Jerusalem Talmud Bava Metzia 1.5

משנה: מְצִיאַת בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ הַקְּטַנִּים וְעַבְדּוֹ וְשִׁפְחָתוֹ הַכְּנַעֲנִים מְצִיאַת אִשְׁתּוֹ הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ שֶלּוֹ. מְצִיאַת בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ הַגְּדוֹלִים וְעַבְדּוֹ וְשִׁפְחָתוֹ הָעִבְרִים מְצִיאַת אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁגֵּרְשָׁהּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נָתַן לָהּ אֶת כְּתוּבָּתָהּ הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ שֶׁלָּהֶן.

MISHNAH: The find of his small son or daughter, or of his Canaanite male or female slave, his wife’s find, these are his. The find of his adult son or daughter, or of his Hebrew male or female slave, his wife’s find after he divorced her even though he did not yet pay her ketubah, these are their own.

הלכה: מְצִיאַת בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ הַקְּטַנִּים כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. בְּשֶׁאֵינָן טְפוּלִין לָאֲבִיהֶן. אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ טְפוּלִין לָאֲבִיהֶן מְצִיאָתָן שֶׁלּוֹ. רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר. אֵין אָדָם זוֹכֶה לַחֲבֵירוֹ בִּמְצִיאָה. אָמַר רִבִּי [הִילָא]. לֹא דָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָכֵן אֶלָּא דְקָשִׁי לֵיהּ עַל הָדָא דְתַנֵּי רִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה. הַשּׂוֹכֵר אֶת הַפּוֹעֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכָל מְלָאכָה מְצִיאָתוֹ לַבַעַל הַבַּיִת. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ. אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ רְשׁוּת לַחֲזוֹר בּוֹ תְּהֵא מְצִיאָתוֹ לְרַבּוֹ.

HALAKHAH: “The find of his small son or daughter,” etc. Rebbi Joḥanan said, only if they are not dependent on their father. But if they are dependent on their father, their finds belong to the latter. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish says, a person cannot acquire a find for another. Rebbi [Hila] said: Not that Rebbi Simeon had formulated thus, but he had a problem with what Rebbi Hoshaiah stated: If a person hires a worker for any work, the latter’s finds belong to the employer. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, should the finds of a person who can resign at any moment belong to his employer?

מָה בֵּין עַבְדּוֹ וְשִׁפְחָתוֹ הָעִבְרִים לְעַבְדּוֹ וְשִׁפְחָתוֹ הַכְּנַעֲנִים. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. עַבְדּוֹ וְשִׁפְחָתוֹ הָעִבְרִים הוֹאִיל וְאֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְשַׁנּוֹתוֹ מִמְּלַכְתּוֹ מְצִיאָתוֹ לְעַצְמוֹ. עַבְדּוֹ וְשִׁפְחָתוֹ הַכְּנַעֲנִים הוֹאִיל וְרַשַּׁאי לְשַׁנּוֹתָן מִמְּלַאכְתָּן מְצִיאָתָן לְרַבָּן. הָתִיבוֹן. הֲרֵי אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ רַשַׁאי לְשַׁנּוֹת מִמְּלַאכְתָּהּ וּמְצִיאָתָהּ שֶׁלּוֹ. דְּתַנִּינָן תַּמָּן. כּוֹפָהּ לַעֲשׂוֹת בַּצֶּמֶר. וְאֵינוֹ כוֹפָהּ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּדָבָר אַחֵר. אָמַר רִבִּי בָּא בַּר מִינָא וְרִבִּי יָסָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. טַעַם אַחֵר בָּאִשָּׁה. מַה טַעַם אַחֵר בָּאִשָּׁה. רִבִּי חַגַּיי אָמַר. מִפְּנֵי הַקְּטָטָה. רִבִּי יוֹסֵה אוֹמֵר. שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא מַבְרַחַת נִיכְסֵי בַעֲלָה וְאוֹמֶרֶת. מְצִיאָה הִיא. הָתִיבוֹן בָּעֵדִים לֹא אָסְרוּ זֶה אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי זֶה.

What is the difference between his Hebrew male and female slaves and his Canaanite male and female slaves? Rebbi Joḥanan said, since he is not empowered to change the employment of his male or female Hebrew slave, that one’s find belongs to himself. Since he is empowered to change the employment of his male or female Canaanite slave, their find belongs to their master. They objected: He is not empowered to change the employment of his wife, but her find belongs to him. As we have stated there: “He forces her to work with wool,” he cannot force her to work any other material. Rebbi Abba bar Mina and Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: there is another reason in the case of the wife. What is another reason in the case of the wife? Rebbi Ḥaggai said, because of quarrel. Rebbi Yose said, lest she smuggle away her husband’s property and say: it is a find. They objected: before witnesses? They forbade one because of the other.

מְצִיאַת אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁגֵּירְשָׁהּ. רִבִּי יוֹסָנָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אָחָא. אָדָם שֶׁגֵּירַשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ וְלֹא נָתַן לָהּ כְּתוּבָּתָהּ חַיָיב בִּמְזוֹנוֹתֶיהָ עַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָהּ פְּרוּטָה אַחֲרוֹנָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. מַתְנִיתָא אָמְרָה כֵן. מְצִיאַת אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁגֵּירְשָׁהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר. הוֹאִיל וְחַיָיב בִּמְזוֹנוֹתֶיהָ עַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָהּ פְּרוּטָה הָאַחֲרוֹנָה תְּהֵא מְצִיאָתָהּ שֶׁלּוֹ. לְפוּם כֵן צָרַךְ מִתְנִיתָא.

“His wife’s find after he divorced her.” Rebbi Yosana in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: A man who divorced his wife without paying her ketubah is liable for her upkeep until he gave her the last penny. Rebbi Yose said, the Mishnah says this, “his wife’s find after he divorced her.” Rebbi Hoshaiah said, the Mishnah is needed lest you say that because he is liable for her upkeep until he gave her the last penny, her find should be his.