customarily placed on a table, whereas people are more lenient about placing a small amount there.

We therefore return to the principle: the secure custody of property is that which is customarily regarded as its proper place of safekeeping. Thus, if a man hangs his garment in his home, with coins in it, and a thief comes, enters the house, and takes the coins from that garment, his hand is amputated. This is because, in our land, such a place is customarily regarded as secure custody, and people do not take their money from their pockets and place it in chests, even when it is a large amount. If he has twenty five-hundred-denomination banknotes and puts them in his pocket, he does not consider that a failure to keep them securely.

He said: “The secure custody of greens, pots of broad beans, and the like is behind lattice barriers.” Greens are every plant without a stalk, such as leeks, onions, squash, watermelons, and the like.

His statement, “broad beans”: they say that this means fava beans, or something close to them.

His statement, “and the like”: such as watermelons, squash, oranges, and fruit.

His statement, “behind lattice barriers”: this is their secure custody. The author, in his time, was strict concerning what constituted secure custody.

His statement, “lattice barriers,” is the plural of a lattice screen; it is like netting. This is the secure custody, but on one condition. He said:

“If there is a guard in the marketplace.” If there is no guard in the marketplace, then this does not constitute secure custody, because these lattice barriers may be broken and the goods stolen. There must therefore be a highly vigilant guard in the marketplace. In any case, the author stipulated two conditions: