How many types of watchmen does the Torah describe, and how many legal categories govern them?
The Torah describes four watchmen (unpaid, borrower, paid, renter) but only three legal rules: unpaid swears for all; borrower pays for all; paid watchman and renter share the same middle rule.
Question 2
A borrower's animal dies while performing the exact labor for which it was borrowed. Is the borrower liable?
A borrower normally pays for everything, but the one exception is when an animal dies during the specific labor for which it was borrowed (מתה מחמת מלאכה). This is derived from the Torah's language.
Question 3
A watchman asks the owner to work for him, but only after he has already taken the object into his care. Is the watchman exempt from liability?
The owner-present exemption applies only if the owner was hired or engaged at the very time the object was taken. If the watchman became custodian first and hired the owner later, the exemption does not apply.
Question 4
An unpaid watchman transfers the deposit to a paid watchman without permission. The deposit is then stolen. What is the outcome?
The first watchman is liable. The owner can say: 'You are trusted to take an oath; I do not necessarily trust the other person.' The transfer of trust without consent creates liability.
Question 5
When a renter borrows (lends out) the rented animal to a third party, and the animal dies naturally in the third party's hands, who benefits from the payment?
The renter cannot profit from someone else's property. The borrower (third party) owes full payment since he bears all risk, and that payment goes directly to the original owner — not the renter.