One of the greatest causes of damage to public property is that of fire. Forest fires cause damage to millions of acres of every year and we…
No Reciprocity: Bava Kamma 37
“The ox of a Jew who gores the ox belonging to the Temple or the ox of the Temple that gores the ox of the Jew they are exempt from…
A Shabbat Ox: Bava Kamma 37
Correlation does not imply causation - though it may be just that. It is not always easy to distinguish between two events that, while…
Bava Kamma 32: Running Late on Friday
Slow down. Such would be good advice for those trying to navigate a busy street. Running down the street in any major urban area is not recommended…
Bava Kamma 27: Watch Your Step
In our previous posts we discussed the difference between an ox classified as a tam, a domesticated animal who is not at risk of…
Bava Kamma 24: Minor Damages
“The victim and the perpetrator share in the [payment] of damages.” (Bava Kamma 14b) Being a victim of an accident is never pleasant…
Miriam and the Goring Ox: Bava Kamma 24
One would not expect to connect Miriam’s speaking negatively against Moshe, read (at least in the Diaspora) this past Shabbat, with the laws…
Bava Kamma 8: This Law is Not For Me
One of the basic differences between the religious and civil laws of the Torah is while the former are mandatory the latter are not necessarily so…
A Goring Ox: Bava Kamma 4
Arba avot nezikin, there are four primary categories of damages, the ox, the pit, the man and fire." (Bava Kamman 2a) As …
I Love Animals: Bava Kamma 2
"There are four primary categories of damages - the ox, the pit, the man and the fire...the common denominator of them is that…
Some Opening Thoughts on Seder Nezikin
"One who wants to sharpen his mind should involve himself in monetary law as there is no section of the Torah larger than them; they are like an…
Career Choices: Kiddushin 82
One of the most important life decisions we make is the choice of a career. As Judaism is most concerned with so many of the minor decisions we make…
The Rabbi Who Wanted to Sin: Kiddushin 81
"Do not judge a person until you are in his place." (Avot 2:5) We unfortunately live in a very judgmental (Jewish) world where…
I Love Converts: Kiddushin 70
One of the rules of Rashi's commentary to the chumash, made famous by Nehama Leibowitz z"l, is that Rashi brings a second explanation…
What a Story: Kiddushin 66
One of the fascinating, exciting even suspenseful aspects of learning Gemara is how a detailed discussion on the minutiae of Jewish law can…
I Don't Know You: Kiddushin 65
In our last post we discussed the unusual situation, to say the least, of a father or even the daughter herself being unable to recall to…
Who Did I Marry?: Kiddushin 63
You have to wonder sometimes about the strange relationships between parents and children. While parents may not always know where their…
Come Work for Me: Kiddushin 59
A poor person who is examining a piece a cake and another comes and takes it from him is called evil.” (Kiddushin 59a) All legal systems…