Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Musar for Bava Kamma 174:9

אמרי כי קא קפיד במידי דקא חסר במידי דאתא מעלמא לא קפיד

— As stated<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Keth. 43a. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> [in another connection] by Raba the son of R. 'Ulla, that the ruling applies only to the surplus [of the amount of her earnings over the cost of maintenance], so also here in this case this ruling applies only to the surplus [of the amount of compensation over the cost of maintenance]. You have then explained the latter statement [that there is exemption in the case of his own children] as dealing with a case where the children reclined at his table. Why then [in the case of children of other persons] is it stated that 'if they had already come of age he has to pay them straight away, but if they were still minors he should make for them a safe investment [out of the compensation money]? Why should the compensation not be made to their father?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since they are maintained by him. ');"><sup>17</sup></span>

Shenei Luchot HaBerit

One can also explain these verses in accordance with a statement by our sages (Yuma 72) that there are three crowns, the crown of priesthood acquired by Aaron, the crown of Monarchy acquired by David, and the crown of Torah which was granted (potentially) to everybody. Concerning all this, the Torah first says (plural) והייתם, "you will all be something precious." There is a discussion in Baba Kama 87 about the meaning of the word סגולה. Rav Chisda holds that someone could acquire סגולה by purchasing a Torah scroll. Rabba bar Rav Hunna thinks that ownership of a date-palem constitutes possession of a סגולה; the owner will be able to eat dates from it for an unlimited period of time. What Rabbi Chisda meant was that everybody is at liberty to buy a Torah scroll, hence everybody can acquire the status of being or possessing a סגולה.
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