Bava Kamma - Daf 38
- Gentile paying full damages for his ox, עמד והתיר ממונן לישראל
The Mishnah taught that if a Jew’s ox gores a Gentile’s ox, he is exempt, but in the reverse case, the Gentile pays full damages, even for a tam. The Gemara asks that if "רעהו" excludes a Gentile from receiving damage payments from a Jew, it should also exempt him from paying damages to a Jew (and if he is not excluded, then a Jew should also have to pay his damages)!? Rebbe Abahu answered: the passuk says "עמד וימודד ארץ ראה ויתר גוים" – [Hashem] arose and judged the land; He saw and released nations. This means: ראה שבע מצות שקיבלו עליהם בני נח – He saw the seven mitzvos which Noach’s descendants accepted upon themselves. כיון שלא קיימו – Since they did not keep them, עמד והתיר ממונן לישראל – [He] arose and released their money to Yisroel. They are penalized to always pay full damages for their animals’ damaging Jews’ property. Rebbe Yochanan quoted a different passuk: "הופיע מהר פארן" – [Hashem] revealed from Mount Paran. This teaches: מפארן הופיע ממונם לישראל – from Paran, when the other nations refused to accept the Torah, He “revealed” their money to Yisroel.
- גדול המצווה ועושה יותר ממי שאינו מצווה ועושה
Rav Yosef darshened "ראה ויתר גוים" differently: ראה שבע מצות שקיבלו עליהם בני נח – He saw the seven mitzvos which Noach’s descendants accepted upon themselves, ולא קיימום – but they did not keep them. עמד והתירן להם – He arose and permitted them, “releasing” them from those mitzvos. The Gemara objects that if so, they benefited from failing to keep the seven mitzvos; אם כן מצינו חוטא נשכר – if so, we find a sinner profiting from his sin!? Mar the son of Ravina explained that it means: שאפילו מקיימין אותן אין מקבלין עליהן שכר – that even if they fulfill [the seven mitzvos] they do not receive reward for them (but are punished for transgressing them). The Gemara objects that Rebbe Meir darshened a passuk to teach: שאפילו נכרי ועוסק בתורה הרי הוא ככהן גדול – that even a Gentile who engages in Torah study is like a Kohen Gadol. Clearly, they are rewarded for performing mitzvos!? The Gemara answers: אין מקבלים עליהן שכר כמצווה ועושה – They do not receive reward for them like one who is commanded and fulfills the commandment, אלא כמי שאינו מצווה ועושה – rather, they are rewarded like one who is not commanded and fulfills it voluntarily, whose reward is less, for Rebbe Chanina said: גדול המצווה ועושה יותר ממי שאינו מצווה ועושה – greater is the one who acts to fulfill a law who was commanded to do so, than one who acts but was not commanded to do so.
- Comparing the actions of Lot’s two daughters
Rebbe Yochanan said: אין הקדוש ברוך הוא מקפח שכר כל בריה – Hashem does not withhold reward from any creature, אפילו שכר שיחה נאה – even reward for fine speech. For regarding Lot’s older daughter, who named her child from him "מואב" (from Father), Hashem told Moshe: ואל תתגר בם מלחמה – Do not incite war against [Moav], implying that although they could not wage war against them, they could enact levies against them. But regarding Lot’s younger daughter, who used the less explicit term "בן עמי" (son of my people), Hashem said: "ואל תתגר בם" כלל – “Do not incite against them” at all, דאפילו אנגריא לא תעביד בהו – meaning that even levies may not be enacted against them. Rebbe Yeshoshua ben Korchah said: לעולם יקדים אדם לדבר מצוה – A person should always preempt others in a mitzvah matter, שבשביל לילה אחת שקדמתה בכירה לצעירה – for because of one night that the elder daughter preceded the younger daughter to have relations with her father (intending to perform a mitzvah), קדמתה ארבע דורות לישראל – she preceded her by four generations to join Yisroel. Rus, from Moav, was the mother of Oved, Shlomo’s great-grandfather. Naamah of Amon was the mother of Rechavam, Shlomo’s son.
