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Perek 6

Mishnayos Shevuos Perek 6 Mishnah 7

שבועות פרק ו׳ משנה ז׳

7
There is a case of one who lends money to another on the basis of collateral, and the collateral was lost while in the possession of the creditor, and the creditor says to the debtor: I lent you a sela on the basis of that collateral and that collateral was worth a shekel, i.e., a half-sela. Therefore, you owe me a shekel. And the other individual, the debtor, says in response to that claim: That is not the case. Rather, you lent me a sela on the basis of that collateral, and the collateral was worth a sela; I owe you nothing. In this case, the debtor is exempt from payment. There is a case of a creditor who claims: I lent you a sela on the basis of that collateral and it was worth a shekel. And the other individual, the debtor, says: That is not the case; rather, you lent me a sela on the basis of that collateral, and the collateral was worth three dinars, i.e., three-quarters of a sela. In this case, the debtor is liable to take an oath, due to the fact that he responded to the claim of the creditor with a partial admission. If in that case the debtor said: You lent me a sela on the basis of that collateral and the collateral was worth two sela, so now you owe me a sela. And the other party, i.e., the creditor, said: That is not the case; rather, I lent you a sela on the basis of that collateral and the collateral was worth a sela. Here, the creditor is exempt. If in that case the debtor said: You lent me a sela on the basis of that collateral and the collateral was worth two sela. And the other party, i.e., the creditor, said: That is not the case; rather, I lent you a sela on the basis of that collateral and the collateral was worth five dinars. Here, the creditor is liable to take an oath due to the fact that he responded to the claim of the debtor with a partial admission. And who takes the oath? The one in whose possession the deposit had been located, i.e., the creditor, who took collateral from the debtor. The Sages instituted this provision lest this party, i.e., the debtor, take an oath and the other party, i.e., the creditor, produce the deposit and prove the oath false.

הַמַּלְוֶה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ עַל הַמַּשְׁכּוֹן וְאָבַד הַמַּשְׁכּוֹן, אָמַר לוֹ סֶלַע הִלְוִיתִיךָ עָלָיו וְשֶׁקֶל הָיָה שָׁוֶה, וְהַלָּה אוֹמֵר לֹא כִי אֶלָּא סֶלַע הִלְוִיתַנִי עָלָיו וְסֶלַע הָיָה שָׁוֶה, פָּטוּר. סֶלַע הִלְוִיתִיךָ עָלָיו וְשֶׁקֶל הָיָה שָׁוֶה, וְהַלָּה אוֹמֵר לֹא כִי אֶלָּא סֶלַע הִלְוִיתַנִי עָלָיו וּשְׁלשָׁה דִינָרִים הָיָה שָׁוֶה, חַיָּב. סֶלַע הִלְוִיתַנִי עָלָיו וּשְׁתַּיִם הָיָה שָׁוֶה, וְהַלָּה אוֹמֵר לֹא כִי אֶלָּא סֶלַע הִלְוִיתִיךָ עָלָיו וְסֶלַע הָיָה שָׁוֶה, פָּטוּר. סֶלַע הִלְוִיתַנִי עָלָיו וּשְׁתַּיִם הָיָה שָׁוֶה, וְהַלָּה אוֹמֵר לֹא כִי אֶלָּא סֶלַע הִלְוִיתִיךָ עָלָיו וַחֲמִשָּׁה דִינָרִים הָיָה שָׁוֶה, חַיָּב. וּמִי נִשְׁבָּע, מִי שֶׁהַפִּקָּדוֹן אֶצְלוֹ, שֶׁמָּא יִשָּׁבַע זֶה וְיוֹצִיא הַלָּה אֶת הַפִּקָּדוֹן:

ז׳

המלוה את חבירו על משכון – he becomes upon it a paid bailee, and there is no difference if he took a pledge at the time of his loan, nr whether he took a pledge not at the time of his loan. But if he lost [it] or it was stolen, and the pledge was corresponding to the lien, his pledge is expended for his debt, and they don’t have anything against each other. But if the lien is greater [in value] than the pledge, the debtor/borrower pays the creditor what the debt was of greater worth. But if the pledge was greater [in value] than the lien, the creditor pays the debtor/borrower. But if it was lost by accident where a paid bailee is exempt, the lender is also exempt, and he takes an oath that through this accident [the object lent] was lost, and he collects the entire lien.

שקל – one half a Sela.

לא כי – it was not like this.

אלא סלע הלויתני עליו ושלשה דינרים היה כו' – for he admitted part of the claim, for the Sela is worth four Denarim. And lince the borrower/debtor is liable to take an oath on how much his pledge was worth, and the creditor/lender is liable to take an oath concerning the pledge that is not in his possession, and even though he pays its value because we suspect that his eye was upon it, the Jewish Court has the creditor take an oath first that the pledge is not in his possession/domain, and afterwards it has the borrower/debtor take an oath how much it was worth, lest the borrower take an other first and he is not exact as to its appraisement/estimated value and the creditor produces the pledge which will make him ineligible for testimony and for an oath. But what we teach in the concluding clause [of the Mishnah]: “And upon whom is the oath imposed,” it is stated, upon whom is the oath first imposed?

מי שהפקדון אצלו – the creditor/lender with whom the pledge was with takes an oath that the pledge was not in his possession/in his domain.

המלוה את חבירו על המשכון. נעשה עליו שומר שכר, לא שנא משכנו בשעת הלואתו, לא שנא משכנו שלא בשעת הלואתו. ואם אבד או נגנב והיה המשכון כנגד החוב, יצא משכונו בחובו ואין להם זה על זה כלום. ואם החוב יתר על המשכון, משלם לוה למלוה מה שהיה החוב יותר. ואם המשכון יותר על החוב, משלם מלוה ללוה. ואם נאבד באונס ששומר שכר פטור, גם המלוה פטור, ונשבע שבאונס נאבד וגובה חובו כולו:

שקל. חצי סלע:

לא כי. לא כן היה:

אלא סלע הלויתני עליו ושלשה דינרים היה שוה חייב. שהרי הוא הודה במקצת הטענה, שהסלע שוה ארבעה דינרין. וכיון שהלוה חייב לישבע כמה היה שוה המשכון שלו, והמלוה חייב לישבע על המשכון שאינו ברשותו ואע״פ שמשלם דמיו משום דחיישינן שמא עיניו נתן בו, ב״ד משביעין את המלוה תחלה שאין המשכון ברשותו, ואח״כ משביעין את הלוה כמה היה שוה. שמא ישבע הלוה תחלה ולא דקדק בשומא ויוציא המלוה את המשכון ויפסלנו לעדות ולשבועה. והא דתנינן בסיפא מי נשבע, מי נשבע תחלה קאמר:

מי שהפקדון אצלו. המלוה שהיה המשכון אצלו נשבע שאין המשכון ברשותו: