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Bava Kamma 32a

בבא קמא ל״ב ע״א

Learn Bava Kamma 32a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Damage caused while acting with permission: beam and barrel on the road, a husband and wife, cows in the street, and runners in the public domain.

Overview

The משנה finishes its rules about two people walking on a public road, one carrying a beam (קורה) and one carrying a barrel (חבית), and it applies the same rules to a lamp (נר) and flax (פשתן). The גמרא asks whether a husband who injures his wife during תשמיש המטה is exempt because he acted with permission. רב הונא says he is exempt, based on the משנה's 'permission to walk.' רבא argues with a קל וחומר from the forest case that the husband is liable, because he alone performs the action. Next, ריש לקיש rules about a lying cow and a walking cow that kick each other. The גמרא tries to prove his ruling from both parts of the משנה, and each proof is pushed away. A new משנה exempts two people who collide while walking or running. The גמרא shows that this משנה can fit איסי בן יהודה, who makes a runner liable except on ערב שבת at twilight. It then begins to explain why running at that time counts as 'with permission,' using רבי חנינא's practice, which continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

וְאִם עָמַד בַּעַל קוֹרָה – חַיָּיב.

And if the owner of the beam stopped, he is liable.

וְאִם אָמַר לְבַעַל חָבִית ״עֲמוֹד״ – פָּטוּר.

And if he said to the owner of the barrel, 'Stop!', he is exempt.

הָיָה בַּעַל חָבִית רִאשׁוֹן

If the owner of the barrel was first

וּבַעַל קוֹרָה אַחֲרוֹן;

and the owner of the beam was last,

The steps (26)

  1. StatementBeam carrier in front stops suddenly
  2. StatementBarrel carrier in front, beam carrier behind
  3. StatementSame rules for a lamp and flax
  4. QuestionIs a husband liable for injuring his wife during relations?
  5. Responseרב הונא answers from the משנה
  6. Statementרבא's argument from the forest case
  7. ChallengeChallenge from the משנה's 'permission to walk'
  8. ResolutionBoth walkers act equally, but here only he acts
  9. ChallengeIsn't the woman also doing the act?
  10. ResolutionBoth have pleasure, but only he does the action
  11. Statementריש לקיש's rule about a lying cow and a walking cow
  12. ProofTrying to support ריש לקיש from the beam and barrel case
  13. RejectionNot a support, but actually a difficulty
  14. Challengeריש לקיש needs a kick, but the משנה makes him liable without one
  15. ResolutionThe beam blocked the whole road, but the cow left room to pass
  16. ProofThe end of the משנה seems to support ריש לקיש
  17. RejectionWalking normally is not the same as kicking
  18. StatementNew משנה: two people walking or running who hurt each other
  19. StatementOur משנה does not follow איסי בן יהודה
  20. Statementרבי יוחנן rules like Isi ben Yehuda
  21. ChallengeBut רבי יוחנן follows an unattributed משנה
  22. ResolutionThe משנה is talking about Friday at twilight
  23. ProofProof from the extra case of both running
  24. ConclusionRereading the משנה: Friday versus weekday
  25. QuestionWhat permission is there to run on Friday at twilight?
  26. ResponseThe answer begins: like רבי חנינא