Study Bava Kamma folio 51A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
לא, משום דלית ביה הבלא. אי הכי, הוזק בו חייב? הא לית ביה הבלא! אמר ליה: אין הבל למיתה, ויש הבל לנזקין.
Rav Naḥman responds: No, he is exempt here because there are not sufficient fumes to cause death, in accordance with the opinion of Rav. Nevertheless, the impact from hitting the ground is sufficient to cause death, and therefore an ox that fell into a water channel is suspected of being a tereifa. Rava again challenges him: If so, then how is the statement: If the animal was injured by it, he is liable, to be explained? There are not sufficient fumes? Rav Naḥman said to him: There are not sufficient fumes to cause death, but there are sufficient fumes to cause injury.
איתיביה: בית הסקילה היה גבוה שתי קומות. ותני עלה: וקומה שלו – הרי כאן שלש. ואי סלקא דעתך יש חבטה בפחות מעשרה, למה לי כולי האי?
Rava raised an objection to the opinion of Rav Naḥman from a Mishnah (Sanhedrin 45a): The structure from which the punishment of stoning was implemented was a height of two people, and it is taught in that regard in a baraita: When the two-person height of the structure is combined with his height, i.e., the height of the one being stoned, there is a total height equal to that of 3 people. Rava explains his objection: And if it enters your mind that there is an impact capable of causing death in a pit less than 10 handbreadths deep, why do I need all of this height?
ולטעמיך – נעביד עשרה! אלא כרב נחמן – דאמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה, אמר קרא: ״ואהבת לרעך כמוך״ – ברור לו מיתה יפה.
Rav Naḥman answered him: And according to your reasoning, let us make the structure a minimal 10 handbreadths. Why must it have a height of two people? Rather, no proof can be brought from here, since the reason is in accordance with the opinion of Rav Naḥman, as Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says that the verse states: “And you should love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), teaching that even with regard to a condemned prisoner, select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. Therefore, the structure used for stoning is constructed sufficiently high that he dies quickly, without any unnecessary suffering.