Si l'on louait un âne pour le conduire sur une montagne et qu'il le conduisait dans une vallée; dans une vallée, et il l'a conduit sur une montagne—Même si cette (distance) était de dix mil et cette dizaine de mil, et qu'elle est morte, il est responsable. [S'il l'a conduit au sommet de la montagne, même si la route était lisse et droite, il est responsable s'il est mort à cause de l'atmosphère (raréfiée), ne pas avoir glissé et ne pas avoir surchauffé. Car depuis qu'il s'est écarté (de la condition stipulée), il (le propriétaire) peut lui dire: "Il est mort uniquement parce qu'il n'était pas habitué à l'air des montagnes", ou (selon le cas) "Il n'était pas habitué à l'atmosphère de la vallée. " Et pour cette raison, aucune distinction n'est faite entre glisser et devenir surchauffé, comme c'est le cas ci-dessous.] Si l'on louait un âne et qu'il était aveuglé par une cataracte [Autre interprétation: et ses jambes devenaient vermoulues], ou s'il était saisi [ pour le service du roi], il (le propriétaire) peut lui dire: "Voici le vôtre (c'est-à-dire ce que vous avez loué) avant vous." [Ceci, seulement quand il lui a dit: "Cet âne", et il l'avait loué pour (porter) une charge. Mais s'il l'avait loué pour l'équitation, même s'il avait dit: «Cet âne», il ne peut pas lui dire: «Voici le tien devant toi», de peur qu'il ne tombe sous lui sur un pont ou ne le jette dans une fosse. De même, s'il a loué un âne, non qualifié (par «Ceci»), même pour une charge, il ne peut pas lui dire: «Voici le vôtre devant vous», mais il doit lui fournir un animal différent. Et s'il ne le fait pas, il (celui qui l'a loué) n'a rien à lui payer pour toute la distance qu'il a parcourue avec lui.] S'il est mort ou (sa jambe) s'est cassé, il est tenu de lui fournir un âne . [Le propriétaire doit vendre la peau et la carcasse pour les chiens et ajouter de l'argent pour lui fournir un âne, ou il doit louer un autre âne pour lui avec l'argent (qu'il a reçu) pour la carcasse. Car c'est "ce" cul pour lequel il s'est engagé—ou il doit rendre sa location.] Si quelqu'un a loué un âne pour le conduire sur une montagne et qu'il l'a conduit dans une vallée, s'il a glissé, il n'est pas responsable, [car il aurait été plus susceptible de glisser sur le sommet d'une montagne , qui est raide], et s'il est devenu surchauffé, il est responsable, [car une vallée génère de la chaleur, étant entourée de montagnes et "coupée" de l'air.], et si elle est devenue surchauffée [en escaladant une montagne], il est responsable, [l'ascension l'ayant causé. Et il s'était écarté (de la condition stipulée) en le conduisant sur une montagne.] (S'il louait un âne) pour le conduire dans une vallée et il le conduisait sur une montagne, s'il glissait, il est responsable; s'il a surchauffé, il n'est pas responsable. Si (il a surchauffé) à cause de l'ascension, il est responsable.
