Bava Kamma 207

שכבר הודה מפי עצמו

since he made a voluntary admission'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosaf. Yeb. XIV, 3; B.M. 37b. ');">¹</span>

אלא אמר רבא שאני מתני' דכיון דידע למאן גזליה ואודי ליה כיון דאפשר לאהדורי ממונא למריה הוה ליה כמאן דאמר ליה יהיו לי בידך הלכך נשבע אע"ג דקאמר ליה יהיו לי בידך כיון דבעי כפרה לא סגי עד דמטי לידיה הא לא אישתבע הוי גביה פקדון עד דאתי ושקיל ליה:

— Raba therefore said: The case of our Mishnah is different altogether, for since he knows whom he robbed and in fact has admitted it, so that it is possible to restore the misappropriated value to the owner, it is considered as if the plaintiff had said to him: Let it [for time being] be in your possession. It is therefore only in the case where an oath was taken that though [it is considered as if] he said to him: Let it [for time being] be in your possession, yet since the robber is in need of atonement,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Lev. V, 24-25. ');">²</span>

לא יתן לא לבנו ולא לשלוחו: איתמר שליח שעשאו בעדים רב חסדא אמר הוי שליח רבה אמר לא הוי שליח

this is not sufficient until it actually comes into the plaintiff's hands, whereas where no oath was taken, the misappropriated article is considered as a deposit with him until the owner comes and takes it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Mishnah may thus be in agreement with either R. Akiba or R. Tarfon. ');">³</span>

רב חסדא אמר הוי שליח להכי טרחי ואוקמיה בעדים דליקו ברשותיה רבה אמר לא הוי שליח ה"ק איניש מהימנא הוא אי סמכת סמוך אי בעית לשדוריה בידיה שדר בידיה

HE MAY GIVE IT NEITHER TO HIS SON NOR TO HIS AGENT. It was taught: Where an agent was appointed in the presence of witnesses [to receive some payment of money] R. Hisda said that he would be a [properly accredited] agent,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And if some accident should happen with the money whilst still in his hands the payer would not be responsible ');">⁴</span>

תנן השואל את הפרה ושילחה ביד בנו ביד עבדו ביד שלוחו או ביד בנו ביד עבדו ביד שלוחו של שואל ומתה פטור

but Rabbah said that he is still not an agent [to release the payer of responsibility]. R. Hisda said that he would be a [properly accredited] agent, for it was for this purpose that he took the trouble to appoint him in the presence of witnesses, so that he should stand in his place.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And if some accident should happen with the money whilst still in his hands the payer would not be responsible ');">⁴</span>

האי שלוחו היכי דמי אי דלא עשה בעדים מנא ידעינן אלא דעשה בעדים וקתני דפטור קשיא לרב חסדא

But Rabbah said that he is still not an agent [to release the payer of responsibility], for he meant merely to state that this man is honest and if you are prepared to rely upon him you may rely, and if you are prepared to send the payment through him you may send it through him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But the money will still be in the charge of the payer. ');">⁵</span>

כדאמר רב חסדא בשכירו ולקיטו הכא נמי בשכירו ולקיטו

We have learnt: If one [agreed to] borrow a cow and the lender sent it by the hand of his son or by the hand of his slave or by the hand of his agent, or even by the hand of the son or by the hand of the slave or by the hand of the agent of the borrower, and it so happened that it died on the way, he would be exempt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' B.M. VIII, 3. ');">⁶</span>

תנן לא יתן לא לבנו ולא לשלוחו האי שלוחו היכי דמי אי דלא עשאו בעדים מנא ידעינן אלא לאו דעשאו בעדים תרגמא רב חסדא בשכירו ולקיטו

Now, how are we to picture this agent?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the would-be borrower. ');">⁷</span>

אבל שליח שעשאו בעדים מאי הכי נמי דהוי שליח אדתני סיפא אבל נותן הוא לשליח בית דין לפלוג וליתני בדידיה שליח שעשאו בעדים הכי נמי דהוי שליח

If he was not appointed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the would-be borrower. ');">⁸</span>

