Bava Kamma 55b

בבא קמא נ״ה ע״ב

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Topic

Guarding animals properly: the opening משנה of פרק הכונס צאן, whose view it follows, the Torah's lighter guarding for שן and רגל, and four cases that are פטור in a human court but חייב בדיני שמים.

Overview

This עמוד opens פרק הכונס צאן. Its משנה teaches that an owner who locked his sheep in the pen properly is פטור if they get out and do damage. If he locked it carelessly, left the animal in the sun, or handed it to a חרש, שוטה, or קטן, he is חייב. If לסטים took the sheep out, they pay, and if he handed the animal to a רועה, the רועה takes his place. The משנה also covers an animal that fell into a garden or walked in, and רבי שמעון's rule for ripe produce. The גמרא defines proper locking as a door that holds against a normal wind. It then asks whose view the משנה follows: רבי יהודה, who allows weaker guarding for a מועד, or even רבי מאיר, because the Torah lowered the guarding needed for שן and רגל, as it did for בור and אש. רבה tries to prove the רבי מאיר reading from the word צאן, but the גמרא shows the word fits רבי יהודה too. Finally, a ברייתא of רבי יהושע lists four cases that are פטור in a human court but חייב בדיני שמים. The גמרא begins explaining the first case, breaking a fence, and that explanation continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. StatementLocking the pen properly or not properly
2. StatementThe wall breaks or bandits break in
3. StatementLeaving the animal in the sun or with someone who cannot guard it
4. StatementHanding the animal to a shepherd
5. StatementFell in versus walked in, and how damage is measured
6. StatementRipe produce is paid in full
7. StatementWhat counts as locking properly
8. StatementWhich תנא allows weak guarding for a מועד
9. ProofProof from the משנה: רבי מאיר's view
10. Proofרבי יהודה and רבי אליעזר finish the proof
11. RejectionEven רבי מאיר could agree, because eating and trampling are different
12. ProofFour damagers with lighter guarding
13. ProofThe source for pit: covering it is enough
14. ProofThe source for fire: only when he acts like one who kindles
15. ProofThe source for שן: 'and it feeds in another's field'
16. ProofThe source for רגל: 'and he sent it loose'
17. ProofA ברייתא shows which word means foot and which means tooth
18. ConclusionConclusion: without that level of carelessness, the owner is not liable
19. Proofרבה proves something from the word 'sheep' in the משנה
20. RejectionNo, 'sheep' was chosen to leave out goring
21. StatementFour cases: exempt in human court, liable in Heaven's court
22. QuestionWhat case is 'breaking a fence' talking about?
23. RejectionIt can't mean a strong wall