Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Commentary for Kiddushin 48:16

ורבנן האי ושחתה מאי עבדי ליה מיבעי להו לכדתניא ר"א אומר הרי שהושיט ידו למעי שפחתו וסימא עובר שבמעיה פטור מ"ט דאמר קרא ושחתה עד שיכוין לשחתה

Our Rabbis taught: If he strikes his eye and dims it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Seriously impairing his eyesight, but not blinding him.');"><sup>31</sup></span> [or] his tooth, and loosens it: if he can [nevertheles still use them, the slave does not go out free on their account; if not, the slave goes out free on their accoun Another [Baraitha] taught: If his eye [sight] was dim, and he [altogether] blinds him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it'.');"><sup>32</sup></span> or his tooth was loose, and he knocks it out: if he could use them before, the slave goes out free on their account; if not, the slave does not go free on their account.

Daf Shevui to Kiddushin

The rabbis use the phrase “and he destroys it” to exempt a master who accidentally blinds a fetus while trying to help his maidservant deliver her baby. In this case, he did not intend to do anything to an eye at all. However, if he intended to perform an operation on the eye and he accidentally put it out, the slave does go free, because he intended to do something to the eye.
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