Si quelqu'un déposait de l'argent chez son voisin et qu'il le liait [dans son écharpe] et le passait par-dessus son épaule, [même s'il s'agit d'une garde de bonne foi, il est responsable. Car si quelqu'un emporte de l'argent déposé chez lui d'un endroit à l'autre, la seule garde valable est dans sa main, il est écrit (Deutéronome 14:25): "Et tu lieras l'argent dans ta main"—Bien qu'il soit lié, il doit être entre vos mains. Et dans une maison, il est gardé uniquement dans le sol. Et dans un mur, dans la largeur de main près du plafond ou la largeur de main près du sol, les voleurs ne risquant pas d'y fouiller. S'il les a gardés d'une autre manière, il est considéré comme abandonné, et il est responsable—à moins qu'il n'ait stipulé ab initio avec le déposant qu'il ne l'accepte qu'à la condition qu'il ne soit pas responsable de l'ensemble de ces «gardes».]; ou s'il l'a donné à son fils ou à sa fille mineur, et "s'est fermé" mal devant eux, il est responsable, car il n'a pas regardé à la manière des veilleurs. Mais s'il a regardé à la manière des observateurs, il n'est pas responsable. [Mais s'il l'a donné à des adultes, ils jurent qu'ils l'ont gardé à la manière des veilleurs et ils ne sont pas responsables. Et nous ne disons pas dans un tel cas qu'un observateur qui donne à un observateur est responsable. Car il est de coutume de déposer auprès de sa femme ou de ses enfants ce qui a été déposé chez lui. Et celui qui dépose quelque chose avec un autre le fait avec cette compréhension.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
צררן – in his kerchief/scarf
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
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.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
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.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
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?
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
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.
