Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Commentary for Bava Metzia 181:11

מתיב רב אחדבוי בר אמי אילו נאמר (ויקרא יט, יט) בהמתך לא תרביע הייתי אומר לא יאחוז אדם הבהמה בשעה שעולה עליה זכר ת"ל כלאים

The Torah forbade the hire [of a harlot], even if one had relations with his mother.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Deut. XXIII, 19: Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore&nbsp;… into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow. Now, 'hire' and 'whore' are quite unspecified, even if the latter is his own mother, in which case he is liable to death for incest. This proves that notwithstanding his liability to death, in which the money payment is merged, he strictly speaking (should he wish 'to appear justified before Heaven') must pay her the fee. For if she has no claim upon him at all, then even if he does pay her, it is not the hire of a harlot, but an ordinary gift to her which is not forbidden as a vow. Again, since it is recognised as a debt, if the harlot forcibly seized it from him, he cannot demand its return. So here too: though he is flagellated for threshing with a muzzled ox, he is morally indebted to its owner, and that is the meaning of the Baraitha, 'and pays.' etc. Or, if the owner seized it from him, he need not return it. ');"><sup>11</sup></span>

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