Bava Kamma 84a

בבא קמא פ״ד ע״א

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Topic

Proofs that "עין תחת עין" means money, and court cases about appraising injuries

Overview

The גמרא keeps testing proofs that "עין תחת עין" means money and not a real eye. It rejects the proofs of רבי דוסתאי בן יהודה and רבי שמעון בן יוחי. Equality is about the sight taken, and a case where the punishment is impossible can simply be exempt. The schools of רבי ישמעאל and רבי חייא learn money from extra phrases in the פסוקים. The proofs of אביי (risk of death), רב זביד (pain) and רב פפא (healing) are each pushed away. רב אשי finally learns it from the word "תחת" in "תחת אשר ענה", which matches as both a person and a damage case. Even רבי אליעזר's "ממש" turns out to mean money, measured by the attacker's own value. Two court stories follow, about a donkey and an ox that injured children. They show that an animal's owner pays only נזק, measured by a slave appraisal. רבא rules that injuries to people are not collected in בבל, and the גמרא begins asking why on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (53)

1. ChallengeWhat about a small person killing a big one?
2. RejectionLife for life, so sight for sight
3. Statementרבי שמעון בן יוחי says it means money
4. ProofThe blind man who blinds someone
5. RejectionWhere possible we punish, otherwise we exempt
6. ProofProof from a טרפה who kills
7. ConclusionConclusion: we exempt where impossible
8. StatementThe school of רבי ישמעאל: 'giving' means money
9. ChallengeBut the same verse uses 'give' for a real injury
10. ResolutionThe proof comes from an extra verse
11. QuestionThen why write 'as he gives a blemish'?
12. ResponseIt was written to match the style
13. StatementThe school of רבי חייא: 'hand for hand' means money
14. ChallengeThen what about 'foot for foot'?
15. ResolutionAgain, the proof comes from an extra phrase
16. QuestionThen why write 'foot for foot'?
17. Response'Foot for foot' was written to match
18. Statementאביי's proof: never an eye and a life for one eye
19. RejectionThe court could check first if he can survive
20. ProofSupport from the law of מלקות
21. Statementרב זביד's proof from 'a wound for a wound'
22. RejectionPeople feel pain differently
23. QuestionSo what would the pain payment be for?
24. ResponseHe pays the difference in pain
25. Statementרב פפא's proof from the healing payment
26. RejectionPeople heal at different speeds
27. QuestionWhat would the healing payment change?
28. ResponseHe pays the difference in medical costs
29. Statementרב אשי: "תחת" from the ox teaches money
30. ChallengeWhy not learn "תחת" from the murderer?
31. ResolutionLearn damages from damages, not from death
32. ChallengeOn the contrary: learn a person from a person
33. Statementרב אשי's new source: "תחת אשר ענה"
34. Statementרבי אליעזר: "an eye for an eye" means actually
35. ChallengeCould רבי אליעזר really mean a literal eye?
36. Resolutionרבה: don't value him as a slave
37. Challengeאביי: then how do you value him?
38. Resolutionרב אשי: value the attacker, not the victim
39. StatementA donkey cuts off a child's hand
40. Challengeרבא objects: the משנה lists five
41. ResolutionFour besides the damage itself
42. Challengeאביי objects: a donkey pays only damage
43. ResolutionAssess only the damage
44. ChallengeThe damage must be measured as a slave
45. ResolutionAppraise him as a slave
46. StatementThe father refuses the slave appraisal
47. ChallengeYou are hurting the child
48. ResolutionI will repay him myself
49. StatementAn ox chews a child's hand
50. ChallengeDidn't רבא say this is not collected in בבל?
51. ResolutionIt matters if the victim seizes
52. Statementרבא's rule on which damages בבל collects
53. ChallengeWhy Treat Damage to a Person Differently from Damage to an Ox?