Bava Kamma 49a

בבא קמא מ״ט ע״א

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Topic

Payment for a miscarriage (דמי ולדות): when an ox's owner pays, how the loss is valued, and who receives it

Overview

This amud finishes the משנה about someone who causes a pregnant woman to miscarry. רבן שמעון בן גמליאל says to appraise the babies and pay the husband, and the משנה exempts the attacker when the woman was a freed maidservant or a convert. The גמרא shows that an ox's owner is exempt from דמי ולדות even when the ox aimed at the woman, but רב פפא says he pays when the woman is a שפחה, because she counts like property. The גמרא then explains how the payment is measured, and רבה and רבא give two readings of רבן שמעון בן גמליאל's objection, each backed by a ברייתא. The two ברייתות are reconciled: a woman having her first child is worth more after birth, while another woman is worth more while pregnant. The extra word ״הרה״ teaches the רבנן that the pregnancy's added value goes to the husband, while רבן שמעון בן גמליאל uses it to require a blow near the womb. Finally, רבה limits the exemption for a convert's wife to a blow while her husband was alive, רב חסדא disagrees, and a ברייתא brought against רבה gets one answer here and a second answer that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. Challengeרבן שמעון בן גמליאל objects: the woman is worth more after birth
2. StatementAppraise the babies and pay the husband or his heirs
3. StatementA freed maidservant or a convert: the one who caused the damage is exempt
4. ChallengeDoes the משנה's wording refute רב אדא בר אהבה?
5. ResolutionThe משנה's wording only matches the next case about people
6. StatementAn ox that gores a maidservant does pay for her babies
7. ProofThe reason: a maidservant counts like property
8. ChallengeWhy does the משנה call it 'payment for babies'?
9. ResolutionThe משנה means both payments
10. QuestionWhat did רבן שמעון בן גמליאל mean?
11. Responseרבה explains: a woman is worth more after birth
12. ProofA ברייתא teaches the same explanation
13. Responseרבא's different explanation: pregnancy raises the woman's value
14. ProofA ברייתא supports רבא's explanation
15. ChallengeThe two ברייתות of רבן שמעון בן גמליאל contradict each other
16. ResolutionNo contradiction: first birth versus later births
17. QuestionWhat is the source for the רבנן?
18. ResponseThe extra word 'pregnant' gives the increase to the husband
19. QuestionWhat does רבן שמעון בן גמליאל learn from 'pregnant'?
20. ResponseLiable only when he strikes near the womb
21. Statementרב פפא: any spot where the blow can reach the baby
22. Statementרבה: the exemption applies only if the husband died after the blow
23. Rejectionרב חסדא: with no husband, nobody collects for the babies
24. ChallengeA ברייתא seems to say the convert's wife gets nothing
25. ResolutionRead the ברייתא like the משנה: the blow came while the husband was alive
26. ResolutionA second answer begins: even after the husband died