it up improperly, he is liable since he did not guard in the way of guardians. If he guarded it in the way of guardians he is exempt. This mishnah teaches how a person should guard another person’s given to him for safekeeping. He should not tie it up and put it in a bundle behind him lest a thief come and take it. He should not give it to minor children nor lock it up improperly. All of these are not the way that guardians watch other people’s objects. If he should act in such a manner and the money were to be lost he would be liable. If, however, he guarded it properly and something happened to the money, he would be exempt.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
והפשילן לאחוריו – even though that this is high-level guarding, he is liable, for a person who carries deposited monies from place to place, they lack guarding other than in his hand, as it is written (Deuteronomy 14:24): “Wrap up the money (in your hand) [and take it with you to the place that the LORD your God has chosen].” Even though they are wrapped up, they will be “in your hand.” And if it is in the house, they lack [appropriate] guarding other than in the ground, or in the wall, in the handbreadth closest to the ceiling or the handbreadth closest to the ground. For it is not the manner of thieves to search there. But if he guarded it in another manner, he is negligent and liable, other than if initially, he made a condition with the depositor that for this condition he will accept the deposit, that he would not be liable for all of these forms of guardianship.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Questions for Further Thought: Mishnah ten: Why does the mishnah need to teach the idea of “the way of guardians”? Why not just state that the guardian is either liable or not liable? What additional information might we glean from these words?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
לבנו ולבתו הקטנים – but for adults, they take an oath that they guarded in the [appropriate] manner of bailees and are exempt. But we do not say regarding this that a bailee who transferred [the object] to another bailee is liable, for it is the way of a person to entrust what has been deposited in his hand – in the hand of his wife and his children. And all who make a deposit, with the knowledge that when he deposits something, that the one commissioned will give them into the hands of his wife and/or his children.
