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Bava Kamma 54a

בבא קמא נ״ד ע״א

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Topic

Which creatures and objects a pit owner pays for, the search for the right פסוק, and רבי יוחנן's reading of 'שור חרש שוטה וקטן'

Overview

The גמרא keeps reading the פסוק about a בור (שמות 21:33-34) to work out which creatures a pit owner must pay for. First it explains that the רבנן need the word או to teach that one animal alone is enough. רבי יהודה learns this from the singular word ונפל instead. The גמרא then tries a כלל ופרט וכלל to include all living creatures, but that reading could leave out birds, and the attempt to save it fails. Next it tries ״וְהַמֵּת יִהְיֶה לוֹ״ (anything that can die) and defends it on the question of vessels. That source is dropped because רבא needs the same פסוק for a different law. The final source is ״כֶּסֶף יָשִׁיב לִבְעָלָיו״ (anything with an owner), with ״שׁוֹר״ leaving out people and ״חֲמוֹר״ leaving out vessels. רבא admits that for רבי יהודה the word ״חֲמוֹר״ stays unexplained, just like ״שֶׂה״ in אבידה. Finally, רבי יוחנן explains that the משנה's 'חרש, שוטה, וקטן' ox describes the ox itself, not its owner.

Opening lines

״אוֹ״, מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְחַלֵּק.

'Or' is needed to separate.

וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה – לְחַלֵּק מִ״וְּנָפַל״ נָפְקָא.

And Rabbi Yehuda: 'to separate' comes out from 'and it falls'.

וְרַבָּנַן – ״וְנָפַל״, טוּבָא מַשְׁמַע.

And the Rabbis: 'and it falls' implies many.

אֵימָא ״וְנָפַל״ – כָּלַל,

Say: 'and it falls' is a generalization,

The steps (23)

  1. ResolutionThe word או teaches that each animal counts on its own
  2. Responseרבי יהודה learns the separation from the word ונפל
  3. RejectionThe רבנן: ונפל can also mean many
  4. ChallengeMaybe the פסוק is a כלל ופרט, which would limit it to an ox and a donkey
  5. ResolutionA second כלל makes it a כלל ופרט וכלל, which covers all living creatures
  6. ChallengeMaybe 'similar to the detail' leaves out birds
  7. ResolutionIf that were the point, one example would be enough
  8. RejectionBoth ox and donkey are really needed
  9. ResolutionA new source: anything that can die
  10. ChallengeCan vessels die?
  11. ResolutionBreaking is a vessel's death
  12. ChallengeAccording to רב, can bad air harm vessels?
  13. ResolutionNew vessels crack from bad air
  14. ChallengeThe verse about the carcass is already used by רבא
  15. ResolutionA new source: "money he shall return to its owner"
  16. ChallengeThen people and vessels should be included too
  17. Resolution"Ox" leaves out people, "donkey" leaves out vessels
  18. ChallengeFor רבי יהודה, what does "donkey" leave out?
  19. Conclusionרבא admits two words stay unexplained
  20. StatementThe משנה: a deaf, unsound, or young ox falls into the pit
  21. QuestionWhat does the phrase mean?
  22. ChallengeIt cannot mean the ox's owner
  23. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: the words describe the ox itself