Si uno tomó prestada una vaca y tomó prestada a su dueño con ella, [es decir, si el dueño de la vaca estuviera con el prestatario para hacer su trabajo —si fue prestado o contratado por él; si trabajar con la vaca o hacer algún otro trabajo]; o si tomó prestado o contrató al dueño y luego tomó prestada la vaca, y murió, no es responsable, está escrito (Éxodo 22:14): "Si su dueño estuviera con él, no pagará" [la implicación es : Si el dueño del buey estaba con él, con el prestatario, prestado o contratado por él para hacer su trabajo, en el momento en que le prestó su vaca, no pagará.] Pero si pidió prestada la vaca y luego pidió prestado o contrató al dueño, y murió, él es responsable, está escrito (Éxodo 22:13): "Si su dueño no estuviera con él, pague pagará". [Si él (el propietario del animal) estaba con él (el prestatario) en el momento del accidente, pero no en el momento del préstamo, él (el prestatario) es responsable, no siendo "pedir prestado al propietario" eximirlo a menos que estuviera con él en el momento del préstamo. El versículo debe entenderse de la siguiente manera: "Si su propietario no estaba con él (el prestatario)" en el momento del préstamo, incluso si estaba con él en el momento de la ruptura o la muerte, "pagará pagará". ]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
השואל את הפרה ושאל בעלה עמה – if the owners of the cow were with the borrower to do his work, whether they were borrowed with him or rented, whether at the same work of the cow, or whether to do a different [kind of] work, and if the animal died, he is exempt.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
The first mishnah of chapter eight deals with a specific law which is applicable only to borrowers: if the owners were rented or borrowed with their animals, for instance a donkey driver with his donkey, then the borrowers or renters are not obligated if the animal should die.
Mishnah two deals with a person who rents an animal for half a day and borrows it for the other half.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
שנאמר אם בעליו עמו לא ישלם – and this implies if the owner of the ox was with it, with the borrower, and is borrowed or rented to him to do work at the time that he borrowed his cow, he doesn’t pay.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If one borrowed a cow together with the service of its owner, or hired its owner together with the cow, or if he borrowed the service of the owner or hired him, and afterward borrowed the cow, and the cowed died he is not liable, for it is written, “If its owner was with it no restitution need be made” (Exodus 22:14). But if he first borrowed the cow and afterward borrowed or hired the service of its owner, and the cow died, he is liable, for it is written, “Its owner not being with it, he must make restitution” (Exodus 22:13). The Torah clearly states that if the owner of the animal was with the animal when it was borrowed and then it died or was injured the borrower is not obligated to make restitution. The assumption is that the owners should have taken care of the animal and therefore even though the borrower would normally be liable for the animal dying or being injured in this case he is not. Our mishnah clarifies two issues. First of all, it states that the services of the owner need not have been borrowed but may have been hired as well. As long as the cow is borrowed these laws will be applicable. Second, the services of the owner must have been borrowed or hired before the borrowing of the cow. The Rabbis interpret the Torah’s words “with it” or “not being with it” to mean that the owner was in service to the borrower at the time of the borrowing and not afterwards. If the borrower hired or borrowed the services of the owner after having borrowed the cow he will be liable if the cow dies, even if at that time the owner was with the cow.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אבל שאל את הפרה כו' – if it was with him at the time of an unavoidable accident, but was not with him at the time of the borrowing, he (i.e., the borrower) is liable, for it was not borrowing with the owners to make him exempt other than if he was with him at the time of the borrowing.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Questions for Further Thought: Mishnah one: Why might the Rabbis have interpreted the verses in Exodus 22:13-14 in this way and not in a more literal manner?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
שנאמר בעליו אין עמו שלם ישלם – And this is what Scripture teaches us: If the owner is not with it (i.e., the animal) at the time of the borrowing, even if he was with him (i.e., the animal) at the time of breaking a bone or death, he (i.e., the borrower) must surely pay.
