Attore e convenuto (Toen veNitan) — Rambam

Attore e convenuto (Toen veNitan)

Attore e convenuto (Toen veNitan) — Rambam su Beth HaMidrash: il testo ebraico e la sua traduzione italiana, con Rashi e i grandi commentatori. Gratis, online.

הַטוֹעֵן אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּמִטַּלְטְלִין וְהוֹדָה לוֹ בְּמִקְצָת הֲרֵי זֶה מְשַׁלֵּם מַה שֶּׁהוֹדָה בּוֹ וְנִשְׁבָּע עַל הַשְּׁאָר מִן הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כב ח) "אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר כִּי הוּא זֶה". וְכֵן אִם כָּפַר בַּכּל וְאוֹמֵר לֹא הָיוּ דְּבָרִים מֵעוֹלָם וְעֵד אֶחָד מֵעִיד [שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב לוֹ] הֲרֵי זֶה נִשְׁבָּע מִן הַתּוֹרָה. ומִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁשְּׁנַיִם מְחַיְּבִין אוֹתוֹ מָמוֹן אֶחָד מְחַיְּבוֹ שְׁבוּעָה. וְכֵן לָמְדוּ מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה שֶׁעֵד אֶחָד לְכָל עָוֹן וּלְכָל חַטָּאת אֵינוֹ קָם אֲבָל קָם הוּא לִשְׁבוּעָה:When a person who issues a claim against a colleague with regard to movable property, and the defendant acknowledges a portion of the claim, he must pay what he acknowledged, and take an oath with regard to the remainder. This is a Scriptural obligation, as Exodus 22:8 states: "That this is it."Similarly, if the defendant denies the entire obligation and says: "Such a thing never happened," and one witness testifies that the defendant is obligated to the plaintiff, the defendant is obligated by Scriptural Law to take an oath. The Oral Tradition teaches: Whenever two witnesses would obligate the person to pay money, one witness obligates him to take an oath.Similarly, it was derived through the Oral Tradition that one witness shall not rise up against any man for any iniquity or any sin. He may, however, rise up against him to obligate him to take an oath.

אֵין לְךָ מְחֻיָּב שְׁבוּעָה מִן הַתּוֹרָה חוּץ מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה. מִי שֶׁהוֹדָה בְּמִקְצָת הַמִּטַּלְטְלִין. וּמִי שֶׁחִיְּבוֹ עֵד אֶחָד. וְהַשּׁוֹמֵר. שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר בְּשׁוֹמֵר (שמות כב י) "שְׁבֻעַת ה' תִּהְיֶה בֵּין שְׁנֵיהֶם". וּכְבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ שְׁבוּעַת הַשּׁוֹמְרִין בְּהִלְכוֹת שְׂכִירוּת. וְכָל אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה נִשְׁבָּע וְנִפְטָר מִלְּשַׁלֵּם. אֲבָל כָּל הַנִּשְׁבָּעִין וְנוֹטְלִין כְּגוֹן שָׂכִיר וְנֶחְבָּל וּפוֹגֵם אֶת שְׁטָרוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ. וְכֵן כָּל הַנִּשְׁבָּעִין בְּטַעֲנַת סָפֵק כְּגוֹן הַשֻּׁתָּפִין וְהָאֲרִיסִין. כֻּלָּן נִשְׁבָּעִין בְּתַקָּנַת חֲכָמִים. וְכָל אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁבוּעוֹת אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים הֲרֵי הֵן כְּעֵין שֶׁל תּוֹרָה בִּנְקִיטַת חֵפֶץ:There are only three individuals who are obligated by Scriptural Law to take an oath: a person who denied a portion of a claim of movable property, a person obligated by one witness, and a watchman. For with regard to a watchman, Exodus 22:10 states: "The oath of God shall be between them." We have already explained the oath required of watchman in Hilchot Sechirut.Each of these three individuals takes an oath and becomes free of his obligation to pay. In contrast, those who take an oath and collect the money they claim, e.g., an employee, a person who was injured, a person who impairs the legal power of his promissory note and the like, and similarly, those who take an oath because there is a possibility of a claim being lodged against them, e.g., partners and sharecroppers, all take oaths because of our Sages' ordinances. Although all these oaths were ordained by Rabbinic decree, they all resemble a Scriptural oath, and all must be taken while holding a sacred article.

הַטּוֹעֵן מִטַּלְטְלִין עַל חֲבֵרוֹ וְכָפַר בַּכּל וְאָמַר לֹא הָיוּ דְּבָרִים מֵעוֹלָם. אוֹ שֶׁהוֹדָה בְּמִקְצָת וּנְתָנוֹ מִיָּד וְאָמַר אֵין לְךָ בְּיָדִי אֶלָּא זֶה וְהֵילָךְ. אוֹ שֶׁאָמַר אֱמֶת שֶׁהָיָה לְךָ אֶצְלִי אֲבָל מָחַלְתָּ לִי אוֹ נָתַתָּ לִי אוֹ מָכַרְתָּ לִי אוֹ הֶחְזַרְתִּי לְךָ. אוֹ שֶׁטְּעָנוֹ חִטִּים וְהוֹדָה לוֹ בִּשְׂעוֹרִים. בְּכָל אֵלּוּ פָּטוּר מִשְּׁבוּעַת הַתּוֹרָה. אֲבָל חַכְמֵי הַגְּמָרָא תִּקְּנוּ שֶׁיִּשָּׁבַע הַנִּתְבָּע בְּכָל אֵלּוּ שְׁבוּעַת הֶסֵּת וְיִפָּטֵר. וְאֵינוֹ כְּעֵין שֶׁל תּוֹרָה לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן נְקִיטַת חֵפֶץ. וּכְבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ דֶּרֶךְ שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה וְדֶרֶךְ שְׁבוּעַת הֶסֵּת בְּהִלְכוֹת שְׁבוּעוֹת:A defendant is not liable to take a Scriptural oath when a colleague claims that he owes movable property and the defendant:a) denies the entire matter, saying: "Such a thing never occurred";b) admitted a portion of the claim and gave it to him immediately, saying: "This is all I owe you; here it is";c) admits that he had originally owed the plaintiff the debt, but claims that the plaintiff waived payment, gave him the object claimed as a present, or that he already returned the debt;d) admits owing barley, while the plaintiff claims wheat.Nevertheless, the Sages of the Gemara ordained that in all these situations, the defendant should take a sh'vuat heset, before being freed of liability. This oath does not resemble a Scriptural oath, because one need not hold a sacred article while taking it. We have already described the process of taking a Scriptural oath and that of taking a sh'vuat heset in Hilchot Sh'vuos.

