Commentaire sur Bava Metzia 3:4
שְׁנַיִם שֶׁהִפְקִידוּ אֵצֶל אֶחָד, זֶה מָנֶה וְזֶה מָאתַיִם, זֶה אוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי מָאתָיִם וְזֶה אוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי מָאתָיִם, נוֹתֵן לָזֶה מָנֶה וְלָזֶה מָנֶה, וְהַשְּׁאָר יְהֵא מֻנָּח עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא אֵלִיָּהוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִם כֵּן מַה הִפְסִיד הָרַמַּאי. אֶלָּא הַכֹּל יְהֵא מֻנָּח עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא אֵלִיָּהוּ:
Si deux déposaient chez lui, cent; l'autre, deux cents [comme quand ils l'ont déposé en même temps, l'un juste avant l'autre]—le premier dit: "Les deux cents sont à moi"; le second: «Les deux cents m'appartiennent», il donne au premier cent et le second cent, et le reste est mis de côté jusqu'à ce qu'Eliyahu vienne. [Car il peut leur dire: "Vous n'étiez pas particuliers l'un à l'autre, afin que l'autre puisse réclamer les deux cents— Moi non plus, je n'avais pas besoin d'être particulier pour savoir qui m'avait donné les deux cents. "De sorte que c'est comme s'ils avaient placé les trois cents dans un paquet devant lui, il ne lui incombait pas de savoir ce qu'il contenait appartenait au l'un, et quoi à l'autre.] R. Yossi a dit: "Si oui, qu'est-ce que le trompeur a perdu!" [Il n'admettra jamais la vérité.] Au contraire, le tout est mis de côté jusqu'à ce qu'Eliyahu vienne.
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Two men deposited money with a third, the one 100 zuz and the other 200 zuz. [Afterward] one claimed that he deposited 200 and the other claimed that he deposited 200. He gives this one 100 zuz and this one 100 zuz and the rest remains until Elijah comes.
Rabbi Yose says: “If so, what does the deceiver lose? Rather the whole is left until Elijah comes.”
Mishnayoth four and five are very similar and we will therefore explain them together. They both deal with two people who deposited something with a third person and subsequently one of them makes a false claim as to what he deposited.
Mishnah six deals with a person whose friend deposited his produce with him and then his friend doesn’t return for an extended period.
In the scenarios in both of these mishnayoth two people deposit something with a third, one a larger deposit than the other. When they return to claim their deposit both claim to have deposited the larger amount of money (mishnah four or the more valuable vessel (mishnah five). Evidently the person who received the deposit does not remember who left which deposit. According to the first opinion each person should receive the value of the smaller deposit. If it was money than each person receives 100 zuz. If it was vessels one receives the less valuable vessel and the other vessel is sold and the value of the less valuable vessel is given to the other. The remainder of the money from the sale of the more expensive vessel stays with the third party until Elijah comes to clarify the matter.
Rabbi Yose points out that such a system does not punish a person for lying and claiming the larger deposit. Indeed, it may actually encourage him to do so. Therefore Rabbi Yose claims that all of the money should remain with the third party until Elijah comes. This way by lying the deceiver is penalized by not receiving even the smaller deposit. Hopefully, this will encourage him to tell the truth and thereby at least receive the smaller deposit. [This story reminds me of the famous story of King Solomon and the two mothers who dispute over whose son was the one that died during the night. See I Kings 3:16-28].