Talmud Yerushalmi
Yerushalmi Bava Kamma 5:6 ירושלמי בבא קמא ה׳:ו׳
Part of: Chapter 5
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משנה: הַחוֹפֵר בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ שׁוֹר אוֹ חֲמוֹר וָמֵת חַיָיב. אֶחָד הַחוֹפֵר בּוֹר שִׁיחַ וּמְעָרָה חֲרִיצִים וּנְעִיצִים חַיָיב. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר בּוֹר. מַה הַבּוֹר שֶׁהוּא כְדֵי לְהָמִית עַד עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים אַף כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ כְדֵי לְהָמִית עַד עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים. הָיוּ פְחוּתִין מֵעֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ שׁוֹר אוֹ חֲמוֹר וָמֵת פָּטוּר וְאִם הוּזַּק בּוֹ חַיָיב. הַחוֹפֵר בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וּפְתָחוֹ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים אוֹ בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וּפְתָחוֹ לִרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וּפְתָחוֹ לִרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד אַחֵר חַיָיב.
MISHNAH: 50In the Babli and most independent Mishnah mss., Mishnah 7 is Mishnah 8 and vice versa. One who digs a pit in the public domain is liable if an ox or a donkey fell in and died. Anyone who digs a pit, a ditch, a cave, rectangular excavations, or bases for poles, is liable. Then why is it said “a pit”? Just as a pit to be life-threatening must be ten handbreadths51About 1 yard. deep, so everything to be life-threatening must be ten handbreadths deep. If it was less than ten handbreadths deep when an ox or a donkey fell in and died, he is not liable52Since Ex. 21:33–34 is not applicable., but if they were damaged, he is liable53For any obstacle put into the public domain, the person responsible is liable for full damages (Chapter 1, Note 3)..
One who digs a pit in a private domain and opens it to the public domain54If the pit is so close to the public domain that an unsuspecting passer-by might be tripped by it, it is counted as obstacle in the public domain. If the private domain is separated from the public domain or another private domain by a fence at least 10 handbreadths high, the owner can do what he pleases on his property (Babli 50a)., in the public domain and opens it to a private domain, in a private domain and opens it to another private domain, is liable55Again, if the pit is too close to the other property, it is putting an unauthorized obstacle on somebody else’s property..
MISHNAH: 50In the Babli and most independent Mishnah mss., Mishnah 7 is Mishnah 8 and vice versa. One who digs a pit in the public domain is liable if an ox or a donkey fell in and died. Anyone who digs a pit, a ditch, a cave, rectangular excavations, or bases for poles, is liable. Then why is it said “a pit”? Just as a pit to be life-threatening must be ten handbreadths51About 1 yard. deep, so everything to be life-threatening must be ten handbreadths deep. If it was less than ten handbreadths deep when an ox or a donkey fell in and died, he is not liable52Since Ex. 21:33–34 is not applicable., but if they were damaged, he is liable53For any obstacle put into the public domain, the person responsible is liable for full damages (Chapter 1, Note 3)..
One who digs a pit in a private domain and opens it to the public domain54If the pit is so close to the public domain that an unsuspecting passer-by might be tripped by it, it is counted as obstacle in the public domain. If the private domain is separated from the public domain or another private domain by a fence at least 10 handbreadths high, the owner can do what he pleases on his property (Babli 50a)., in the public domain and opens it to a private domain, in a private domain and opens it to another private domain, is liable55Again, if the pit is too close to the other property, it is putting an unauthorized obstacle on somebody else’s property..
הלכה: הַחוֹפֵר בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים כול׳. כְּתִיב כִּי יִפְתַּח אִישׁ בּוֹר וְכִי יִכְרֶה אִישׁ בּוֹר. אֶחָד בּוֹר לִנְזָקִין וְאֶחָד בּוֹר לְמִיתָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק. אֶחָד בּוֹר שֶׁלְּמִיתָה וְאֶחָד בּוֹר לִנְזָקִין שְׁנֵיהֶן מִמִּקְרָא אֶחָד נִתְרַבּוּ. וּכְשֶׁהוּא בָא לְבוֹר שֶׁלְּמִיתָה אַתָּ מַר. פָּטוּר עַל הַכֵּלִים. וּכְשֶׁהוּא בָא לְבוֹר שֶׁלִּנְזָקִין אַתָּ מַר. חַיָיב עַל הַכֵּלִים. אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁחָפַר. לָקַח יָרַשׁ נִיתַּן לוֹ בְמַתָּנָה מְנַיִין. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אוֹ כִי יִכְרֶה אִישׁ בּוֹר. וְכִי יֵשׁ לוֹ רְשׁוּת לְהַבְקִיר נְזָקָיו בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי בּוּן. תִּיפְתָּר כְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵירִבִּי יְהוּדָה דְּאָמַר. שְׁלֹשָׁה (דְבָרִים) שֶׁהֵן סְמוּכִין לִרְשׁוּת כִּרְשׁוּת.
