Borrowers & Renters

I live in an all frum complex in Lakewood. One evening, my nephew biked over to play with my kids. Later on, his father picked him up to drive him home. He said that he would pick up the bike tomorrow and asked if I could watch it overnight. I said that I would watch it and I left it in the same spot outside where I keep all of my children’s bikes Unfortunately, the bike was stolen overnight. Am I responsible to pay?

Reuven gave his son his cell phone and the boy took the phone to the store. Later, he realized that he needed to make an important call, but he didn’t have his phone. There was a frum electrician doing some work in his home, so he asked if he could borrow his cell phone. He agreed. While he was on the phone, he dropped it and cracked the screen. Does he have to pay for the damages?

Reuven attended the wedding of the daughter of his good friend Shimon. At the chasunah , Shimon approached Reuven and told him that he had the money to pay the caterer in his pocket and he asked if he could hold it for him until the end of the wedding. Reuven agreed and put the envelope full of cash in his jacket pocket. When Shimon asked for the money back, Reuven put his hand in the pocket and discovered that it wasn’t there. Shimon then told him that not only did the envelope contain money for this wedding, it also contained money he owed the caterer for his last wedding that he was planning on paying back that night. Is Reuven responsible to reimburse Shimon?

My neighbor went away for the summer and before he left, he told me that he has a valuable silver leichter that he is afraid to leave at home. He asked if I could watch it for him until he gets back. I agreed and then hid it in a safe place. I hid it so well that I forgot where I put it. When he asked for it back, I couldn’t find it. He is demanding that I either give him back his leichter or pay him the value. I told him that I need two weeks to look for it. Can I have that time to look?