משנה: הַשּׂוֹכֵר אֶת הַחֲמוֹר לְהָבִיא עָלֶיהָ חִיטִּין וְהֵבִיא עָלֶיהָ שְׂעוֹרִין תְּבוּאָה וְהֵבִיא עָלֶיהָ תֶבֶן חַיָיב. וְכַמָּה יוֹסִיף עַל מַשָּׂאוֹ וִיהֵא חַיָיב. סוּמָּכוֹס אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רִבִּי מֵאִיר סְאָה לַגָּמָל שְׁלֹשָׁה קַבִּין לַחֲמוֹר. MISHNAH: Somebody who rented a donkey to use it to transport wheat but transported barley, grain but transported straw, is liable55The Mishnah in the Babli and the independent Mishnah mss. add: Because volume is difficult to carry (Maimonides’s text: because volume is as difficult as weight.) The specific weight of barley is less than that of wheat; the same specified weight will mean a larger load for barley than for wheat. The Mishnah also adds that the standard volume to be carried by a donkey is a letekh, 15 se’ah, about 190 liter.. How much did one add to the load that he became liable? Symmachos said in the name of Rebbi Meïr: one se’ah for a camel, three qab56Half a se’ah, about 6.4 1. for a donkey57A contract to carry a certain volume allows an excess volume of 1/30 of the stipulated amount. This makes the standard load carried by a camel 1 kor, 30 se’ah..
הלכה: הַשּׂוֹכֵר אֶת הַחֲמוֹר כול׳. תַּנֵּי כַּמָּה יוֹסִיף עַל מַשָּׂאוֹ וִיהֵא חַיָיב. סוֹמָּכוֹס אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רִבִּי מֵאִיר. סְאָה לַגָּמָל וְג̇ קַבִּין לַחֲמוֹר. קַב לַכַּתָּף וְג̇ סָאִין לָעֲגָלָה. וּסְפִינָה לְפִי מַה שֶׁהִיא. HALAKHAH: “Somebody who rented a donkey,” etc. “How much did one add to the load that he became liable? Symmachos said in the name of Rebbi Meïr: one se’ah for a camel, three qab for a donkey, one qab for a porter, and three se‘ah for a cart. But a ship according to its size”58Tosephta 7:10, Babli 80b..
שְׁיָירָה שֶׁנָּפַל עָלֶיהָ גַיִיס מְחַשְּׁבִין לְפִי מָמוֹן וְלֹא לְפִי נְפָשׁוֹת. שָׁלְחוּ לִפְנֵיהֶן תַּיָיר מְחַשְּׁבִין לְפִי נְפָשׁוֹת. אֵין מְשַׁנִּין עַל הַמִּנְהַג שֶׁלַּשְּׁיָירָה. 59Tosephta 7:13; Babli Bava qamma 116b.“If a caravan was attacked by soldiers60The meaning of גייס is as variable as the corresponding Arabic جيش “troup; army; soldiers”. In this context it is presumed that they came to plunder, not to kill. Therefore, what is left after they are gone is divided proportionally to the value of the original cargoes. one computes according to value but not according to persons. If they sent a scout ahead of them, one computes61Payment for the scout’s salary. In Tosephta and Babli: “One computes also according to the number of persons.” according to persons. One does not deviate from the usage of caravans62Local rules always supersede general rules..”
סְפִינָה שֶׁעָמַד עָלֶיהָ נַחְשׁוֹל וְהֵיקַל מִמַּשּׂוֹאָהּ מְחַשְּׁבִין לְפִי מַשֹּאוּי וּלְפִי מָמוֹן וְלֹא לְפִי נְפָשׁוֹת. אֲבָל הַשּׂוֹכֵר מֵחֲבֵירוֹ קָרוֹן אוֹ סְפִינָה מְחַשְּׁבִין לְפִי מַשּׂאוּי וּלְפִי נְפָשׁוֹת וְלֹא לְפִי מָמוֹן. 63Tosephta 7:14; Babli Bava qamma 116b.“If a ship encounters a calamity64It is not clear from the frequent mention of נַחְשׁוֹל שֶׁבַּיָּם whether the reference be to a storm or to a single giant wave. The translation compares the word to Arabic نحس “unlucky, ominous, calamitous, disastrous”. and one lightens its load, one computes according to weight and value but not according to persons. But one who rents a carriage or a ship from another person computes according to load and persons but not according to value65For the transporter, the value of the merchandise carried should not make any difference..”
שְׁיָירָא שֶׁנָּפַל עָלֶיהָ גַיִיס וְעָמַד אֶחָד מֵהֶן וְהִצִּיל מִיָּדָן הִצִּיל לָאֶמְצַע. וְאִם נָתְנוּ לוֹ רְשׁוּת הִצִּיל לְעַצְמוֹ. חֲמָרִין שֶׁנָּפְלוּ עֲלֵיהֶן לִיסְטִין וְעָמַד אֶחָד מֵהֶן וְהִצִּיל הִצִּיל לָאֶמְצַע. וְאִם הִתְנָה עִמָּם בְּבֵית דִּין הִצִּיל לְעַצְמוֹ. הַשּׁוּתָפִין שֶׁמָּחֲלוּ לָהֶן מוּכְסִין מָחֲלוּ לָאֶמְצַע. וְאִם אָמְרוּ. לְשֵׁם פְּלוֹנִי מָחַלְנוּ. מַה שֶׁמָּחֲלוּ מָחֲלוּ לוֹ. 66Tosephta 8:25; Babli Bava qamma 116b.“If a caravan was attacked by soldiers60The meaning of גייס is as variable as the corresponding Arabic جيش “troup; army; soldiers”. In this context it is presumed that they came to plunder, not to kill. Therefore, what is left after they are gone is divided proportionally to the value of the original cargoes. and one of its members managed to save something from their hand, he saved equally [for all]; but if they gave him permission67In the interpretation of the Babli this refers to the case of a prior agreement that in case of an attack, everyone will keep what he can save. This agrees with the explicit rule for donkey caravans which prescribes a prior arrangement by a court document., he saved for himself. If donkey-drivers were attacked by robbers and one of theirs managed to save something from their hand, he saved equally [for all]; but if he stipulated with them in court, he saved for himself. If toll collectors forgave to partners, they forgave equally [for all]; but if they indicated, we forgave to Mr. X, what they forgave, they forgave him.”
הַגַּבָּאִין וְהַמּוּכְסִין תְּשׁוּבָתָן קָשָׁה. הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ מַחֲזִירִין לְמִי שֶׁמַּכִּירִין. וּלְמִי שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִין יַעֲשׂוּ מֵהֶן צוֹרְכֵי צִיבּוּר. 68Tosephta 8:25; Babli Bava qamma 94b.“The repentance of publicans and toll collectors is difficult69Their problem is the generally accepted doctrine (Mishnah Yoma 8:9) that sins between man and fellow man are not forgiven by Heaven unless the sinner asks forgiveness from his fellow man. Since under the antique system of tax farming, neither the tax- nor the toll-collector could make a living if they only exacted the legal amounts, they will have sinned against a great number of people whom they do not know by name.. They should return to those whom they know; [moneys taken] from people they do not know they should use for the public good.”