Musar for Bava Kamma 235:8
תנן אבל אם אמר לו איני יודע אם הלויתני פטור ה"ד אילימא דלא קא תבע ליה רישא נמי דלא קא תבע ליה אמאי חייב אלא דקתבע ליה וקתני סיפא פטור מלשלם
[If one man alleges:] 'You have a <i>maneh</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A hundred zuz; v. Glos. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> of mine,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., 'You have to restore me a maneh which you borrowed from me' or 'which was deposited with you'. ');"><sup>12</sup></span>
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
I believe that in the many instances when the Talmud justifies certain rulings by the statement אדם חשוב שאני, that we apply different yardsticks to morally high-ranking people, the Talmud wants to emphasize that the law is different when applied to such people. It is not merely a voluntary abrogation of one's rights. When the Talmud speaks of "doing one's duty in the eyes of Heaven," however, it is something else again. Such considerations apply where for one reason or another the human tribunal is unable to enforce a certain ruling.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy