Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 22:6/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ב:ו׳

אכִּי יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ כֶּסֶף אוֹ כֵלִים לִשְׁמֹר פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה בְּשׁוֹמֵר חִנָּם, וּלְפִיכָךְ פָּטַר בּוֹ אֶת הַגְּנֵבָה, כְּפִי קַבָּלַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (מכילתא כאן, ב"מ צד:). וְנִזְכַּר סְתָם בַּכָּתוּב, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ שׁוֹמְרֵי כֶּסֶף אוֹ כֵלִים לְשָׁמְרָם בְּחִנָּם. וְהַפָּרָשָׁה הַשְּׁנִיָּה (להלן פסוקים ט-יב) שֶׁבְּשׁוֹמֵר שָׂכָר הִזְכִּירָה חֲמוֹר אוֹ שׁוֹר אוֹ שֶׂה וְכָל בְּהֵמָה, וְדֶרֶךְ הַבְּהֵמוֹת לְתִתָּן בְּיַד רוֹעִים לִשְׁמֹר וְיִרְעוּ אוֹתָם בְּשָׂכָר:

1IF A MAN DELIVER UNTO HIS NEIGHBOR MONEY OR VESSELS TO KEEP. This section [Verses 6-8] speaks of an unpaid guardian, therefore He has freed him from payment in case the money or vessels are lost or stolen, as is the Tradition of our Rabbis.²⁰⁹ Scripture mentioned it without specifying what the case is because those who guard money or vessels generally do so without reward. The second section [Verses 9-12] speaking of a paid guardian mentions an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast,²¹⁰ because it is the customary way to give over cattle into the hands of shepherds who pasture them for payment.

בוְגֻנַּב מִבֵּית הָאִישׁ פי' רַשִׁ"י לְפִי דְּבָרָיו. לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא טוֹעֵן כָּךְ. וְהֵבִיאוּ לוֹ דּוֹמִים "כִּי יָקוּם בְּקִרְבְּךָ נָבִיא" (דברים יג ב), "חֲנַנְיָה בֶן עַזּוּר הַנָּבִיא" (ירמיה כח א), כִּי לֹא יִקְרָאֶנּוּ בָּזֶה הַשֵּׁם עַל הָאֱמֶת, רַק שֶׁהוּא יֹאמַר כֵּן. וְאֵין צֹרֶךְ, כִּי הַכָּתוּב יֹאמַר אִם גֻּנַּב מִבֵּית הָאִישׁ וְיִמָּצֵא הַגַּנָּב יְשַׁלֵּם שְׁנַיִם, וְאִם לֹא יִמָּצֵא הַגַּנָּב יָבֹאוּ לב"ד וְיִשָּׁבַע עַל הַגְּנֵבָה אִם לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ בִּמְלֶאכֶת רֵעֵהוּ, וַאֲשֶׁר יַרְשִׁיעוּן אוֹתוֹ ב"ד בַּגְּנֵבָה הַזֹּאת, שֶׁהוּא הַגּוֹנֵב, יְשַׁלֵּם שְׁנַיִם, כִּי ב"ד לֹא יַרְשִׁיעוּהוּ לְשַׁלֵּם שְׁנַיִם אִם לֹא גְּנָבוֹ הוּא, כִּי חִיּוּב הַתַּשְׁלוּמִין בְּכֶפֶל בְּגַנָּב הוּא, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לְמַעְלָה (שמות כ"ב:ג') "חַיִּים שְׁנַיִם יְשַׁלֵּם":

2AND IT BE STOLEN OUT OF THE MAN’S HOUSE. Rashi explained it as meaning that it was stolen out of the man’s house “according to his statement,” meaning that this is what the unpaid guardian claims.²¹¹ stolen, for then how could Scripture say in the next verse that if the thief was not found, the guardian must swear, since it is admitted that it was stolen from him? Hence the verse must mean that he claims it was stolen. Scholars have brought parallel cases in Scripture [as proof to Rashi’s explanation]. Thus: If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet;²¹² Hananiah the son of Azzur the prophet,²¹³ for he is not referred to by that epithet [“prophet”] as a true description, but only because he claimed to be so. But there is no need for this. For Scripture is stating that if it was really stolen out of the man’s house and the thief be found, he shall pay double; and if the thief be not found,²¹⁴ they shall come to court and the guardian shall swear concerning the stolen article whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbor’s goods,²¹⁴ and he whom the court condemns as the thief of this article shall pay double,²¹⁵ as the court will not convict anyone and make him pay double unless he stole it, since the law of twofold restitution applies only to a thief, as He said above, If the theft be found in his hand alive… he shall pay double.²¹⁶