Bava Kamma 111

בכותל רעוע

where the wall was shaky.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And should in any case have been pulled down. ');">¹</span>

אמר מר הכופף קמתו של חבירו בפני הדליקה היכי דמי אילימא דמטיא ליה ברוח מצויה בדיני אדם נמי נחייב אלא דמטיא ברוח שאינה מצויה

The Master stated: 'To bend over a neighbour's corn standing in front of a fire.' Under what circumstances? If we assume that the fire can now reach it in a normal wind, why is he not liable also according to the judgments of Man? — It must therefore be where it would reach them only in an unusual wind. R. Ashi said: What is referred<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the expression 'bending over'. ');">²</span>

ורב אשי אמר טמון אתמר משום דשויה טמון באש:

to is 'covering' the offender having caused the stalks to become hidden in the ease of Fire.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For which there is no liability according to the view of the Rabbis (v. infra p. 357), and by his act he caused the owner of the corn the loss of all claim to compensation. ');">³</span>

אמר מר השוכר עדי שקר ה"ד אילימא לנפשיה ממונא בעי שלומי ובדיני אדם נמי ניחייב אלא לחבריה

The Master stated: 'To hire false witnesses.' Under what circumstances? If we assume for his own benefit,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to obtain money really not due to him. ');">⁴</span>

והיודע עדות לחבירו ואינו מעיד לו במאי עסקינן אילימא בבי תרי פשיטא דאורייתא הוא (ויקרא ה, א) אם לא יגיד ונשא עונו

should he not pay the money<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which he obtained by false pretenses and by the evidence of the false witnesses whom he hired. ');">⁵</span>

אלא בחד

and should he thus not also be liable even in accordance with the judgments of Man? — It therefore must mean for the benefit of his neighbour.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e. to pay him money not due to him, and it so happened that the neighbour to whom the money was paid could not be made to give back the money he obtained by the false evidence. ');">⁶</span>

ותו ליכא והאיכא (סימן העושה בסם ושליח חבירו נשבר) העושה מלאכה במי חטאת ובפרת חטאת פטור מדיני אדם וחייב בדיני שמים

'To know of evidence in favour of another and not to testify on his behalf.' With what case are we dealing here? If with a case where there are two [witnesses], is it not obvious that it is a Scriptural offence,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why then state it here? ');">⁷</span>

והאיכא הנותן סם המות בפני בהמת חבירו פטור מדיני אדם וחייב בדיני שמים

[as it is written], If he do not utter it then he shall bear his iniquity?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. V, 1. ');">⁸</span>

והאיכא השולח את הבערה ביד חרש שוטה וקטן פטור מדיני אדם וחייב בדיני שמים

— It must therefore be where there is one [witness].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whose evidence would merely entail the imposition of an oath upon the defendant, v. Shebu 40a. ');">⁹</span>

והאיכא המבעית את חבירו פטור מדיני אדם וחייב בדיני שמים

(Mnemonic: <i>He who does, Deadly poison, Entrusts, His fellow, Broken</i>.)

והאיכא נשברה כדו ברה"ר ולא סלקה נפלה גמלו ולא העמידה ר"מ מחייב בהזיקן וחכ"א פטור בדיני אדם וחייב בדיני שמים

But are there no more cases [of the same category]? Is there not the case of a man who does work with the Water of Purification<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus disqualifying it from being used for the purpose of purification, Par. IV, 4. ');">¹⁰</span>

אין מיהא איכא טובא והני אצטריכא ליה מהו דתימא בדיני שמים נמי לא ליחייב קמ"ל

or with the [Red] Heifer of Purification,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus disqualifying it from being used for the purpose of purification, Par. IV, 4. ');">¹⁰</span>

הפורץ גדר בפני בהמת חבירו מהו דתימא כיון דלמסתריה קאי מה עביד בדיני שמים נמי לא ליחייב קמ"ל

where he is similarly exempt according to the judgments of Man but liable according to the judgments of Heaven?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Git. 53a, and infra 98a. ');">¹¹</span>

הכופף קמתו של חבירו נמי מהו דתימא לימא מי הוה ידענא דאתיא רוח שאינה מצויה ובדיני שמים נמי לא ליחייב קמ"ל

Again, is there not the case of one who placed deadly poison before the animal of a neighbour, where he is exempt from the judgments of Man but liable according to the judgments of Heaven?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 47b. ');">¹²</span>

ולרב אשי דאמר נמי טמון איתמר מהו דתימא אנא כסויי כסיתיה ניהלך ובדיני שמים נמי לא ליחייב קמ"ל

So also is there not the case of one who entrusts fire to a deaf-mute, an idiot or a minor [and damage results], where he is exempt from the judgments of Man but liable according to the judgments of Heaven?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 59b. ');">¹³</span>

והשוכר עדי שקר נמי מהו דתימא לימא דברי הרב ודברי התלמיד דברי מי שומעין ובדיני שמים נמי לא ליחייב קמ"ל

Again, is there not the case of the man who gives his fellow a fright, where he is similarly exempt from the judgments of Man but liable according to the judgments of Heaven?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 91a. ');">¹⁴</span>

והיודע עדות לחבירו ואינו מעיד לו נמי מהו דתימא מי יימר דכי הוה (אתינא) מסהדינא ליה הוה מודה דלמא הוה משתבע לשקרא ובדיני שמים נמי לא ליחייב קמ"ל:

And finally is there not the case of the man who, when his pitcher has broken on public ground, does not remove the potsherds, who, when his camel falls does not raise it, where R. Meir indeed makes him liable for any damage resulting therefrom, but the Sages hold that he is exempt from the judgments of Man though liable according to the judgments of Heaven?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 28b. ');">¹⁵</span>

