Study Bava Metzia folio 79A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
דברי רבי שמעון בן אלעזר. שהיה רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר: אם בדרך הילוכה ניטלה – אומר לו: הרי שלך לפניך, ואם לא – חייב להעמיד לו חמור.
This is the statement of R' Shimon ben Elazar, as R' Shimon ben Elazar would say: If the animal was seized and then taken in the direction in which it was walking, the owner can say to the renter: That which is yours is before you, but if not, the owner is obligated to provide the renter with another donkey.
ומי מצית מוקמת לה כרבי שמעון בן אלעזר? והא קתני רישא: השוכר את החמור והבריקה או שנשתטתה, אומר לו: הרי שלך לפניך. ואילו רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אמר: השוכר את החמור לרכוב עליה והבריקה או שנשתטתה – חייב להעמיד לו חמור!
The Talmud asks: And can you establish this entire baraita in accordance with the opinion of R' Shimon ben Elazar? But the first clause teaches: With regard to one who rents a donkey and it became ill or went mad, the owner can say to the renter: That which is yours is before you. And yet R' Shimon ben Elazar said in a different baraita: With regard to one who rents a donkey to ride on it, and it becomes ill or goes mad, the owner is obligated to provide the renter with another donkey.
אמר רבה בר רב הונא: לרכוב עליה שאני. אמר רב פפא: וכלי זכוכית – כלרכוב עליה דמי.
Rabba bar Rav Huna said that this is not a contradiction. The case of one who takes a donkey to ride on is different, as he requires a donkey that walks steadily. A sick donkey is no better than a dead one for this purpose. Rav Pappa said: And acquiring a donkey so that it should carry glass vessels is considered to be like riding on it, as glass vessels also require steady walking to prevent the load from falling.
אמר רבה בר רב הונא אמר רב: השוכר את החמור לרכוב עליה ומתה לו בחצי הדרך, נותן לו שכרו של חצי הדרך, ואין לו עליו אלא תרעומת.
Rabba bar Rav Huna says that Rav says: In the case of one who rents a donkey to ride on it and it died halfway through the journey, the renter gives the owner his fee for half of the journey, but the renter has nothing but a grievance against the owner. He has no legal claim against the owner over the fact that he now has to go to great trouble to find another donkey.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.