Se uno ha depositato denaro con il suo vicino e lo ha legato [nella sua sciarpa] e se lo è lanciato sulla spalla [anche se si tratta di una buona protezione, è responsabile. Se uno prende denaro depositato con lui da un posto all'altro, l'unica valida custodia è nella sua mano, scritta (Deuteronomio 14:25): "E vincolerai il denaro nella tua mano"—Sebbene sia legato, deve essere nella tua mano. E in una casa, è custodito solo nel terreno. E in un muro, nel soffio vicino al soffitto o nel soffio vicino al suolo, è probabile che i ladri non vadano a cercarlo. Se li ha custoditi in qualsiasi altro modo, è considerato abbandonato, ed è responsabile—a meno che non abbia stipulato ab initio con il depositante che lo accetta solo a condizione che non sia responsabile di tutte queste "tutele".]; o se lo ha dato a suo figlio o figlia minore, e "chiuso" in modo inadeguato davanti a loro, è responsabile, perché non ha osservato alla maniera degli osservatori. Ma se ha osservato alla maniera degli osservatori, non è responsabile. [Ma se lo ha dato a persone adulte, giurano di averlo custodito alla maniera degli osservatori e non sono responsabili. E non diciamo in tal caso che un osservatore che dà a un osservatore è responsabile. Perché è consuetudine depositare presso la moglie o i figli ciò che è stato depositato presso di lui. E chi deposita qualcosa con un altro lo fa con questa comprensione.]
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.
