Bava Metzia 36B

על דעת אשתו ובניו הוא מפקיד.

it is with the awareness that at times the bailee’s wife and his children will safeguard the item that he deposits it, as the bailee cannot be with the deposit at all times.

אמרי נהרדעי, דיקא נמי דקתני: או שמסרן לבנו ובתו הקטנים ⁠– חייב. הא לבנו ולבתו הגדולים ⁠– פטור. מכלל דלאחרים, לא שנא גדולים ולא שנא קטנים ⁠– חייב, דאם כן, ליתני קטנים סתמא. שמע מינה.

The rabbis of Neharde’a say: The language of the Mishnah is also precise, as it teaches: Or if he conveyed the coins to his minor son or daughter for safeguarding, he is liable to pay. But if he conveyed them to his adult son and daughter, he is exempt. By inference, one can conclude that with regard to others, it is no different if they are adults and it is no different if they are minors. Either way, the bailee is liable to pay, as, if there were a difference, let the tanna teach: If he conveyed the coins to minors, without qualification. The Talmud concludes: Since the tanna specifically addressed the case of one’s minor children, learn from the wording of the Mishnah that the difference between minors and adults exists only with regard to one’s children.

אמר רבא, הלכתא: שומר שמסר לשומר ⁠– חייב, לא מבעיא שומר שכר שמסר לשומר חנם דגרועי גרעה לשמירתו, אלא אפילו שומר חנם שמסר לשומר שכר ⁠– חייב, מאי טעמא? דאמר ליה: את מהימנת לי בשבועה, האיך לא מהימן לי בשבועה.

Rava says: The halakha is: A bailee who conveyed a deposit to another bailee is liable to pay. It is not necessary to say that this is the halakha if he was a paid bailee who conveyed the deposit to an unpaid bailee, as in that case the first bailee diminished the level of his safeguarding, as an unpaid bailee is exempt from paying in instances where a paid bailee is obligated to do so. But even if it was initially an unpaid bailee who conveyed the deposit for safeguarding to a paid bailee, the first bailee is liable to pay. What is the reason that he is liable in that case? He is liable, as the owner of the deposit can say to him: You are trustworthy to me when you take an oath that the item was stolen or lost. That person is not trustworthy to me when he takes an oath.