1)

A SAFEK ABOUT WHO DAMAGED (Yerushalmi Perek 3 Halachah 11 Daf 17a)

îúðé' ùåø ùäéä øåãó àçø ùåø àçø åäåæ÷ æä àåîø ùåøê äæé÷ åäìä àåîø ìà ëé àìà áñìò ì÷ä äîåöéà îçáéøå òìéå äøàééä

(a)

(Mishnah): If Reuven's ox was chasing Shimon's ox, and we see Shimon's ox wounded, and Shimon says that Reuven's ox damaged it, and Reuven says that it was hurt on a stone, ha'Motzi me'Chaveiro Alav ha'Re'ayah (the one who wants to collect (Shimon) must bring proof).

äéå ùðéí øåãôéï àçø àçã æä àåîø ùåøê äæé÷ åæä àåîø ùåøê äæé÷ ùðéäí ôèåøéï

(b)

If Reuven's and Shimon's oxen were chasing Levi's ox, and it was damaged, and Reuven says 'your ox damaged', and Shimon says 'no, rather, your ox damaged', they are exempt.

åàí äéå ùðéäï ùì àéù àçã ùðéäï çééáéï

1.

If both [chasing] oxen belonged to Reuven, they are liable.

äéä àçã âãåì åàçã ÷èï äðéæ÷ àåîø äâãåì äæé÷ åäîæé÷ àåîø ìà ëé àìà ä÷èï äæé÷ àçã úí åàçã îåòã äðéæ÷ àåîø îåòã äæé÷ åäîæé÷ àåîø ìà ëé àìà úí äæé÷ äîåöéà îçáéøå òìéå äøàééä

2.

If one was big (or Mu'ad), and the other small (a Tam), and Levi says 'the big one (or Mu'ad) damaged', and Reuven says 'no, the small (Tam) one damaged', ha'Motzi me'Chaveiro Alav ha'Re'ayah. (Levi collects no more than the value of the small Tam ox.)

äéå äðéæå÷éï ùðéí àçã âãåì åàçã ÷èï åäîæé÷éï ùðéí àçã âãåì åàçã ÷èï äðéæ÷ àåîø äâãåì äæé÷ àú äâãåì å÷èï àú ä÷èï åäîæé÷ àåîø ìà ëé àìà ÷èï àú äâãåì åâãåì àú ä÷èï àçã úí åàçã îåòã äðéæ÷ àåîø îåòã äæé÷ àú äâãåì åúí àú ä÷èï åäîæé÷ àåîø ìà ëé àìà úí äæé÷ àú äâãåì åîåòã àú ä÷èï äîåöéà îçáéøå òìéå äøàéä:

(c)

If two oxen of Reuven damaged two of Levi's oxen, and Levi says that the big ox (or the Mu'ad) damaged the big ox, and the small ox (or the Tam) damaged the small ox, and Reuven says oppositely, ha'Motzi me'Chaveiro Alav ha'Re'ayah.

âî' ø' éåãï áòé äãéï òîãú áéú ãéï îäå

(d)

(Gemara - R. Yudan) Question: What does Beis Din rule [if no proof is brought? Does he receive like the damager says? Or, since the victim claimed oppositely, he admitted that the damager does not owe like he says, so he is totally exempt?]

ðéùîòéðä îäãà ùðéí ùæø÷å ùúé öøåøåú åùáøå ùúé ëãéï àçú ùì ééï åàçú ùì ùîï æä àåîø ùì ééï ùáøúé åæä àåîø ùì ééï ùáøúé ùðéäï îùìîéï ùì ééï.

(e)

Answer: We learn from the following [Tosefta]. If two threw two rocks and broke two flasks, one of wine and one of oil, and this one says 'I broke [the flask] of wine' (it is cheaper) and this one says 'I broke of wine', both of them pay of wine. (RIDVAZ, MEICHAL HA'MAYIM - we do not say that since he claimed oppositely, he admitted that the damager does not owe like he says, for witnesses saw that each broke one.)

1.

Note: NESIVOS YERUSHALAYIM and MEICHAL HA'MAYIM say that the victim has a Safek claim against each - perhaps you broke the barrel of oil. If so, how can we learn from here to our Mishnah, in which he claims Vadai?! Perhaps also our Mishnah means that he claims 'perhaps the Mu'ad gored the big one...' (PF)

àçú øé÷ðéú åàçú îìéàä æä àåîø øé÷ðéú ùáøúé åæä àåîø øé÷ðéú ùáøúé ùðéäï îùìîéï àú äøé÷ðéú.

2.

If one was empty and one was full, and this one says 'I broke the empty one' and this one says 'I broke the empty one', both of them pay for the empty one.

ùáøå çáéú àçú æä àåîø àúä ùáøúä åæä àåîø àúä ùáøúä ùðéäï ôèåøéï:

3.

If they broke one barrel, and this one says 'you broke it' and this one says 'you broke it', both of them are exempt.

HADRAN ALACH PEREK HA'MENI'ACH