Bava Kamma 54

קמ"ל דאין הולכין בממון אחר הרוב:

It is therefore made known to us that we do not follow the majority<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. infra p. 263 and B.B. 92b. ');">¹</span>

ובא אחר ונתקל בה ושברה פטור: אמאי פטור איבעי ליה לעיוני ומיזל

in [disputes on] matters of money.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the defendant is entitled to plead that he belongs to the minority. ');">²</span>

אמרי דבי רב משמיה דרב בממלא רה"ר כולה חביות שמואל אמר באפילה שנו רבי יוחנן אמר בקרן זוית

AND ANOTHER ONE COMES AND STUMBLES OVER IT AND BREAKS IT, HE IS EXEMPT. Why exempt? Has not one to keep one's eyes open when walking? — They said at the school of Rab, even in the name of Rab: The whole of the public ground was filled with barrels.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such a public nuisance may thus be abated. ');">³</span>

אמר רב פפא לא דיקא מתניתין אלא או כשמואל או כרבי יוחנן דאי כרב מאי אריא נתקל אפילו שבר נמי

Samuel said: It is with reference to a dark place that we have learnt [the law in the Mishnah]. R. Johanan said: The pitcher was placed at the corner of a turning.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The defendant is thus not to blame. ');">⁴</span>

אמר רב זביד משמיה דרבא הוא הדין דאפי' שבר והאי דקתני נתקל איידי דבעי למתני סיפא ואם הוזק בה בעל חבית חייב בנזקו דדוקא נתקל אבל שבר לא מאי טעמא הוא דאזיק אנפשיה קתני רישא נתקל

R. Papa said: Our Mishnah is not consistent unless in accordance with Samuel or R. Johanan, for according to Rab why exemption only in the case of stumbling [over the pitcher]? Why not the same ruling even when one directly broke it? — R. Zebid thereupon said in the name of Raba: The same law applies even when the defendant directly broke it; for AND STUMBLES was inserted merely because of the subsequent clause which reads, IF THE OTHER ONE WAS INJURED BY IT, THE OWNER OF THE BARREL IS LIABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DAMAGE; and which of course applies only to 'stumbling' but not to direct breaking, in which case it only stands to reason that it is the plaintiff who is to blame for the damage he caused to himself. It was therefore on this account that 'stumbling' was inserted in the commencing clause.

אמר ליה ר' אבא לרב אשי הכי אמרי במערבא משמיה דר' עולא לפי שאין דרכן של בני אדם להתבונן בדרכים

R. Abba said to R. Ashi: In the West<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in Eretz Yisrael, which is West of Babylon. ');">⁵</span>

הוה עובדא בנהרדעא וחייב שמואל בפומבדיתא וחייב רבא

the following [explanation] is stated in the name of R. 'Ulla: [The exemption<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For breaking the pitcher. ');">⁶</span>

בשלמא שמואל כשמעתיה אלא רבא לימא כשמואל ס"ל

is] because it is not the habit of men to look round while walking on the road.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Probably because the roads in Eretz Yisrael were in better condition than in Babylon; v. Shab. 33b; A. Z. 3a. ');">⁷</span>

אמר רב פפא קרנא דעצרא הוי דכיון דברשות קעבדי איבעי ליה לעיוני ומיזל

Such a case occurred in Nehardea<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A town in Babylon. ');">⁸</span>

שלח ליה רב חסדא לר"נ הרי אמרו לרכובה שלש ולבעיטה חמש ולסנוקרת שלש עשרה לפנדא דמרא ולקופינא דמרא מאי

where Samuel ordered compensation [for the broken utensil] and so also in Pumbeditha<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A town in Babylon. ');">⁸</span>

שלח ליה חסדא חסדא קנסא קא מגבית בבבל אימא לי גופא דעובדא היכי הוה

where Raba similarly ordered compensation to he paid. We understand this in the case of Samuel who abided by the dictum he himself propounded,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That were the pitcher to have been in a visible place there would be liability. ');">⁹</span>

שלח ליה דההוא גרגותא דבי תרי דכל יומא הוה דלי חד מנייהו אתא חד קא דלי ביומא דלא דיליה א"ל יומא דידי הוא לא אשגח ביה שקל פנדא דמרא מחייה

but regarding Raba are we to say that he [also] embraced the view of Samuel? — R. Papa thereupon said: [In the case of Raba] the damage was done at the corner of an oil factory; and since it was usual to keep there barrels, he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The defendant. ');">¹⁰</span>

