״אלהים״ בעינן, וליכא!
say that we require ordained judges [elohim] and there are not any ordained judges in Babylonia.
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״אלהים״ בעינן, וליכא!
say that we require ordained judges [elohim] and there are not any ordained judges in Babylonia.
אלא מאי שנא שור בשור ושור באדם? דשליחותייהו קא עבדינן – מידי דהוה אהודאות והלואות. אדם באדם ואדם בשור נמי, שליחותייהו קא עבדינן – מידי דהוה אהודאות והלואות!
Rather, what is different about damage to an ox caused by an ox and damage to an ox caused by a man, so that Babylonian judges can rule in these cases even though they are not ordained? The difference is that we, the judges of Babylonia, perform the agency of the judges of Eretz Yisrael, just as we do with regard to the halakhot of admissions and loans, as we are permitted to rule in those cases as agents of the ordained judges in Eretz Yisrael. If so, then in cases of damage caused to a person by a person and cases of damage caused to a person by an ox as well, why not say that the judges of Babylonia perform the agency of the judges of Eretz Yisrael, just as it is with regard to the halakhot of admissions and loans?
אמרי: כי קא עבדינן שליחותייהו – במידי דקים לן בגויה; במידי דלא קים לן בגויה – לא עבדינן שליחותייהו.
The rabbis state, with regard to the distinction: When we, the judges of Babylonia, perform the agency of the judges of Eretz Yisrael, we do so in matters where the ruling is clear to us; but in matters where the ruling is not clear to us, such as in the case of an injury to a person, which requires an appraisal, we do not perform the agency of the judges of Eretz Yisrael.
אמרי: שור בשור ושור באדם נמי לא קים לן בגויה – אלא פוק חזי (היכא) [כמה] מזדבני תורי בשוקא; אדם באדם ואדם בשור נמי, פוק חזי (היכא) [כמה] מזדבני עבדי בשוקא!
The rabbis state an objection: In cases of damage caused to an ox by an ox, and damage caused to an ox by a man, cases that we do judge in Babylonia, the ruling is also not clear to us, as the damage must be appraised. Rather, how is the judgment assessed in those cases? We say: Go out and see how much an ox is sold for in the marketplace, and thereby assess the value of the damages, without a detailed appraisal. If so, in the case of damage caused to a person by a person, and damage caused to a person by an ox, say too: Go out and see how a slave is sold in the slave market. Why, then, are these latter cases not judged in Babylonia?
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.