כָּל מִי שֶׁנִּתְחַיֵּב שְׁבוּעָה מִן הַתּוֹרָה הֲרֵי זֶה נִשְׁבָּע וְנִפְטָר. וְאִם לֹא רָצָה לְהִשָּׁבַע יוֹרְדִין לִנְכָסָיו וְגוֹבִין מֵהֶם כָּל מַה שֶּׁתָּבַע חֲבֵרוֹ עָלָיו. שֶׁהֲרֵי הַתּוֹבֵעַ אוֹמֵר לוֹ אֵינִי זָז מִדִּין תּוֹרָה אוֹ הִשָּׁבַע אוֹ תֵּן לִי. וְיֵשׁ לוֹ לְהַחֲרִים עַל מִי שֶׁטָּעַן עָלָיו דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ כֵּן וְנוֹתֵן. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁנִּתְחַיֵּב שְׁבוּעָה מִדִּבְרֵיהֶן אִם הָיָה מִן הַנִּשְׁבָּעִין וְנוֹטְלִין אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהַפֵּךְ אֶת הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁהֲרֵי הַנִּתְבָּע אוֹמֵר לוֹ הִשָּׁבַע וְטל כְּמוֹ שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ לְךָ. וְאִם לֹא רָצָה לְהִשָּׁבַע יֵלֵךְ לוֹ. וְהוֹרוּ רַבּוֹתַי שֶׁאִם אָמַר הַתּוֹבֵעַ אֵינִי רוֹצֶה בְּתַקָּנָה זוֹ שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ לִי חֲכָמִים אֶלָּא הֲרֵינִי כִּשְׁאָר הַתּוֹבְעִים הֲרֵי זֶה מַשְׁבִּיעַ אֶת הַנִּתְבָּע הֶסֵּת. וְאִם רָצָה לְהָפְכָהּ עַל הַתּוֹבֵעַ מְחַיְּבִין אֶת הַתּוֹבֵעַ לְהִשָּׁבַע אוֹ יֵלֵךְ לוֹ:Whenever anyone is required to take an oath by Scriptural Law, he may take the oath and free himself of obligations. If he does not desire to take the oath, we attach his property and expropriate everything the plaintiff claims. For the plaintiff will say: "I will not budge from the Torah's ruling. Either take the oath or pay me." He may, however, have a conditional ban of ostracism issued against anyone who makes a false claim. He must then pay.Different laws apply when, by contrast, a person is obligated to take an oath by Rabbinic degree. If he was one of those who must take an oath and collect his due, he cannot reverse the oath and require the defendant to take it. For the defendant will tell him: "Take the oath and collect as the Sages ordained for you." If he does not desire to take an oath, he should depart.My masters ruled that if the plaintiff says: "I do not desire the ordinance which the Sages ordained on my behalf. Instead, I am no different than any other plaintiff," he may require the defendant to take a sh'vuat heset. If the defendant desires to reverse this oath and require the plaintiff to take it, we obligate the plaintiff to take the oath or to depart.

הָיָה מְחֻיָּב שְׁבוּעָה מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם מִן הַנִּשְׁבָּעִין וְנִפְטָרִין כְּגוֹן הַנִּשְׁבָּעִין עַל טַעֲנַת סָפֵק אוֹ מִן הַנִּשְׁבָּעִין הֶסֵּת וְלֹא רָצָה לְהִשָּׁבַע מְשַׁמְּתִין אוֹתוֹ שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם אִם לֹא בָּא וְלֹא תָּבַע נִדּוּיוֹ מַלְקִין אוֹתוֹ מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת. וְכָל מִי שֶׁחָלָה עָלָיו שַׁמְתָּא שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם מַכִּין אוֹתוֹ מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַתִּירִין נִדּוּיוֹ. וְאֵין יוֹרְדִין לִנְכָסָיו לְפִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְחֻיָּב שְׁבוּעָה מִן הַתּוֹרָה:If a defendant was obligated by Rabbinic decree to take an oath to be released from responsibility, e.g., those who must take an oath because of a doubt or those required to take a sh'vuat heset, and he did not want to take an oath, he is placed under a ban of ostracism for 30 days. If he does not come and seek to be released from his ban, he is given stripes for rebellious conduct.Similarly, whenever a person has been placed under a ban of ostracism for 30 days, he is given stripes for rebellious conduct and then his ban is lifted. His property is not attached, because he is not required to take an oath by Scriptural Law.

Mishneh Torah, Plaintiff and Defendant.1