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Bava Kamma 37a

בבא קמא ל״ז ע״א

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Topic

Orphans and פרוזבול, חנן בישא's slaps, and an ox that is מועד for only some victims, with the debate over 'ואינו מועד' and 'אינו מועד'

Overview

The amud opens at the end of a statement that orphans do not need a פרוזבול, and רמי בר חמא explains why: בית דין acts as the father of orphans. Next comes a short story. חנן בישא was fined half a זוז for a slap, could not get change for his damaged coin, and so slapped the man again and handed over the whole coin. A new משנה then teaches that an ox can be מועד toward one type of victim or on one day, such as שבת, and still be a תם for everything else. In the גמרא, רב זביד and רב פפא argue whether the משנה reads 'ואינו מועד' or 'אינו מועד'. That one letter decides whether an ordinary ox that is מועד for its own kind counts as מועד for other kinds too. Each side proves his reading from a different line of the משנה, and each answers the other's proof. רב זביד also answers a challenge from סומכוס, and רב אשי and רב ינאי bring further support for him. The גמרא rules that an ox which gored an ox, a donkey and a camel is מועד for all of them, even according to רב פפא. Two ברייתות then teach about an ox that gores every other animal, and a new question begins that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֵינָן צְרִיכִין פְּרוֹזְבּוּל.

do not need a prosbul.

וְכֵן תָּנֵי רָמֵי בַּר חָמָא:

And so too Rami bar Chama taught:

הַיְּתוֹמִים אֵינָן צְרִיכִין פְּרוֹזְבּוּל –

Orphans do not need a prosbul,

רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וּבֵית דִּינוֹ

[because] Rabban Gamliel and his court

The steps (28)

  1. StatementOrphans do not need a פרוזבול
  2. Proofרמי בר חמא supports the rule about orphans
  3. Statementרב הונא sets the fine for a slap
  4. Statementחנן slaps again to use up his coin
  5. StatementAn ox forewarned for only some victims
  6. QuestionThe Sages ask about an ox that gores only on שבת
  7. Responseרבי יהודה: full damage on שבת, half on weekdays
  8. StatementWhen the שבת-goring ox goes back to being תם
  9. Statementרב זביד and רב פפא argue over one letter in the משנה
  10. StatementWhat each reading means for an ordinary ox
  11. StatementEach opinion comes from a different part of the משנה
  12. Proofרב זביד's proof: with 'and is not מועד', the later line teaches something new
  13. ProofTesting רב פפא's reading: the default would be 'not מועד'
  14. ChallengeWithout the ו, the later line of the משנה would be obvious
  15. Resolutionרב פפא shows the clause about small and large animals still teaches something
  16. Proofרב פפא's proof from the clause about people and animals
  17. ChallengeUnder רב זביד's reading the people-and-animals clause would be obvious
  18. Resolutionרב זביד explains the people-and-animals clause as a case of the ox calming down
  19. ChallengeObjection from סומכוס: the first opinion must say 'not מועד'
  20. Resolutionרב זביד: סומכוס is talking about reverting
  21. Proofרב אשי quotes the case of an ox מועד for שבתות
  22. ProofA question and answer only fits 'ואינו מועד'
  23. Proofרב ינאי finds support in the earlier clause
  24. ProofWhy the payment line proves the wording
  25. ConclusionThree different species still make the ox forewarned for all
  26. StatementAn ox that gores every other ox
  27. StatementAn ox that gores every other animal of different species
  28. QuestionA new question begins about an ox that gored