The Designated Vessel and the Many Ways a Man Denies

'And deals falsely with his neighbor regarding a deposit or a pledge' - Rav Chisda said: such as when he designated a vessel to him for his loan. 'Oppressed' - Rav Chisda said: such as when he designated a vessel to him for what he withheld; and when the verse repeats itself it is written, 'and it shall be when he sins and is guilty' (Leviticus 5:23) and so forth, whereas the pledge it did not repeat. And it was taught: from where do we learn to apply what is stated above to below? As it is written, 'or of all that he swears about falsely'; and Rav Nachman said in the name of Rabbah bar Avuha: to include the pledge for restitution. Consecrated items for which one bears responsibility - such as when one says, 'It is incumbent upon me,' and he set them aside and deposited them in another's hand, and the other denied and swore and then admitted - he is liable for the oath-offering, because it belongs to his neighbor; and if you would exempt them because they are consecrated, for this 'against the LORD he deals falsely' comes to include them, even though they have an aspect of the Most High. But those for which one does not bear responsibility are exempt from 'and deals falsely with his neighbor.' Rabbi Akiva says: what does Scripture teach by 'and commits a trespass against the LORD'? Since the lender and the borrower, the buyer and the seller, do not lend or borrow or buy or sell except by deed and witnesses, therefore when one denies, he denies before witnesses and a deed. But one who deposits with his fellow does not want a soul to know of it except the Third One between them; so when he denies, he denies the Third One between them. 'And deals falsely with his neighbor' - one might think with mere words; therefore Scripture says 'regarding a deposit,' which is a matter of money, excluding a matter that is not money. If so, just as a deposit is distinctive in that he has no permission to spend it, from where do we include a loan, which he does have permission to spend? Scripture says 'or a pledge.' If so, just as these are distinctive in being matters that involve a handing-over, from where do we include robbery, which has no handing-over? Scripture says 'or a robbery.' [If so, just as these are distinctive in being things taken from the owner's domain, from where do we include withholding a hired worker's wage, which is not taken from the owner's domain? Scripture says 'or has oppressed his neighbor.'] If so, just as these are distinctive in being matters that two parties know of, from where do we include a lost object, which two parties do not know of? Scripture says 'or has found a lost object.' 'And deals falsely concerning it' - and not concerning its finders. Ben Azzai says: there are three kinds of lost objects - one who knows of it but not of its finders, of its finders but not of it, neither of it nor of its finders. If so, just as these are distinctive in being matters that can be known, from where do we include matters that cannot be known, such as one who mixes water into wine, balsam-juice into oil, spring-water into honey, ass's milk into resin, gum into myrrh, sand into beans, vine-leaves into pepper-juice? Scripture says 'falsely' - concerning anything in which there is falsehood. If so, just as these are distinctive in being monetary damages, from where do we include things damaged, such as a man who injures a man, beast injuring beast, man injuring beast, beast injuring man? Scripture says, 'concerning any one of all that he does, becoming guilty thereby' (Leviticus 5:26). If so, just as these are distinctive in being matters for which one pays the principal, double payment, and fourfold and fivefold payment, the rapist and the seducer and the slanderer - from where? Scripture says, 'and commits a trespass against the LORD' - this amplifies; 'one,' 'concerning it,' 'concerning them,' [or 'from all'] - these are limitations, excluding one who says to his fellow, 'You injured me on the Sabbath,' and the other says, 'I did not injure you'; 'You set fire to my grain-stack on the Sabbath,' and the other says, 'I did not set fire'; or his father said to him, 'You injured me, you made a wound in me,' and he says, 'I did not injure you and I made no wound in you' - one might think he would be liable; Scripture says 'one,' 'concerning it,' 'concerning them,' 'or from all,' these being limitations. What did you see to include these and exclude those? After Scripture amplified and limited, I limit these for which one is judged with one's life. Rabbi Shimon says: one might think that even one who says to his fellow, 'You raped or seduced my daughter,' and he says, 'I did not rape and did not seduce'; 'Your ox killed my slave,' and he says, 'It did not kill'; or his slave said to him, 'You knocked out my tooth and blinded my eye,' and he says, 'I did not knock it out and did not blind' - one might think he would be liable; Scripture says, 'and deals falsely with his neighbor regarding a deposit or a pledge' and so forth - just as these are distinctive in not being fines, so are excluded those that are fines.