ואם תימצי לומר כיון דלא אמדוהו קא יהיב ליה דמי כוליה בהדי הדדי אמדוהו מהו מי אמרינן כיון דאמדוהו חדא חדא בעי למיתב ליה או דלמא כיון דלא שלים יהיב ליה דמי כוליה תיקו
Raba asked: If he had cut off [another man's] arm and before any appraisement had been made he also broke his leg, and again before any appraisement had been made he put out his eye, and again before any appraisement had been made he made him at last deaf, what would be the law? Shall we say that since no valuation has yet been made one valuation would be enough, so that he would have to pay him altogether for the value of the whole of him, or shall perhaps each occurrence be appraised by itself and paid for accordingly? The practical difference would be whether he would have to pay for Pain and Degradation of each occurrence separately. It is true that he would not have to pay for Depreciation, Healing and Loss of Time regarding each occurrence separately, the reason being that since he has to pay him for the whole of him the injured person is considered as if killed altogether, and there could surely be made no more payment than for the value of the whole of him; but in respect of Pain and Degradation the payment should be made for each occurrence separately, as he surely suffered pain and degradation on each occasion separately. If, however, you find it [more correct] to say that since no appraisement had been yet made he can pay him for the value of the whole of him altogether, what would be the law where separate appraisements were made? Shall we say that since separate valuations were made the payment should be for each occurrence by itself, or since the payment had not yet been made he has perhaps to pay him for the value of the whole of him? This must remain undecided.
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
Let us analyse the eight possible sources of pride which we refer to in the prayer cited above. The words מה אנחנו refer to the ability to hear, or the loss of one's hearing. When someone has caused someone else an injury resulting in his becoming deaf, he has to compensate him with all five categories of compensation the Talmud provides for (Baba Kama 85b). The words מה חיינו refer to food and drink without which life cannot be sustained. The words מה חסדנו are a reference to the eyes, and the words מה צדקותינו refer to the forehead. We are told by Rabbi Ami in Taanit 8a that rain is granted to earth only on account of בעלי אמנה, people who keep promises made in business life. He supports this with the quotation from Psalms 85,12: "Justice looks down from Heaven." The supply of rain is considered an act of צדקה. On the previous folio Rav Shilo, quoting Rav Hamnuna said that rain is withheld only on account of עזי פנים, insolent people, people with a brazen forehead. The connection between the forehead and insolence is supported by several verses from the Bible. The words מה ישועתינו refer to one's face, as we know from Psalms 80,20: האר פניך ונושעה, "Show us Your countenance that we may be delivered." G–d's "face" is indispensable to our survival. The words מה כחינו, are, of course, a reference to strength and power, and we know that the true hero is the one who can control his rages, his temper. The words מה גבורתינו are a reference to courage, something centered in the heart. It also describes an arrogant attitude. The words מה נאמר לפניך is clearly a reference to the tongue which can and will boast. The word מה in מה ה' אלוקיך שואל מעמך וגו' is an allusion to the suppression of the eight areas in which the ego asserts itself and which we vow not to assert in our morning prayer. We go so far as to state that we consider our advantage over the animals in this respect to be nil. The word ועתה in the same verse may be divided into ועת ה', that there will be a time – namely in the World to Come – when we will no longer comport ourselves as humbly as we do in this world. At that time, G–d will שואל מעמך, will be in the position of a "borrower," (שואל). A borrower is legally liable for any damage sustained by the animal or tool he has borrowed. Allegorically speaking, G–d will have to pay us the reward for all the suffering we experience in this world. This is why our Rabbis (Berachot 6a) said that if a person intends to perform a commandment and is prevented from doing so by forces beyond his control, he is nevertheless entitled to the reward for the commandment in question. ולאהבה אותו בכל לבבך, בכל נפשך – Continuing G–d's expectations from the Jewish people in 10,12 the Torah describes love of G–d to be expressed both by the heart and by the soul. These correspond to the two kinds of perfections to be attained by Israel as ישראל and as ישרון. Such love for G–d refers to the Celestial Spheres i.e. when we are in the World to Come. There is also an allusion to perfection of the way we relate to money, i.e. to life on this earth, when verse 13 continues לשמור את מצות ה' ואת חקותיו, "To observe G–d's commandments and statutes," something that cannot be done in the Hereafter. The words לטוב לך indicate the purpose of these commandments, i.e. for our own good.
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