Chapter 1 · Or LeArba'ah Asar

Possession and Responsibility

Lesson 4 of 68 26 min

The baraita says one may see others' chametz yet may not accept deposits from a non-Jew, and the Gemara resolves the contradiction by distinguishing accepting responsibility from not accepting it.

Lesson goals

01Read the apparent contradiction.
02Read the resolution.
03Read Rava's example to the people of Mechoza.

Source and decoding

Pesachim 5b

לא קשיא: הא — דקביל עליה אחריות, הא — דלא קביל עליה אחריות

It is not difficult: this is where he accepted responsibility, and that is where he did not accept responsibility.

The baraita says one may see others' chametz yet may not accept deposits from a non-Jew, and the Gemara resolves the contradiction by distinguishing accepting responsibility from not accepting it. Where he accepted it, as Rava told the people of Mechoza, the chametz stands in his possession and he must pay if it is stolen or lost. The Gemara goes on to ask whether 'something that causes monetary liability' counts like money, so not every case is the same.

Building the reasoning

1Read the apparent contradiction.
2Read the resolution.
3Read Rava's example to the people of Mechoza.

Practice

Analyze a case: a non-Jew leaves chametz in a Jew's home. Ask whether responsibility was accepted and whether it was separated.

Lesson wrap-up

If the Jew accepted responsibility and it is in his possession, it is the forbidden case in the sugya. If he did not, the sugya permits it, and practical decision needs a posek.

Check your understanding

Test yourself before marking the lesson complete.

Question 1 of 1

What distinction does the Gemara draw here?

Original explanations and translations: Bonei Atalmud. Excerpts were checked against the site’s Gemara text. Explanations and exercises have not undergone rabbinic review and are not halakhic rulings.

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