The False Oath Over a Deposit and the Double Payment

A householder who claimed a deposit had been stolen, swore to it, then confessed, and afterward witnesses came: if he confessed before the witnesses came, he pays the principal and a fifth and brings a guilt offering; but if he confessed after the witnesses came, he pays double restitution and a guilt offering. And his fifth is absorbed into his double payment, the words of Rabbi Jacob. But the Sages say he pays the principal and its fifths. Money that is paid as principal carries an added fifth; money that is not paid as principal carries no added fifth. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says there is no fifth and no guilt offering paid where there is a double payment. How is such a case found? Rava said: where at the start it was worth four and now it is also worth four, and the case is one where he swore and swore again four times and then confessed, and the Torah said "and its fifths" (Leviticus 5:24) — the Torah multiplied many fifths upon a single principal. The Master said: "And the Sages say, money that is paid as principal," and so forth, but he does bring a guilt offering. Why is the fifth different, that he does not pay it, since it is written "its principal and its fifths"? Then let him not pay the guilt offering either, since it is written "its principal and its fifths and its guilt offering" — the word "and" [the particle 'et'] separated it. And Rabbi Shimon would say to you: the "and" came back and joined it. And the Rabbis say: let the Merciful One write neither the vav-"and" nor the "et." And Rabbi Shimon would say to you: the "et" could not but be written, to separate between money owed to the Most High and money owed to a common person; therefore the vav-"and" came and rejoined them. "And he shall bring his guilt offering" (Leviticus 5:25) — even after the Day of Atonement. "A ram" — a hard one, two years old. "Of the flock" — to include every kind of flock animal, even a deaf one, even an imbecile one, even a dwarf one. "From the flock" — and not from the palgas [an animal between lamb and ram]. "According to your valuation" — just as the valuation stated elsewhere is in silver shekels, so the valuation stated here is in silver shekels. "For a guilt offering" — that he set aside coins for the sake of a guilt offering.