HALAKHAH: “One who digs a pit in the public domain,” etc. It is written56Ex. 21:33.: “If a man open a pit” and “if a man dig a pit.” One pit for damages, the other pit for death57The verse mentions “opening” for a pit which is not deep enough to kill an animal, and “digging” for a pit deep enough to kill.. Rebbi Isaac said, both the pit of death and the pit of damages were added from the same verse, but when it comes to the pit of death you say he is not liable for vessels, but when it comes to the pit of damages you say he is liable for vessels58In the next Halakhah one deduces “an ox but not an ox with his vessels” from the language of the verse. Why does this not apply to damages in case the animal survives the fall? No answer is given; it must be that the award of damages in this case is a matter of common, not biblical law.! This is not only if he dug, from where if he bought, inherited, or it was given to him as a gift? The verse says, “if a man acquire a pit.59Understanding יכרה as not derived from I כרה “to dig” but from II כרה “to buy” (Deut 2:6, Hos. 3:2); in the Babli (Soṭah 13a, Roš Haššanah 26a) this is charaterized as Phoenician.” Has one the right to abandon his damages in the public domain60Since ‘pit’ is an obstacle in the public domain, how is it possible to acquire if from another person?? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, explain it following Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Jehudah who said, three [handbreadths]61Reading טפחים for דברים “things” in the text. close to a domain are like that domain62This defines what means “close to another domain” in Mishnah 8 (Note 54). In the Babli, 50a, he requires a distance of at least 4 handbreadths. A private domain can be bought or inherited with all its liabilities..
HALAKHAH: “One who digs a pit in the public domain,” etc. It is written56Ex. 21:33.: “If a man open a pit” and “if a man dig a pit.” One pit for damages, the other pit for death57The verse mentions “opening” for a pit which is not deep enough to kill an animal, and “digging” for a pit deep enough to kill.. Rebbi Isaac said, both the pit of death and the pit of damages were added from the same verse, but when it comes to the pit of death you say he is not liable for vessels, but when it comes to the pit of damages you say he is liable for vessels58In the next Halakhah one deduces “an ox but not an ox with his vessels” from the language of the verse. Why does this not apply to damages in case the animal survives the fall? No answer is given; it must be that the award of damages in this case is a matter of common, not biblical law.! This is not only if he dug, from where if he bought, inherited, or it was given to him as a gift? The verse says, “if a man acquire a pit.59Understanding יכרה as not derived from I כרה “to dig” but from II כרה “to buy” (Deut 2:6, Hos. 3:2); in the Babli (Soṭah 13a, Roš Haššanah 26a) this is charaterized as Phoenician.” Has one the right to abandon his damages in the public domain60Since ‘pit’ is an obstacle in the public domain, how is it possible to acquire if from another person?? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, explain it following Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Jehudah who said, three [handbreadths]61Reading טפחים for דברים “things” in the text. close to a domain are like that domain62This defines what means “close to another domain” in Mishnah 8 (Note 54). In the Babli, 50a, he requires a distance of at least 4 handbreadths. A private domain can be bought or inherited with all its liabilities..
רִבִּי מָנָא בָּעֵי. מָהוּ שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה אֶת הָעוֹמֶק כְּגוֹבָה. וְהֵיכִי דָמֵי. אִין בַּהוּא דַאֲתֵי מִן עֵיל חֲמֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא דַאֲתֵי מִן לְרַע.
Rebbi Mana asked: Can the depth be considered like the height? How is that63As I. Lewy correctly notes, היכי דמי is pure Babli language.? If about him who comes from up high, he sees it. But for him who comes from below64In the absence of parallel texts, any interpretation of this paragraph is speculative. The explanation of Eliahu Fulda seems the most natural: The pit is dug on an incline; it does not go deeper than the surrounding valley. For an ox coming down from the hill, the pit is simply a slightly steeper declivity, but for one climbing up from the valley it is a real obstacle..
Rebbi Mana asked: Can the depth be considered like the height? How is that63As I. Lewy correctly notes, היכי דמי is pure Babli language.? If about him who comes from up high, he sees it. But for him who comes from below64In the absence of parallel texts, any interpretation of this paragraph is speculative. The explanation of Eliahu Fulda seems the most natural: The pit is dug on an incline; it does not go deeper than the surrounding valley. For an ox coming down from the hill, the pit is simply a slightly steeper declivity, but for one climbing up from the valley it is a real obstacle..