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Text Excerpt
מאי לאו אבהמה? לא, אעובר.
What, is the baraita not referring to the animal when it prohibits giving it in receivership? If so, the baraita prohibits giving it to the non-Jew in exchange for half the rights to future fetuses, and certainly giving the non-Jew rights to all the future fetuses would be forbidden. The Talmud responds: No, it is referring to a case of an existing fetus, as the animal is pregnant, and therefore it is prohibited to sell it. It is permitted to sell to a non-Jew an animal that is not yet pregnant, for the rights to the fetuses alone.
דיקא נמי דקתני: קונסין אותו עד עשרה בדמיו, שמע מינה.
The Talmud comments: The language of the baraita is also precise, as it teaches: The rabbis penalize him up to 10 times its value [damav], in masculine form, indicating that it is referring to the fetus and not the mother. The Talmud affirms: Learn from it that this is correct, and it cannot be proven from the baraita that it is forbidden to sell rights to a future fetus to a non-Jew.
מסייעא ליה לריש לקיש, דאמר ריש לקיש: המוכר בהמה גסה לגוי — קונסין אותו עד עשרה בדמיה.
The Talmud comments that the language of the baraita: The rabbis penalize him up to 10 times its value, supports the opinion of Reish Lakish, as Reish Lakish says: In the case of one who sells large livestock to a non-Jew, the rabbis penalize him, requiring him to repurchase it from the non-Jew for up to 10 times its value.
דוקא או לאו דוקא? תא שמע, דאמר רבי יהושע בן לוי: המוכר עבדו לגוי — קונסין אותו עד מאה בדמיו! שאני עבד, דכל יומא ויומא מפקע ליה ממצות.
The Talmud asks: Does the phrase: For up to 10 times its value, mean specifically this amount and no more, or does it not mean specifically this amount? The Talmud suggests: Come and hear a proof from that which R' Yehoshua ben Levi says: In the case of one who sells his Canaanite slave to a non-Jew, the rabbis penalize him, requiring him to repurchase the slave from the non-Jew for up to 100 times its value. It is therefore evident that the phrase: For up to 10 times its value, is not precise. The Talmud responds: A slave is different, as each day that he works for the non-Jew, the non-Jew restricts him from performing mitzvot. Therefore, one who sells a slave is penalized more severely than one who sells his animal to a non-Jew.