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Bava Kamma 45b

בבא קמא מ״ה ע״ב

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Topic

Bailees' liability for an ox, and how much guarding exempts the owner of a תם or a מועד: the views of רבי מאיר, רבי יהודה, רבי אליעזר and רבי אליעזר בן יעקב.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a question about a ברייתא on bailees of a goring ox: whose view does it follow? It cannot fully match רבי מאיר or רבי יהודה. רב הונא בר חיננא says it follows רבי אליעזר on guarding and רבי יהודה on the שוכר. אביי says it follows רבי מאיר, in רבה בר אבוה's version where the two opinions about the שוכר are switched. רבי אלעזר then rules that a שומר חנם pays if the ox damages others but not if it is injured. רבא explains that the guard knew the ox was a gorer and took responsibility only for protecting others. A new משנה follows with three views on an ox that was tied or locked in properly and still did damage: רבי מאיר says both תם and מועד are liable, רבי יהודה says only the תם is liable, and רבי אליעזר says only slaughter counts as guarding. The גמרא explains how רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה read the פסוקים, including the rule that a ריבוי after a ריבוי comes to limit. It also brings רבי אליעזר בן יעקב, who says lesser guarding is enough for both. Finally, רב אדא בר אהבה says רבי יהודה exempts only the מועד half, and the גמרא uses רב's rule about the right and left horns to show that רב disagrees with him.

Opening lines

דְּאָמַר: שׂוֹכֵר כְּשׁוֹמֵר חִנָּם דָּמֵי,

who says: a renter is like an unpaid guard,

לִיתְנֵי: חוּץ מִשּׁוֹמֵר חִנָּם וְהַשּׂוֹכֵר!

let it teach: 'except for an unpaid guard and the renter!'

וְאִי כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה,

And if it is like רבי יהודה,

דְּאָמַר: שׂוֹכֵר כְּנוֹשֵׂא שָׂכָר דָּמֵי –

who says: a renter is like a paid guard,

The steps (25)

  1. ChallengeIf the teaching follows רבי מאיר, the renter should be exempt too
  2. ChallengeIf the teaching follows רבי יהודה, all should be exempt from ransom for a forewarned ox
  3. Resolutionרב הונא בר חיננא: רבי אליעזר on guarding, רבי יהודה on the renter
  4. Resolutionאביי: It is רבי מאיר, with the opinions switched
  5. StatementAn unpaid guard is liable for the ox's damage but not for its injury
  6. ChallengeHow can the guard be liable one way and exempt the other?
  7. ResolutionThe guard knew it was a gorer, so he only took responsibility for others
  8. Statementמשנה: An ox tied or locked in properly that gets out and damages
  9. Statementרבי יהודה: a well-guarded תם is liable but a מועד is exempt
  10. Statementרבי אליעזר: the only real guarding is a knife
  11. QuestionWhat is רבי מאיר's reason?
  12. Responseרבי מאיר: both a תם and a מועד need superior guarding
  13. Responseרבי יהודה: the Torah demands superior guarding twice
  14. ConclusionA double inclusion limits: a מועד needs only lesser guarding
  15. ChallengeWhy not learn the תם from the מועד through the word 'goring'?
  16. ResolutionThe word 'it' limits the leniency to the מועד
  17. ChallengeIsn't that phrase needed for the basic rule?
  18. ResolutionThe extra 'it' is what teaches the limit
  19. Statementרבי אליעזר בן יעקב: lesser guarding is enough for both
  20. QuestionWhat is רבי אליעזר בן יעקב's reason?
  21. ResponseHe agrees with רבי יהודה and then compares the תם to the מועד
  22. StatementLesser guarding only removes the extra payment of a מועד
  23. StatementAn ox warned for its right horn is not warned for its left
  24. ChallengeWhose opinion fits רב's rule?
  25. Resolutionרב follows רבי יהודה but disagrees with רב אדא בר אהבה