נפרצה בלילה או שפרצוה לסטים כו': אמר רבה והוא שחתרה

— Yes, there are surely many more cases [to come under the same category], but these four cases were particularly necessary to be stated by him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Joshua. ');">¹⁶</span>

אבל לא חתרה מאי חייב היכי דמי אילימא בכותל בריא כי לא חתרה אמאי חייב מאי ה"ל למעבד אלא בכותל רעוע כי חתרה אמאי פטור תחלתו בפשיעה וסופו באונס הוא

as otherwise you might have thought that even according to the judgments of Heaven there should not be any liability. It was therefore indicated to us [that this is not so]. In the case of breaking down a fence in front of a neighbour's animal you might have said that since the wall was in any case bound to come down, what offence was committed, and that even according to the judgments of Heaven there should be no liability. It was therefore indicated to us [that this is not so]. In the case of bending over a neighbour's standing corn in front of a fire you might also have said that the defendant could argue, 'How could I know that an unusual wind would come?' and that consequently even according to the judgments of Heaven he should not be liable; it was therefore indicated to us [that this is not the case]. So also according to R. Ashi who said that the reference is to 'covering', you might have said that [the defendant could contend], 'I surely intended to cover and thus protect your property,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not to cause you the loss of compensation. ');">¹⁷</span>

הניחא למ"ד תחילתו בפשיעה וסופו באונס פטור אלא למ"ד תחילתו בפשיעה וסופו באונס חייב מאי איכא למימר

and that even according to the judgments of Heaven he should not be liable. It was therefore indicated to us [that this is not so]. In the case of hiring false witnesses you might also have said that the offender should be entitled to plead, 'Where the words of the Master<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Expressed in the Divine Law. ');">¹⁸</span>

אלא מתני' בכותל בריא ואפילו לא חתרה וכי איתמר דרבה אסיפא איתמר הניחה בחמה או שמסרה לחרש שוטה וקטן ויצתה והזיקה חייב אמר רבה ואפי' חתרה

are contradicted by words of a disciple,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e. mortal man. ');">¹⁹</span>

לא מבעיא היכא דלא חתרה דכולה בפשיעה הוא אלא אפי' חתרה נמי מהו דתימא הויא לה תחילתו בפשיעה וסופו באונס קמ"ל דכולה פשיעה היא

whose words should be followed?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely the word of the former. The witnesses should therefore be exclusively responsible, as they should not have followed the advice of a man in contradiction to the words of the Law. The law of agency could on this account not apply in matters of transgression; cf. Kid. 42b and supra p. 294. ');">²⁰</span>

מ"ט דאמר ליה מידע ידעת דכיון דשבקתה בחמה כל טצדקא דאית לה למיעבד עבדא ונפקא:

and that even according to the judgments of Heaven he should not be liable. It was therefore indicated to us [that this is not so]. In the case where one knows evidence in favour of another and does not testify on his behalf, you might also have said that [the offender could argue], 'Who can say for certain that even had I gone and testified on his behalf, the other party would have admitted [the claim], and would not perhaps have sworn falsely [against my evidence]?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since one witness could not make the defendant liable for money payment but only for an oath. ');">²¹</span>

הוציאוה לסטים לסטים חייבין:

and that even according to the judgments of Heaven he should not be liable. It was therefore indicated to us [that this is not the case]. IF THE WALL BROKE DOWN AT NIGHT OR IF ROBBERS BROKE IN etc., Rabbah said: This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Exemption. ');">²²</span> is so only where the animal undermined the wall. What then of the case where it did not undermine the wall?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which fell down of itself. ');">²³</span> Would there then be liability? Under what circumstances? If it be assumed that the wall was sound, why then even where it did not undermine it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which fell down of itself. ');">²³</span> should there be liability? What else could the defendant have done? But if, on the other hand, the wall was shaky, why even in the case where the animal undermined it should there be exemption? Is not this a case where there is negligence<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To leave an animal behind a shaky wall which could not withstand a normal wind. ');">²⁴</span> at the beginning but [damage results from] accident<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., that the animal broke through it. ');">²⁵</span> at the end? Your view is correct enough on the assumption<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 21b. ');">²⁶</span> that where there is negligence at the beginning [and damage results through] accident at the end there is exemption, but if we take the view<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 21b. ');">²⁶</span> that where there is negligence at the beginning though [damage results from] accident at the end there is liability, what can be said? — This ruling of the Mishnah therefore refers to a sound wall and even to a case where it did not undermine the wall.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 327, n. 6. ');">²⁷</span> For the statement of Rabbah was made with reference to [the ruling in] the concluding clause, IF THE OWNER HAD LEFT THEM IN A SUNNY PLACE OR HANDED THEM OVER TO THE CARE OF A DEAF-MUTE, AN IDIOT OR A MINOR AND THEY GOT AWAY AND DID DAMAGE, HE WOULD BE LIABLE. Rabbah thereupon said: This would be so even where it undermined the wall. For there would be no doubt that [this would be so] where it did not undermine the wall<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But managed to escape through the door. ');">²⁸</span> as there was negligence throughout, but even where it did undermine the wall,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was very sound. ');">²⁹</span> the ruling<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of liability. ');">³⁰</span> would also hold good. You might have said [in that case, that where it undermined the wall]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was very sound. ');">²⁹</span> it should be regarded as a case of negligence at the beginning but accident at the end.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 327, n. 8. ');">³¹</span> It was therefore indicated to us<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By Rabbah. ');">³²</span> that [it is regarded as a case of] negligence throughout, the reason being that the plaintiff might say, 'You should surely have realised that since you left it in a sunny place, it will use every possible device for the purpose of getting out. IF THE ROBBERS TOOK THEM OUT, THE ROBBERS WOULD BE LIABLE [FOR THE DAMAGE].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 324, n. 4. ');">³³</span>