Bava Kamma 3

מתני׳ <big><strong>ארבעה</strong></big> אבות נזיקין השור והבור והמבעה וההבער

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. THE PRINCIPAL CATEGORIES OF DAMAGE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Explicitly dealt with in Scripture. ');">¹</span> ARE FOUR: THE OX,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXI, 35. ');">²</span>

לא הרי השור כהרי המבעה ולא הרי המבעה כהרי השור ולא זה וזה שיש בהן רוח חיים כהרי האש שאין בו רוח חיים

THE PIT,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 33. ');">³</span> THE 'SPOLIATOR' [<i>MAB'EH</i>]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. p. 9. ');">⁴</span>

ולא זה וזה שדרכן לילך ולהזיק כהרי הבור שאין דרכו לילך ולהזיק

AND THE FIRE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXII. 5. ');">⁵</span> THE ASPECTS OF THE OX ARE [IN SOME RESPECTS] NOT [OF SUCH LOW ORDER OF GRAVITY] AS THOSE OF THE 'SPOLIATOR';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the latter, if not specifically dealt with, would not have been derived from the former. ');">⁶</span>

הצד השוה שבהן שדרכן להזיק ושמירתן עליך וכשהזיק חב המזיק לשלם תשלומי נזק במיטב הארץ:

NOR ARE [IN OTHER RESPECTS] THOSE OF THE 'SPOLIATOR' [OF SUCH LOW ORDER OF GRAVITY] AS THOSE OF THE OX;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the latter, if not specifically dealt with, would not have been derived from the former. ');">⁶</span> NOR ARE THE ASPECTS OF EITHER OF THEM, IN WHICH THERE IS LIFE, [OF SUCH LOW ORDER OF GRAVITY] AS THOSE OF THE FIRE WHICH IS NOT ENDOWED WITH LIFE;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the latter, if not specifically dealt with, would not have been derived from the former. ');">⁶</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מדקתני אבות מכלל דאיכא תולדות תולדותיהן כיוצא בהן או לאו כיוצא בהן

NOR ARE THE ASPECTS OF ANY OF THESE, THE HABIT OF WHICH IS TO BE MOBILE AND DO DAMAGE, [OF SUCH LOW ORDERS OF GRAVITY] AS THOSE OF THE PIT OF WHICH IT IS NOT THE HABIT TO MOVE ABOUT AND DO DAMAGE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the latter, if not specifically dealt with, would not have been derived from the former. ');">⁶</span> THE FEATURE COMMON TO THEM ALL IS THAT THEY ARE IN THE HABIT OF DOING DAMAGE; AND THAT THEY HAVE TO BE UNDER YOUR CONTROL SO THAT WHENEVER ANY ONE [OF THEM] DOES DAMAGE THE OFFENDER IS LIABLE TO INDEMNIFY WITH THE BEST OF HIS ESTATE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When money is not tendered; cf. infra p. 33. ');">⁷</span>

גבי שבת תנן אבות מלאכות ארבעים חסר אחת אבות מכלל דאיכא תולדות

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Seeing that PRINCIPAL CATEGORIES are specified, it must be assumed that there are derivatives. Are the latter equal in law to the former or not? Regarding Sabbath we learnt: The principal classes of prohibited acts are forty less one.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shab. VII, 2. ');">⁸</span>

תולדותיהן כיוצא בהן לא שנא אב חטאת ולא שנא תולדה חטאת לא שנא אב סקילה ולא שנא תולדה סקילה

'Principal classes' implies that there must be subordinate classes. Here the latter do in law equal the former; for there is no difference between a principal and a subordinate [prohibited act] with respect either to the law of sin-offering<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Lev. IV, 27-35. ');">⁹</span> or to that of capital punishment by stoning.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XV, 32-36. ');">¹⁰</span>

ומאי איכא בין אב לתולדה נפקא מינה דאילו עביד שתי אבות בהדי הדדי אי נמי שתי תולדות בהדי הדדי מחייב אכל חדא וחדא ואילו עביד אב ותולדה דידיה לא מחייב אלא חדא

In what respect then do the two classes differ? — The difference is that if one simultaneously committed either two principal [prohibited] acts or two subordinate acts one is liable [to bring a sin-offering] for each act, whereas if one committed a principal act together with its respective Subordinate, one is liable for one [offering] only. But according to R. Eliezer who imposes the liability [of an offering] for a subordinate act committed along with its Principal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shab. 75a. ');">¹¹</span> to begin with why is the one termed 'Principal' and the other 'Subordinate'? — Such acts as were essential in the construction of the Tabernacle are termed 'Principal',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On account of their being stated in juxtaposition in Scripture; v. Ex. XXXV, 2-XXXVI, 7. ');">¹²</span>

ולרבי אליעזר דמחייב אתולדה במקום אב אמאי קרי ליה אב ואמאי קרי לה תולדה הך דהוה במשכן חשיבא קרי ליה אב הך דלא הוי במשכן חשיבא קרי לה תולדה

whereas such as were not essential in the construction of the Tabernacle are termed 'Subordinate.' Regarding Defilements we have learnt:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kel. I, 1. ');">¹³</span>

גבי טומאות תנן אבות הטומאות השרץ והשכבת זרע

The Primary Defilements: The [Dead] Reptile,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XI, 29-32. ');">¹⁴</span> the Semen Virile<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XV, 17. ');">¹⁵</span>