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Mishnayos Shevuos Perek 8 Mishnah 2

שבועות פרק ח׳ משנה ב׳

2

The mishna clarifies: If the owner of an ox said to an unpaid bailee: Where is my ox? And the unpaid bailee said to him: It died, but the truth was that it was injured or captured or stolen or lost; or if the bailee responded: It was injured, but the truth was that it died or was captured or stolen or lost; or if he responded: It was captured, but the truth was that it died or was injured or stolen or lost; or if he responded: It was stolen, but the truth was that it died or was injured or captured or lost; or if he responded: It was lost, but the truth was that it died or was injured or captured or stolen, in any of the above cases, if the owner of the ox then said: I administer an oath to you concerning your claim, and the unpaid bailee said: Amen, he is exempt from bringing a guilt-offering, despite the fact that he took a false oath. The reason is that his false oath did not render him exempt from liability to pay.

אָמַר לְשׁוֹמֵר חִנָּם, הֵיכָן שׁוֹרִי, אָמַר לוֹ מֵת, וְהוּא שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּר אוֹ נִשְׁבָּה אוֹ נִגְנַב אוֹ אָבַד. נִשְׁבָּר, וְהוּא שֶׁמֵּת אוֹ נִשְׁבָּה אוֹ נִגְנַב אוֹ אָבַד. נִשְׁבָּה, וְהוּא שֶׁמֵּת אוֹ נִשְׁבַּר אוֹ נִגְנַב אוֹ אָבַד. נִגְנָב, וְהוּא שֶׁמֵּת אוֹ נִשְׁבַּר אוֹ נִשְׁבָּה אוֹ אָבַד. אָבַד, וְהוּא שֶׁמֵּת אוֹ נִשְׁבַּר אוֹ נִשְׁבָּה אוֹ נִגְנַב. מַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ אָנִי, וְאָמַר אָמֵן, פָּטוּר:

ב׳
Bartenura

ואמר אמן פטור – for if he had admitted it, he would not pay anything; it is found there is no denial of money [owed], and even though he had taken a false oath, the Torah did not obligate him a sacrifice for the oath other than where he denied money [owed]. Similarly, the judge cannot make him take an oath other than on a matter that if he admitted, he would be liable to pay money.

ואמר אמן פטור. שאילו הודה לא היה משלם כלום, נמצא שאין כאן כפירת ממון. ואע״פ שנשבע לשקר, לא חייבה תורה קרבן שבועה אלא היכא שכפרו ממון. וכן הדיין אינו יכול להשביע אלא על דבר שאם הודה היה חייב לשלם ממון: