Jerusalem Talmud Bava Metzia 3.2

משנה: הַשּׁוֹכֵר פָּרָה מֵחֲבֵירוֹ וְהִשְׁאִילָהּ לְאַחֵר וּמֵתָה כְדַרְכָּהּ יִשָּׁבַע הַשּׁוֹכֵר שֶׁמֵּתָה כְדַרְכָּהּ וְהַשׁוֹאֵל יְשַׁלֵּם לַשּׂוֹכֵר. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי כֵּיצַד הַלָּה עוֹשֶׂה סְחוֹרָה בְּפָרָתוֹ שֶׁלַּחֲבֵירוֹ. אֶלָּא תַּחֲזוֹר הַפָּרָה לַבְּעָלִים.

MISHNAH: If somebody lease a cow from another person and then lends it out to a third person. If it died a natural death, the lessee shall swear that it died a natural death and the borrower has to pay the lessee. Rebbi Yose said, how can this one treat another person’s cow as his merchandise? But [the value of] the cow shall be returned to its owner.

הלכה: הַשּׁוֹכֵר פָּרָה מֵחֲבֵירוֹ כול׳. וְיֵשׁ לוֹ רְשׁוּת לְהַשְׁאִיל. וְלֹא כֵן תַּנֵּי רִבִּי חִיָיה. אֵין הַשּׁוֹאֵל רַשַּׁאי לְהַשְׁאִיל וְלֹא הַשּׂוֹכֵר רַשַּׁאי לְהַשְׂכִּיר וְלֹא הַשּׁוֹאֵל רַשַּׁאי לְהַשְׂכִּיר וְלֹא הַשּׂוֹכֵר רַשַּׁאי לְהַשְׁאִיל אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן נָטַל רְשׁוּת מֵן הַבְּעָלִים. רִבִּי לָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יַנַּאי. וְהוּא שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ לְהַשְׂכִּיר. וָכָא. וְהוּא שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ רְשׁוּת לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהּ אֶפִּיטְרוֹפָּא. רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ שָׁאַל. שְׁאָלוּהָ בְּעָלִים מִשּׂוֹכֵר וָמֵתָה כְדַרְכָּהּ יִשָּׁבַע הַשּׁוֹכֵר שֶׁמֵּתָה כְדַרְכָּהּ וְהַשׁוֹאֵל מְשַׁלֵּם לַשּׂוֹכֵר. וְאִין כֵּינִי אֲפִילוּ אֲכָלוּהָ. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבִּינָָּא. אָכְלוּ שֶׁלָּהֶן אָכְלוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵה. הֵיאַךְ הַלָּה עוֹשֶׂה סְחוֹרָה בְּפָרָה שֶׁלָּזֶה. אֶלָּא תַּחֲזוֹר פָּרָה לַבְּעָלִים.

HALAKHAH: “If somebody lease a cow from another person,” etc. But does he have permission to lend it? Did not Rebbi Ḥiyya state: “The borrower cannot lend, nor the lessee lease, nor the borrower lease, nor the lessee lend, unless he received permission from the owners.” Rebbi La said in the name of Rebbi Yannai: Only if he gave permission to lease. And here, only if he gave permission to let him be a steward. Rebbi Abbahu asked: If the owners borrowed it and it died of natural causes, should the lessee swear that it died a natural death and the borrower pay the renter? Rebbi Abinna said, if they ate it, they ate their own property. “Rebbi Yose said, how can this one treat another person’s cow as his merchandise? But [the value of] the cow shall be returned to its owner.”