Study Gittin folio 49B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
תניא בהדיא: ״מיטב שדהו ומיטב כרמו ישלם״ – מיטב שדהו של ניזק, ומיטב כרמו של ניזק, דברי רבי ישמעאל. רבי עקיבא אומר: מיטב שדהו של מזיק, ומיטב כרמו של מזיק.
It is taught explicitly in a baraita: The verse: “Of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, should he pay” (Exodus 22:4), teaches that the appraisal is of the best of the fields of the injured party, and of the best of the vineyards of the injured party. This is the statement of R' Yishmael. R' Akiva says: The appraisal is of the best of the fields of the one who caused the damage, and of the best of the vineyards of the one who caused the damage. This clearly indicates that according to R' Akiva compensation is collected from the superior-quality land belonging to the one who caused the damage.
רבינא אמר: לעולם מתניתין רבי עקיבא היא, דאמר מדאורייתא בדמזיק שיימינן; ורבי שמעון היא – דדריש טעמא דקרא, ומה טעם קאמר – מה טעם הניזקין שמין להן בעידית? מפני תיקון העולם.
Ravina said: Actually, the Mishnah is in accordance with the opinion of R' Akiva, who said: By Torah law, we appraise the property of the one who caused the damage. And it is also in accordance with the principle of R' Shimon, who expounds the reason underlying the verse as a basis for drawing halakhic conclusions. And the Mishnah is saying: What is the reason for the halakha taught in the Mishnah? The Mishnah should be understood as follows: What is the reason that the court appraises land of superior quality for payment to injured parties? This is for the betterment of the world. That is to say, the words: For the betterment of the world, do not indicate a rabbinic enactment. Rather, they provide a reason for the Torah law.
דתניא, אמר רבי שמעון: מפני מה אמרו הניזקין שמין להן בעידית? מפני הגזלנים ומפני החמסנין, כדי שיאמר אדם: למה אני גוזל ולמה אני חומס? למחר בית דין יורדין לנכסי ונוטלין שדה נאה שלי, וסומכים על מה שכתוב בתורה: ״מיטב שדהו ומיטב כרמו ישלם״; לפיכך אמרו: הניזקין – שמין להן בעידית.
This is as it is taught in a baraita (Tosefta, Ketubot 12:2) that R' Shimon said: For what reason did the rabbis say that the court appraises land of superior quality for payment to injured parties? It is due to the robbers and due to those who take that which is not theirs by force [ḥamsanin]. How so? So that a person will say: Why should I rob and why should I take by force? Tomorrow the court will come down to my property and take my finest field in order to compensate the victim for what I have robbed or taken by force. And the rabbis rely on what is written in the Torah: “Of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, should he pay” (Exodus 22:4). Consequently, they said that the court appraises land of superior quality for payment to injured parties.