A thief steals a cow and slaughters it on Shabbat. Is he liable for the five-fold payment?
Halacha 2: If the thief slaughters the animal on Shabbat, he is liable for capital punishment for the Shabbat violation. Since he is subject to the death penalty, he is exempt from the five-fold monetary payment.
Question 2
A thief appoints an agent to slaughter a stolen cow. The agent slaughters it for his own benefit. Who pays five-fold?
Halacha 5: If the agent slaughters for himself rather than for the thief's benefit, neither the thief nor the agent pays four or five-fold.
Question 3
Witnesses testify that a man stole a sheep. The same witnesses later testify he slaughtered it. Is four-fold payment owed?
Halacha 6: When witnesses testify to both the theft and the slaughter — whether the same or different witnesses — the four or five-fold payment is established.
Question 4
Can a woman be sold into servitude to pay for her theft?
Halacha 11: A man, but not a woman, may be sold because of a theft — this is part of the Oral Tradition.
Question 5
A thief admits to stealing while the court is officially in session. Later, witnesses testify against him. Is he liable for the double payment based on their testimony?
Halacha 8: A confession made while court is in formal session exempts from subsequent fines established through witness testimony, because the self-admission precedes the judicial finding.