Bava Kamma 62b

בבא קמא ס״ב ע״ב

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Topic

Fire damage and the height of the נר חנוכה; then the opening of פרק מרובה on תשלומי כפל and ארבעה וחמשה and which items כפל covers.

Overview

The amud opens with the end of פרק הכונס. A blacksmith is liable for damage done by a spark from his hammer. If a camel's flax pokes into a store and catches fire from the storekeeper's lamp, the camel owner pays. If the storekeeper put his lamp outside, the storekeeper pays, but רבי יהודה exempts him when it was a נר חנוכה. רבא tries to prove from this that a נר חנוכה belongs below ten טפחים. The גמרא rejects the proof, because חז"ל did not burden someone doing a מצוה to place the lamp that high. A further teaching rules that a נר חנוכה placed above twenty אמות is פסולה, like a סוכה and a מבוי. After the הדרן, פרק מרובה begins with a משנה: תשלומי כפל applies to any stolen item, but ארבעה וחמשה applies only to an ox or a sheep, and neither fine applies to someone who steals from a thief. The גמרא discusses whether the משנה supports רבי יוחנן's ruling on a טוען טענת גנב. It then learns the scope of כפל from a כלל ופרט וכלל and begins asking whether birds are included, a question that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. StatementA blacksmith's spark that causes damage
2. StatementA flax-laden camel catches fire in a store
3. StatementWhen the storekeeper put his lamp outside
4. Statementרבי יהודה exempts a נר חנוכה
5. Proofרבא's inference: a נר חנוכה belongs below ten טפחים
6. ProofWhy the exemption proves the lamp must be low
7. RejectionRejection: חז"ל did not burden someone doing a מצוה
8. StatementA נר חנוכה above twenty אמות is invalid
9. Conclusionהדרן — Closing פרק הכונס
10. StatementDouble payment covers more cases than four- and five-fold payment
11. StatementStealing from a thief brings no extra fines
12. StatementThe משנה did not list the טוען טענת גנב difference
13. ProofThe silence supports רבי חייא בר אבא
14. ProofSecond version: shall we say the משנה supports him?
15. RejectionThe משנה said 'broader', not 'the only difference'
16. QuestionWhere does the scope of double payment come from?
17. ResponseThe verse is read as general, specific, general
18. StatementWhat the rule leaves out: land, slaves, documents, and consecrated property
19. ChallengeMaybe the shared feature is impurity of the carcass, which would leave out birds
20. ChallengeBut a garment is also in the list
21. ResolutionThe carcass idea applies only among living creatures