Commentary for Avodah Zarah 60:10
אמר מר לא ישקה מהן לא בהמתו ולא בהמת חבירו והתניא אבל משקהו לבהמת עצמו כי תניא ההיא לשונרא אי הכי דחבריה נמי דחבריה כחיש דידיה נמי כחיש הדר בריא דחבריה נמי הדר בריא זימנין דבעי לזבונא ומפסיד ליה מיניה
The Master said: “Nor should one give it to his own animal or to his neighbor's animal to drink.” But has it not been taught: One may, however, give it to his own animal to drink? That teaching refers to a cat. Why then not to his neighbor's? Because it weakens it. Then his own, too, would it not weaken it? But it subsequently recovers. Then his neighbor's would also recover? It might so happen that he might wish to sell it and would suffer loss through it.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The two baraitot contradict each other—one allows giving uncovered water to animals and one does not. The answer is that the baraita that forbids one to give such water to one’s neighbor’s animal is that it refers to a cat! If one wants to give such water to one’s own cat, it is allowed because this only weakens the cat. But one should not give the water to another’s cat because it might weaken the cat and when his neighbor wants to sell it, it will be in a weakened state.
While I think the particular example is a bit strange (were people really selling cats? What does anyone need a cat for?), the principle that emerges from this source is important. One must be extra cautious when it comes to other people’s property, more cautious than one is with one’s own property.
While I think the particular example is a bit strange (were people really selling cats? What does anyone need a cat for?), the principle that emerges from this source is important. One must be extra cautious when it comes to other people’s property, more cautious than one is with one’s own property.
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