Study Bava Kamma folio 39B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ממנעי ולא עבדי. רבי יוסי בר חנינא אמר מעליית אפוטרופוס – וחוזרין ונפרעין מן היתומים לכי גדלי.
people will refrain from becoming stewards, fearing that they would incur a financial loss by having to pay for damage caused by the orphans’ animals. By contrast, R' Yosei bar Ḥanina says that it is collected from the superior-quality property of the steward, and there is no concern that people will refrain from becoming stewards, because if they pay for the orphans they are subsequently repaid by the orphans when they grow up.
ו״מעמידים להן אפוטרופין לתם לגבות מגופו״ – תנאי היא,
The Talmud notes: And the matter of whether or not the court appoints stewards for the halakhically incompetent owners of an innocuous ox for the purpose of collecting damages from the sale of its body if it gores is subject to a dispute between tanna’im.
דתניא: שור שנתחרשו בעליו, ושנשתטו בעליו, ושהלכו בעליו למדינת הים – יהודה בן נקוסא אמר סומכוס: הרי הוא בתמותו עד שיעידו בו בפני הבעלים. וחכמים אומרים: מעמידין להן אפוטרופין, ומעידין בהן בפני אפוטרופין.
As it is taught in a baraita: With regard to an ox whose owner became a deaf-mute, or whose owner became an imbecile, or whose owner went overseas, if the ox gores, Yehuda ben Nakosa said that Sumakhos said: It retains its status of innocuousness until the court renders it forewarned in the presence of the owner. And the Rabbis say: The court appoints stewards for them, and the ox is rendered forewarned in the presence of the stewards.
נתפקח החרש, נשתפה השוטה והגדיל הקטן – ובאו בעליו ממדינת הים, יהודה בן נקוסא אמר סומכוס: חזר לתמותו, עד שיעידו בו בפני בעלים. רבי יוסי אמר: הרי הוא בחזקתו.
If the deaf-mute regained his hearing, or the imbecile became halakhically competent, or the minor reached majority, or its owner came back from overseas, Yehuda ben Nakosa said that Sumakhos said: The ox has reverted to its previous status of innocuousness, until it is rendered forewarned in the presence of the owner. R' Yosei said: The ox retains its status of being forewarned.