Jerusalem Talmud Bava Metzia 3.1

משנה: הַמַּפְקִיד אֵצֶל חֲבֵירוֹ בְּהֵמָה אוֹ כֵלִים וְנִגְנְבוּ אוֹ שֶׁאָבְדוּ שִׁילֵּם וְלָא רָצָה לִישָּׁבַע שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמְרוּ שׁוֹמֵר חִנָּם נִשְׁבָּע וְיוֹצֵא. נִמְצָא הַגַּנָּב מְשַׁלֵּם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי כֶפֶל טָבַח וּמָכַר מְשַׁלֵּם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה. לְמִי מְשַׁלֵּם לְמִי שֶׁהַפִּיקָּדוֹן אֶצְלוֹ. נִשְׁבָּע וְלָא רָצָה לְשַׁלֵּם נִמְצָא הַגַּנָּב מְשַׁלֵּם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי כֶפֶל טָבַח וּמָכַר מְשַׁלֵּם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה. לְמִי מְשַׁלֵּם לְבַעַל הַפִּיקָּדוֹן.

MISHNAH: If one deposited an animal or vessels with another and they were stolen or lost: If the other paid and did not want to swear although they said that the unpaid trustee swears and is absolved, in case the thief was found, he pays double restitution; if he slaughtered or sold it, he pays quadruple or quintuple restitution. To whom does he pay? To the person with whom it was deposited. If the other had sworn and did not pay, in case the thief was found, he pays double restitution; if he slaughtered or sold it, he pays quadruple or quintuple restitution. To whom does he pay? To the owner of the deposit.

הלכה: הַמַּפְקִיד אֵצֶל חֲבֵירוֹ כול׳. מֲנָן תֵּיתֵי לֵיהּ. אִם הִמָּצֵא תִמָּצֵא בְיָדוֹ הַגְּנֵיבָה. וְכִי אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁאִם יִמָּצֵא הַגַּנָּב יְשַׁלֵּם שְׁנַיִם. וּמַה תַלְמוּד לוֹמַר שְׁנַיִם יְשַׁלֵּם. אִם אֵינוֹ עִנְיָין לוֹ תְּנֵיהוּ עִנְיָין לְשֶׁלְּפָנָיו. רִבִּי [ ] עָאַל לְפִירְקָא דְרִבִּי יוּדָן. אָמַר קוֹמֵיהּ הָדָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ. אֱמוֹר דְּבַתְרָהּ. נִשְׁבָּע וְלָא רָצָה לְשַׁלֵּם נִמְצָא הַגַּנָּב מְשַׁלֵּם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי כֶפֶל. טָבַח וּמָכַר מְשַׁלֵּם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה. לְמִי מְשַׁלֵּם. לְבַעַל הַפִּיקָּדוֹן. וִישַׁלֵּם לְמִי שֶׁהַפִּקָּדוֹן אֶצְלוֹ. רִבִּי נָסָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹנָה. חַיִּים שְׁנַיִם יְשַׁלֵּם. לְמָקוֹם שֶׁהַקֶּרֶן מְהַלֵּךְ שָׁם הַכֶּפֶל מְהַלֵּךְ. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרִבִּי לָעְזָר. רִבִּי נָסָה מוֹסִיף בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן חֲנִינָה. לֹא סוֹף דָּבָר שִׁילֵּם אֶלָּא מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁקִּיבֵּל עָלָיו לְשַׁלֵּם כְּמִי שֶׁשִּׁילֵּם.

HALAKHAH: “If one deposited an animal or vessels with another,” etc. From where does he bring this? “If the stolen object be found in his hand.” Do we not know that if the thief is found that he has to pay double? Why does the verse say, “double he shall pay”? If the verse is not needed for the case, use it for the following subject. Rebbi [ ] went to the “term” of Rebbi Yudan and asked this question before him. He answered, refer to what is stated afterwards: “If the other had sworn and did not pay, in case the thief was found, he pays double restitution; if he had slaughtered or sold it, he pays quadruple or quintuple restitution. To whom does he pay? To the owner of the deposit.” Should he not pay to the person with whom it was deposited? Rebbi Nasa in the name of Rebbi Jonah: “Alive, double he shall pay.” To the place where the capital goes, there the double fine goes. Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Eleazar; Rebbi Nasa adds in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: Not only when he paid, but even when he stated his willingness to pay it is as if he had paid.

אָמַר. מְשַׁלֵּם אֲנִי. חוֹשְׁשִׁין שֶׁמָּא שָׁלַח בּוֹ יָד. אָמַר. נִשְׁבָּע אֲנִי. וְרָאָה אוֹתָן שֶׁמְגַלְגְּלִין עָלָיו שְׁבוּעוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת וְחָזַר וְאָמַר. מְשַׁלֵּם אֲנִי. חוֹשְׁשִׁין. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. לֹא חִיְיבָה אוֹתוֹ הַתּוֹרָה שְׁבוּעָה לְהַחֲמִיר עָלָיו אֶלָּא לְהָקֵל. שֶׁאִם רָצָה לְשַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם וְאִם רָצָה לִישָּׁבַע יִשְׁבָּע. הָיוּ לוֹ עֵדִים שֶׁנִּגְנְבָה בְאוֹנֶס הָדָא הִיא דָּמַר רִבִּי לָעְזָר. הַמּוֹכֵר קְנָסָיו לְאַחֵר לֹא עָשָׂה כְּלוּם. הָיוּ לוֹ עֵדִים שֶׁנִּגְנְבָה בִפְשִׁיעָה הֲרֵי הוּא בִכְלָל יְשַׁלֵּם. וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִמְצֵאת הַגְּנֵיבָה לְמִי מְשַׁלֵּם. לָרִאשׁוֹן אוֹ לַשֵּׁנִי אוֹ לִשְׁנֵיהֶן.

If he said, I am paying, one may suspect that possibly he took it for himself. If he said, I am swearing, but then he saw that other oaths were added and he said, I am paying, one is suspicious. Rebbi Yose said, the Torah did not impose an oath on him to restrict him but to ease for him; for if he wants to pay, he shall pay, and if he wants to swear, he shall swear. If he had witnesses that it was forcibly stolen, to that case refers what Rebbi Eleazar said: If somebody sells his claims of fines to someone else, he did not do anything. If he had witnesses that it was stolen because of negligence, he comes under the category of “he shall pay”. If afterwards the stolen object was found, to whom does [the thief] pay? To the first, or to the second, or to both of them?