Bava Kamma 3A

הגלל עד תמו״.

the tooth until it be all gone” (I Kings 14:10).

אמר מר: ״ושלח״ זו הרגל, וכן הוא אומר: ״משלחי רגל השור והחמור״. טעמא דכתב רחמנא ״משלחי רגל השור והחמור״, הא לאו הכי ⁠– במאי מוקמת לה?

The Master said in the baraita just cited: “And he sends forth,” this is a reference to the category of Trampling, and likewise it says: “Happy are you that sow beside all waters that send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey” (Isaiah 32:20). The Talmud infers: The reason that the phrase: “And he sends forth,” is interpreted as a reference to the category of Trampling is that God writes: “That send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.” The Talmud asks: Were it not for this verse, with regard to what would you have interpreted that phrase?

אי קרן ⁠– כתיב! אי שן ⁠– כתיב!

If you say that it could have been interpreted as referring to Goring, that cannot be, as Goring is written in a different verse. If you say that it could have been interpreted as referring to Eating, that too cannot be, as Eating is written in a different verse. Perforce the reference is to Trampling, and the baraita had no need to prove this from the phrase: “That send forth the feet.”

אצטריך; סלקא דעתך אמינא: אידי ואידי אשן, והא דמכליא קרנא, הא דלא מכליא קרנא; קא משמע לן.

The Talmud answers that it is necessary for the baraita to cite the verse: “That send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey,” as it could enter your mind to say that both this phrase: “And he sends forth,” and that phrase: “And it consumed,” are referring to the primary category of Eating, and that phrase: “And it consumed,” is referring to a case where the object damaged is completely destroyed, and this phrase: “And he sends forth,” is referring to a case where the object damaged is not completely destroyed. Therefore, the verse “that send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey” teaches us that the phrase “and he sends forth,” is referring to Trampling.