Reference for Bava Kamma 232:3

ת"ר שיירא שהיתה מהלכת במדבר ועמד עליה גייס לטורפה מחשבין לפי ממון ואין מחשבין לפי נפשות

whereas here the messenger did not perform his errand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For he did not rescue the ass. ');">⁵</span> Our Rabbis taught: If a caravan was travelling through the wilderness and a band of robbers threatened to plunder it, the contribution to be paid by each [for buying them off] will be apportioned in accordance with his possessions [in the caravan,] but not in accordance with the number of persons there.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the robbers came originally for the possessions and not necessarily for souls. ');">⁶</span>

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