א"ל מאה פנדי בפנדא למחייה אפילו למ"ד לא עביד איניש דינא לנפשיה במקום פסידא עביד איניש דינא לנפשיה

ought to have kept his eyes open while walking there.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And was thus to blame for the damage he had done. ');">¹¹</span>

דאתמר רב יהודה אמר לא עביד איניש דינא לנפשיה רב נחמן אמר עביד איניש דינא לנפשיה

R. Hisda dispatched [the following query] to R. Nahman: As there has already been fixed a fine<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. infra 90a, dealing with some other fixed fines. ');">¹²</span>

היכא דאיכא פסידא כ"ע לא פליגי דעביד איניש דינא לנפשיה כי פליגי היכא דליכא פסידא רב יהודה אמר לא עביד איניש דינא לנפשיה דכיון דליכא פסידא ליזיל קמיה דיינא ר"נ אמר עביד איניש דינא לנפשיה דכיון דבדין עביד לא טרח

of three sela's<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sela' is a coin equal to one sacred or two common shekels; v. Glos. ');">¹³</span>

מתיב רב כהנא בן בג בג אומר אל תיכנס לחצר חברך ליטול את שלך שלא ברשות שמא תראה עליו כגנב אלא שבור את שיניו ואמור לו שלי אני נוטל

for kicking with the knee; five for kicking with the foot; thirteen for a blow with the saddle of an ass — what is the fine for wounding with the blade of the hoe or with the handle of the hoe? — The reply was forwarded [as follows]: 'Hisda, Hisda! Is it your practice in Babylon to impose fines?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the judicial right to impose fines is confined to Palestinian judges; cf. supra p. 67 and infra 84b. ');">¹⁴</span>

א"ל

Tell me the actual circumstances of the case as it occurred.' He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Hisda. ');">¹⁵</span> thereupon dispatched him thus: There was a well belonging to two persons. It was used by them on alternate days.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. B.B. 13a. ');">¹⁶</span> One of them, however, came and used it on a day not his. The other party said to him: 'This day is mine!' But as the latter paid no heed to that, he took a blade of a hoe and struck him with it. R. Nahman thereupon replied: No harm if he would have struck him a hundred times with the blade of the hoe. For even according to the view that a man may not take the law in his own hands<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., resort to force. ');">¹⁷</span> for the protection of his interests, in a case where an irreparable loss is pending<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As where there is apprehension that the Court will be unable to redress the wrong done, e.g., in case all the water in the well will be used up. ');">¹⁸</span> he is certainly entitled to do so. It has indeed been stated: Rab Judah said: No man may take the law into his own hands for the protection of his interests, whereas R. Nahman said: A man may take the law into his own hands for the protection of his interests. In a case where an irreparable loss is pending, no two opinions exist that he may take the law into his own hands for the protection of his interests: the difference of opinion is only where no irreparable loss is pending. Rab Judah maintains that no man may take the law into his own hands for the [alleged] protection of his interests, for since no irreparable loss is pending let him resort to the Judge; whereas R. Nahman says that a man may take the law into his own hands for the protection of his interests, for since he acts in accordance with [the prescriptions of the] law, why [need he] take the trouble [to go to Court]? R. Kahana [however] raised an objection; Ben Bag Bag said;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ab. (Sonc. ed.) p. 76. n. 7. ');">¹⁹</span> Do not enter [stealthily] into thy neighbour's premises for the purpose of appropriating without his knowledge anything that even belongs to thee, lest thou wilt appear to him as a thief. Thou mayest, however, break his teeth and tell him, 'I am taking possession of what is mine.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Tosef. B.K. X. ');">²⁰</span> [Does not this prove that a man may take the law into his own hands<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is definitely stated that he may break his teeth&nbsp;… [The case dealt with here is where the loss is not irreparable, otherwise, as stated above, he would be allowed to enter even without permission.] ');">²¹</span> for the protection of his rights?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus contradicting the view of Rab Judah. ');">²²</span> ] — He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rab Judah. ');">²³</span> thereupon said