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
בהר והולכה בבקעה בבקעה והוליכה בהר – at the top of the mountain. And even though the path is smooth and straight, he is liable because it died as a result of the environment/atmosphere which was not smooth and not humid, since he changed it, one can say to him that she (i.e., the animal) did not die other than on account of the fact that it was not learned in the environment of the mountain and it was difficult for her. Or, it (i.e., the animal) was not learned in the environment of the valley and it was difficult for her. And because of this, there is no dispute here between its smoothness or its humidity, as it disputes at the end of the Mishnah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
Mishnah three deals with one who hires an donkey to carry a load in a certain type of terrain and then takes the donkey to a different terrain, against the terms of the contract.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אם החליקה פטור – that on the mountain, it she is liable to slip more, for the top of the mountain is sharp and slanting to the sides.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If one hires a donkey to drive it through hill country and he drove it through a valley, or to drive it through the valley and he drove it through the hill country, even though the distance of each was ten miles, if the donkey died the hirer is liable. If one hires a donkey with the explicit condition that the donkey will be driven through a certain type of terrain he is only allowed to drive the donkey through that type of terrain, be the terrain hilly or a valley. If, therefore, he drives the donkey into a different terrain and the donkey dies, he is obligated to compensate the owner for the lost donkey. Although in general hirers are not responsible if the animal that they have hired dies a natural death, since in this case the hirer did not abide by the terms of the contract, he is liable. This is true even though he didn’t drive the donkey any further than he was supposed to.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ואם חוחמה חייב – for in the valleys, the dust rises for the mountains are around it and the atmosphere does not have power over it, but if she becomes overheated on account of her ascent to the mountain, he is liable, for the ascent caused it, and he changed [the conditions] to cause her to walk on the mountain.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If a man hired a donkey and it went blind or was conscripted into the king’s service, the owner may say to the hirer, “Here is yours before you” [and he need not replace the donkey]. [But] if it died or was broken, he must give him a new donkey. If one hires a donkey and the donkey goes blind or is conscripted for use by the king, the owner of the donkey does not have to supply the hirer with a new donkey. He does not even have to return the money to the hirer. Since the donkey still exists the owner of the donkey can say to the hirer that he should keep using the donkey even though it is blind. If the donkey was conscripted the owner can tell the hirer that he must either wait until the term of conscription is over or try to bribe the animal back into his possession. Again, since the donkey still exists he need not supply the hirer with a new one. On the other hand, if the animal died the owner must give the hirer a new donkey.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
והבריקה – (see Bava Metzia 78a) became blind through a cataract in the eye; another explanation: her legs decayed.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If one hires a donkey to drive it through hill country and he drove it through a valley, if it slipped he is not liable, but if it overheated he is liable. [If one hires a donkey] to drive it through a valley and he drove it through hill country, if it slipped he is liable, but if it overheated he is not liable. But if [it overheated] due to the ascent he is liable. A donkey walking in hill country has a greater chance of slipping than a donkey walking in a flat valley. On the other hand, a donkey walking in the valley has a greater chance of becoming overheated than a donkey walking in the cooler hill country. Therefore, if one hired a donkey to walk in the hill country and he took it through the valley and it slipped he is not liable. Since the owner rented him the donkey with the intention that the donkey would walk in a place where it is likely to slip the hirer is not liable if the donkey slips while walking where it is even less likely to slip. If, however, the donkey overheated while being driven through the valley, the hirer is liable. The owner gave him the donkey assuming that he would take it through the hill country where overheating is unlikely. Since he took it to the valley where overheating is likely, he is liable. The opposite is true if one hired a donkey to walk through the valley and instead took it to the hill country. If it slipped the hirer is liable, since he took it to a place where it was more likely to slip. If, however, it overheated he is exempt since it is less likely to overheat in the hill country than in the valley where it was allowed to go. This is true with one caveat. If the donkey overheats due to an overly strenuous uphill climb, then the hirer is liable in any case. Since he should have been more careful about climbing so strenuously, he is liable for the damages caused.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
או שנעשית אנגריא – she was taken into the service of the king.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Questions for Further Thought: • What is the relationship between what is taught in section one and what is taught in section three? • Section two deals with a subject different from the subject discussed in sections one and three. Why do you think this clause is placed in this mishnah?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אומר לו הרי שלך לפניך – and specifically when he said to him – this donkey, which had been hired for [carrying] a burden. But if he hired it to ride upon hit, even if he said to him, “this donkey,” and he cannot say to him, this is yours before you, lest she fall under him on a bridge or she throws him off at one of the openings. And similarly, if he hired for him a mere donkey even for [carrying] a burden, he cannot say to him “yours is before you,” but he is obligated to assign to him another animal. And if he doesn’t assign to him another animal, he is not liable to give him anything from all fees of the way that he walked with it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
מתה או נשברה חייב – He who rents it out sells the skin and the carcass [goes] to the dogs, adds money and assigns for him another animal, or he can rent him another with the monies of the carcass, for this donkey was mortgaged to him, or he can return him his payment.