אמרי לא פסיקא ליה שליח ב"ד לא שנא עשאו נגזל ולא שנא עשאו גזלן הוי שליח פסיקא ליה שליח שעשאו בעדים דכי עשאו נגזל הוא דהוי שליח עשאו גזלן לא הוי שליח לא פסיקא ליה

in the presence of witnesses, whence could we know that he was an agent at all? Must it therefore not be that he appointed him in the presence of witnesses and it is nevertheless stated that the [would-be] borrower is exempt, in contradiction to the view of R. Hisda? — It is as R. Hisda [elsewhere]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. the discussion which follows. ');">⁹</span>

ולאפוקי מהאי תנא דתניא רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר שליח בית דין שעשאו נגזל ולא עשאו גזלן או עשאו גזלן ושלח הלה ונטל את שלו מידו פטור

said, that he was a hireling or a lodger of his;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not a duly accredited agent by law; cf. Shebu. 46b. ');">¹⁰</span>

רבי יוחנן ורבי אלעזר דאמרי תרוייהו שליח שעשאו בעדים הוי שליח וא"ת משנתנו

so also here he was a hireling or a lodger of his.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not a duly accredited agent by law; cf. Shebu. 46b. ');">¹⁰</span>

בממציא לו שליח דאמר ליה אית לי זוזי גבי פלניא ולא קא משדר להו איתחזי ליה דלמא איניש הוא דלא משכח לשדורי ליה

We have learnt: HE MAY GIVE IT NEITHER TO HIS SON NOR TO HIS AGENT.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 103a. ');">¹¹</span>

א"נ כדרב חסדא בשכירו ולקיטו

How are we to picture this agent? If he did not appoint him in the presence of witnesses, whence could we know that he was appointed an agent at all? Does it therefore not mean that he appointed him in the presence of witnesses?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [And yet the robber is not released, by handing it over to him, from responsibility, which contradicts R. Hisda.] ');">¹²</span>

א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל

— R. Hisda however interpreted it as referring to a hireling or a lodger.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not a duly accredited agent by law; cf. Shebu. 46b. ');">¹⁰</span> But what would be the law where the agent was appointed in the presence of witnesses? Would he indeed have to be considered a [properly accredited] agent?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even to the extent of having handed over to him by the robber the misappropriated article. ');">¹³</span> Why then state in the concluding clause, HE MAY GIVE IT TO THE SHERIFF OF THE COURT OF LAW, and not make the distinction in the same case by saying that these statements refer only to an agent who was not appointed in the presence of witnesses, whereas if the agent was appointed in the presence of witnesses he would indeed be considered a [properly accredited] agent?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. previous note. ');">¹⁴</span> — It may, however, be said that on this point [the Tanna] could not state it absolutely. Regarding the sheriff of the Court, no matter whether the plaintiff authorised him or whether the robber authorised him, he could state it absolutely that he is considered a [properly accredited] agent, whereas regarding an agent appointed in the presence of witnesses who if he were appointed by the plaintiff would be considered an agent, but if appointed by the robber would certainly not be a valid agent, he could not State it so absolutely.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it was not decided with him.' ');">¹⁵</span> This would indeed be contrary to the view of the following Tanna, as taught: R. Simeon b. Eleazar says: If the sheriff of the Court of Law was authorised by the plaintiff [to receive payment] though not appointed by the robber [to act on his behalf], or if he was appointed by the robber [to act on his behalf] and the plaintiff sent and received the payment out of his hands, there would be no liability in the case of accident.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Tosef. X, 5. Proving that where it was the robber who appointed the sheriff, so long as the payment did not reach the plaintiff, the robber is not yet released from responsibility, as against the interpretation of the Mishnah releasing the robber in such a case. ');">¹⁶</span> R. Johanan and R. Eleazar both said that an agent appointed in the presence of witnesses would be a [properly accredited] agent;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. previous note. ');">¹⁴</span> for if you raise an objection from the ruling in our Mishnah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 603. n. 7. ');">¹⁷</span> [it might be answered] that the agent there was [not appointed but] placed at his<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the robber's. ');">¹⁸</span> disposal, as where he said to him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to the agent. ');">¹⁹</span> 'There is some money owing to me from a certain person who does not forward it to me. It may therefore be advisable for you to be seen by him, since perhaps he has found no one with whom to forward it,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such a request is by no means sufficient to render him an agent. ');">²⁰</span> or as explained by R. Hisda, that he was a hireling or a lodger of his.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra ibid. ');">²¹</span> Rab Judah said that Samuel stated that