Bava Kamma 92A

יכול אפילו מעולה בדמים? תלמוד לומר: ״רק״.

One might have thought that he must give precedence to the cutting down of a barren tree even if the barren tree is greater in monetary value than the fruit-bearing tree. The verse states: “Only,” which teaches that there is an exception to the rule. Similarly, if the fruit-bearing tree itself would be worth more as lumber than for its fruits, it would be permitted for one to cut it down.

שמואל אייתי ליה אריסיה תמרי. אכיל, טעים בהו טעמא דחמרא. אמר ליה: מאי האי? אמר ליה: ביני גופני קיימי. אמר: מכחשי בחמרא כולי האי? למחר אייתי לי מקורייהו.

The Talmud relates: The sharecropper of Shmuel brought him dates. Shmuel ate them, and tasted the taste of wine in them. He said to his sharecropper: What is this? The sharecropper said to him: The date palms stand among the grapevines and therefore contain a taste of wine from the grapes. Shmuel said: Do they weaken the wine, i.e., the grapevines, so much that it is possible to taste the wine in the dates? Tomorrow, cut down the date palms and bring me from their marrow to eat.

רב חסדא חזא תאלי בי גופני. אמר ליה לאריסיה: עקרינהו; גופני קני דקלי, דקלי לא קני גופני.

The Talmud relates a similar incident: Rav Ḥisda saw date palms growing among grapevines on his estate. He said to his sharecropper: Uproot the date palms, since one can purchase date palms with grapevines, as grapevines are more valuable, while one cannot purchase grapevines with date palms.

מתני׳ אף על פי שהוא נותן לו, אין נמחל לו עד שיבקש ממנו. שנאמר: ״ועתה השב אשת וגו׳״. ומנין שאם לא מחל לו, שהוא אכזרי? שנאמר: ״ויתפלל אברהם אל האלהים, וירפא אלהים את אבימלך וגו׳״.

Mishnah: Despite the fact that the assailant who caused damage gives to the victim all of the required payments for the injury, his transgression is not forgiven for him in the heavenly court until he requests forgiveness from the victim, as it is stated that God told Abimelech after he had taken Sarah from Abraham: “Now therefore restore the wife of the man; for he is a prophet, and he should pray for you, and you should live” (Genesis 20:7). And from where is it derived that if the victim does not forgive him that he is cruel? As it is stated: “And Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female slaves; and they bore children” (Genesis 20:17).