(Mishnah): If a person was moving a barrel from place to place and it broke, whether he was an unpaid or a paid watchman, he must make an oath to be exempt.

R. Eliezer: I am astonished that both of them are able to swear (thereby becoming exempt from payment - because a paid watchman is liable for theft and loss and breakage of the barrel is similar to them rather than being accidental; an unpaid watchman is liable for negligence and he should have been careful to prevent breakage!

(Gemara) - Beraisa: R. Nechemyah was a potter. He gave over his pots to someone to move them from one place to another. Through negligence, the pots were broken. R. Nechemyah took the man's garment as payment. The man came to R. Yosi bar Chanina and told him the story. R. Yosi told him. "You can go and I will tell R. Nechemyah that he should follow the pasuk (Mishlei 2, 20), "...so that you shall go in the way of good men''. (Even though according to the letter of the law, the worker must pay; R. Nechemyah should go beyond the letter of the law and waive the payment.)

The worker went back to R. Nechemyah with the message and R. Nechemyah returned him the garment. R. Yosi asked the worker if R. Nechemyah had paid him for his work. The worker answered that he had not. R. Yosi told him, "Go and tell R. Nechemyah - (ibid), "and keep the ways of the righteous''. He went back to R. Nechemyah who then gave him his wages.