Study Bava Kamma folio 85B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
לרבות שוגג כמזיד ואונס כרצון! אם כן, נכתוב קרא: ״פצע בפצע״; מאי ״פצע תחת פצע״? שמע מינה תרתי.
This serves to include in the category of those liable to pay compensation one who causes injury unwittingly just as one who causes injury intentionally is liable, and one who causes injury due to circumstances beyond his control just as one who causes injury willingly. The Talmud answers: If so, and the verse teaches only this, let the verse write the more succinct phrase: A wound [petza] for a wound [befatza]; what is taught by the expanded phrase: “A wound [petza] for a wound [taḥat patza]”? Conclude two conclusions from the verse, that the one who caused the injury is liable to pay compensation regardless of how he caused the injury, and that he must pay compensation for pain in addition to compensation for damage.
רב פפא משמיה דרבא אמר, אמר קרא: ״ורפא ירפא״ – ליתן רפואה במקום נזק.
With regard to compensation for medical costs in a case where one pays compensation for damage, Rav Pappa said in the name of Rava that the verse states: “He should cause him to be thoroughly healed [verappo yerappe]” (Exodus 21:19), and the doubled term teaches that the one who caused the injury is liable to give monetary compensation for medical costs in a case of compensation for damage.
האי מבעי ליה לכדתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל, דתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל: ״ורפא ירפא״ – מכאן שניתנה רשות לרופא לרפאות! אם כן, נכתוב קרא ״ורופא ירפא״! שמע מינה, ליתן רפואה במקום נזק.
The Talmud challenges: This verse is necessary for teaching a different halakha, that which the school of R' Yishmael taught. As the school of R' Yishmael taught: When the verse states: “Verappo yerappe,” from here it is derived that permission is granted to a doctor to heal. The Talmud answers: If so, let the verse write: Verofeh yerappe, meaning: And a doctor should heal. Learn from the phrase employed that the one who caused the injury is liable to give monetary compensation for medical costs in a case of damage.