POINT BY POINT SUMMARY
Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
Ask A Question on the daf
Previous daf
Bava Kama 43
1) PAYING THE VALUE OF THE VICTIM
(a) (Reish Lakish): One does not pay if his ox
unintentionally killed a slave - "He will give 30
Shekalim, and the ox will be stoned" - the owner only
pays when the ox is stoned.
(b) (Rabah): One does not pay if his ox unintentionally
killed a free man - "The ox will be stoned, and also the
owner will die. If Kofer will be put upon him... " - the
owner only pays when the ox is stoned.
(c) Question (Abaye - Mishnah): A man says 'My ox killed
Ploni or Ploni's ox' - he pays by his own admission.
1. Suggestion: He pays Kofer (even though his ox is not
stoned on his admission)!
(d) Answer: No, he pays as money (normal damages), not as
Kofer.
(e) Question: But the end of the Mishnah says 'My ox killed
Ploni's slave' - he does not pay by his own admission!
1. Why shouldn't he pay as money?
2. Rabah: I could tell you, the first clause speaks of
paying as money, the second clause speaks of the
fine - but that it is a poor answer.
(f) Answer (Rabah): Both talk of money.
43b---------------------------------------43b
1. By a free man, he (sometimes) pays Kofer through his
own admission (as we will explain shortly), so when
there are no witnesses, he pays money;
2. By a slave, he (never) pays a fine through his own
admission (as we will explain), so when there are no
witnesses, he does not pay money.
i. One pays Kofer through his own admission - for
example, if witnesses testify to the goring,
but they did not know if the ox was Mu'ad, and
the owner says that it was Mu'ad.
ii. One does not pay the fine for a slave through
his own admission - (even) if witnesses testify
to the goring, but they did not know if the ox
was Mu'ad, and the owner says that it was
Mu'ad.
(g) Question (Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak - Beraisa):
Anything liable for (killing) a free man is liable for a
slave - this applies to Kofer and killing the ox.
1. Question: Kofer does not apply to slaves!
2. Answer: Rather, it refers to money (their value).
(h) Answer (Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak or Rabah]): The
Mishnah means, any case that pays Kofer for a free man,
i.e. with intention according to witnesses, pays the fine
for a slave;
1. Cases that pay money for a free man, e.g. without
intention according to witnesses, pay money for a
slave.
(i) Question (Rava): If so, one should pay money when one
killed through fire unintentionally according to
witnesses!
1. Question: How does Rava know that one does not?
i. Suggestion (Mishnah): Reuven lit a stack of
grain; there was a kid tied to it and a slave
nearby, and they were burned - Reuven is
liable; if there was a slave tied to it and a
kid nearby, and they were burned - Reuven is
exempt.
ii. Rejection: Reish Lakish said, the case is that
he directly burned the slave - he is exempt
because he is liable to death!
2. Answer #1 (Beraisa): Stringencies of a fire over a
pit...it is liable even for things unfitting for it
to consume.
i. It does not say 'A fire pays money without
intention, a pit does not.'
3. Rejection: Perhaps the Tana omitted some cases.
4. Answer #2: Rava himself did not know whether one
pays money for fire without intention according to
witnesses.
5. Do we say, an ox pays Kofer with intention, it pays
money without intention - but fire does not pay
Kofer with intention, it does not pay money without
intention?
6. Or - do we say, an ox pays money without intention,
even though it does not pay Kofer - also fire, even
though it does not pay Kofer even with intention, it
pays money without intention?
(j) This question is unresolved.
2) FINE AND "KOFER" FOR KILLING WITHOUT INTENT
(a) (Rav Dimi, citing R. Yochanan): "If Kofer will be set on
him" - this includes Kofer without intention as with
intention.
(b) Question (Abaye): If so, you should also expound "If a
slave", that one pays the fine for a slave without
intention as with intention!
1. Suggestion: Perhaps that is the law!
2. Rejection: Reish Lakish taught, an ox that
unintentionally killed a slave is exempt from 30
Shekalim.
(c) Answer: (That is the law;) Rav Dimi argues on Reish
Lakish.
(d) (Ravin, citing R. Yochanan): "If a slave" - this teaches
that one pays the fine for a slave without intention as
with intention.
(e) Suggestion: Since Reish Lakish does not expound "If a
slave" as R. Yochanan - he also argues regarding Kofer!
(f) Rejection: No, he admits by "If Kofer".
(g) Question: What is the difference?
(h) Answer: "If Kofer" is written by the payment; "If a
slave" is not.
Next daf
|