Bava Kamma - Daf 36
- שור שנגח ארבעה וחמשה שוורים זה אחר זה
The fourth Perek begins: שור שנגח ארבעה וחמשה שוורים זה אחר זה – If an ox gored four or five oxen one after another as a tam, Rebbe Meir says: ישלם לאחרון שבהם – he pays the last of the [victims] his half-damages. ואם יש בו מותר יחזיר לשלפניו – And if there is more value in [the damaging ox] after this payment, [that excess] is returned to the prior [victim], and if there is still more, it is given to the victim before him. והאחרון אחרון נשכר – The rule is, the later [victim] benefits. Rava explains that the Mishnah follows Rebbe Yishmael’s opinion, that damages of a tam are owed as a debt. Although this should dictate that the earlier victims receive payments first (as earlier creditors), the Mishnah is discussing a case כגון שתפסו ניזק לגבות הימנו – where each successive victim seized [the damaging ox] to collect from it, ונעשה עליו כשומר שכר לנזקין – and, because he benefited by securing his payment, became like a שומר שכר over it regarding its subsequent damages, i.e., he is responsible for damages it later inflicts. Therefore, it is the last victim who benefits. Ravina explains the next phrase: אם יש בו מותר בנזקיו – if [the second-to-last victim’s] damages is greater than the final victim, יחזיר לשלפניו – [the excess] is returned to the one before him, and so on.
- כל כסף האמור בתורה כסף צורי ושל דבריהם כסף מדינה
A Mishnah states: התוקע לחבירו נותן לו סלע – One who strikes the ear of his fellow, pays him a sela for בושת, in addition to the other payments. Rebbe Yose HaGlili says he gives a maneh (equal to twenty-five selaim). The Gemara records an incident in which someone struck his fellow’s ear, and Rav Tuvyah bar Masneh sent a question to Rav Yosef: סלע צורי תנן או סלע מדינה תנן – Did the Mishnah teach to pay a Tyrian sela, or a provincial sela (equal to an eighth of a Tyrian sela)? After Rav Yosef’s proposed resolution is rejected, the Gemara quotes a statement of Rav: כל כסף האמור בתורה כסף צורי – Any amount of silver mentioned in the Torah is in Tyrian currency, ושל דבריהם כסף מדינה – and any amount of silver taught by the Rabbis (such as the בושת payment for striking someone’s ear) is in provincial currency.
- אנן יד עניים אנן
In the above incident, when the man who was struck was told he would only receive a provincial sela, he said: הואיל ופלגא דזוזא הוא לא בעינא – Since it is only half a zuz, I do not want it. נתביה לעניים – Rather, give it to the poor. Afterwards, he retracted and said: נתביה ניהלי איזיל ואברי ביה נפשאי – Give it to me; I will go and strengthen myself with it. Rav Yosef told him he could not retract: כבר זכו ביה עניים – The poor have already acquired [the money]. Although there were no poor people there to make the acquisition, אנן יד עניים אנן – we are “the hand of the poor,” and acquired it on their behalf (Rashi explains that Rav Yosef was a trustee for the local charity fund). Simil arly, Shmuel and Rami bar Chama both taught that orphans do not require a פרוזבול to avoid cancelations of debts owed to them by shemittah, because Beis Din acts on their behalf.
