Bava Kamma 36b

בבא קמא ל״ו ע״ב

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Topic

Whether the goring-ox משנה follows רבי ישמעאל or רבי עקיבא, then which סלע is the fine for slapping and how the court acquires for the poor

Overview

The amud opens in the middle of the discussion about an ox that gores several oxen one after another. The question is whether the משנה follows רבי ישמעאל, who says the victims are only creditors, or רבי עקיבא, who says each victim becomes a partner in the goring ox. רבא says the משנה follows רבי ישמעאל, in a case where each victim seized the ox and became a paid guard over it. רבינא rereads the משנה's words to fit that view, and רבי יוחנן's teaching about negligent guardians supports it. The גמרא then shows that רבי שמעון's money split at the end of the משנה fits רבי עקיבא's partnership view. It accepts that the משנה is split between the two opinions, with support from שמואל and רבי יוחנן. Next comes a new topic: is the סלע fine for slapping someone the valuable צורי coin or the cheap מדינה coin? After a proof is offered and rejected, רב's rule settles it: money set by the רבנן is מדינה money, so the fine is half a זוז. The slapped man gives the money to the poor and then asks for it back. רב יוסף rules that the poor already acquired it, because the court is the 'hand of the poor.' His supporting source about orphans continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. ChallengeIf the victims are partners, leftover value should go to all of them
2. Resolutionרבא: the משנה follows רבי ישמעאל, because each victim seized the ox and became a paid guard
3. ChallengeIf so, the leftover should go back to the owner
4. Resolutionרבינא: 'leftover' means leftover in the damages claim
5. Proofרבי יוחנן: the משנה is about careless guardians
6. ChallengeQuoting רבי שמעון's money split at the end of the משנה
7. ChallengeThe end of the משנה follows רבי עקיבא, so is the משנה split?
8. ResolutionYes, the משנה is split between two תנאים
9. Proofרבי יוחנן also links the משנה to the same argument
10. StatementThe fine for slapping someone: a סלע or a מנה
11. QuestionA real case: which סלע does the משנה mean?
12. Responseרב יוסף tries to prove the סלע is the valuable coin
13. RejectionA תנא does not have to list every case
14. ConclusionSettled: rabbinic money amounts use the cheaper coin
15. StatementThe slapped man refuses the small payment, then asks for it
16. ResponseThe poor already own the money
17. ResolutionThe court acts for the poor
18. ProofBringing a source from שמואל about orphans