Bava Kamma 86a

בבא קמא פ״ו ע״א

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Topic

Whether one pays נזק for an injury that heals, and whose view the rules of shame payment (בושת) follow

Overview

The amud opens by trying to answer רבה's question: if an injury will heal on its own, does the attacker still pay for the damage (נזק)? The גמרא tries a proof from the משנה about a son who hurts a parent without a bruise and still pays all five payments. That case could be deafening, but deafening always causes a bruise. It could be shaving, but the hair may have been removed with a paste so that it never grows back, so the proof fails. The גמרא then notes that אביי and רבא each treated רבה's question as obvious, but in opposite directions, and it adds their related argument about injuring an עבד עברי. Next, the גמרא shows that the משנה's rule on shame payment (בושת) follows רבי שמעון, not רבי מאיר or רבי יהודה. Finally, it looks at a ברייתא about someone who meant to shame one person and shamed another. That ברייתא seems to fit no תנא, and the גמרא answers that it can follow רבי יהודה or even רבי מאיר. The question of whether a child can be shamed is answered with רב פפא's teaching, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (27)

1. ProofThe משנה seems to answer רבה's question
2. RejectionMaybe the משנה is about deafening
3. ChallengeDeafening always involves a bruise
4. ProofThe case is shaving, and hair grows back
5. RejectionMaybe the hair was removed with a paste and will never grow back
6. ResolutionHow all five payments fit the paste case
7. Statementרבה's open question was decided by אביי and רבא in opposite ways
8. ProofThe weakened hand that will heal
9. StatementCutting off the hand of someone else's עבד עברי
10. ConclusionWhen the injury hurts only the slave, not the master
11. QuestionWhose view is the משנה on shame payment?
12. ResponseIt is רבי שמעון, not רבי מאיר or רבי יהודה
13. ProofThe ברייתא with three views on measuring shame
14. ProofWhy the משנה cannot be רבי מאיר
15. ProofWhy the משנה cannot be רבי יהודה
16. ConclusionSo the משנה must be רבי שמעון
17. RejectionMaybe the משנה can follow רבי יהודה after all
18. ChallengeThe end of the משנה shows the blind person is treated the same both ways
19. ConclusionIt is clear the משנה follows רבי שמעון
20. QuestionA ברייתא about shaming the wrong person that seems to match no one
21. StatementThe working assumption: small and great mean poor and rich
22. ProofWhy each of the three תנאים cannot fit the ברייתא
23. ProofWhy רבי שמעון requires intent for the specific person
24. ResolutionThe ברייתא can be רבי יהודה: slaves' shame is used for measuring
25. ResolutionThe ברייתא can even be רבי מאיר: a real child and a real adult
26. ChallengeCan a child be shamed at all?
27. ResolutionYes, a child who feels it when embarrassed