Damages to Property Chapter 1

כָּל נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה שֶׁהִיא בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם שֶׁהִזִּיקָה הַבְּעָלִים חַיָּבִין לְשַׁלֵּם שֶׁהֲרֵי מָמוֹנָם הִזִּיק שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא לה) "כִי יִגֹּף שׁוֹר אִישׁ אֶת שׁוֹר רֵעֵהוּ". אֶחָד הַשּׁוֹר וְאֶחָד שְׁאָר בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וְעוֹף. לֹא דִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב בְּשׁוֹר אֶלָּא בַּהוֹוֶה:

Whenever a living animal owned by a person causes damages, the owner is required to pay, for the damage was caused by his property. [This is implied by Exodus 21:35:] "When a person's ox will gore an ox belonging to a colleague...." These laws apply equally to an ox and to any other animal, beast or fowl. The verse mentions an ox only because that is a common instance.

וְכַמָּה מְשַׁלֵּם. אִם הִזִּיקָה בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁדַּרְכָּהּ לַעֲשׂוֹתָם תָּמִיד כְּמִנְהַג בְּרִיָּתָהּ. כְּגוֹן בְּהֵמָה שֶׁאָכְלָה תֶּבֶן אוֹ עָמִיר אוֹ שֶׁהִזִּיקָה בְּרַגְלָהּ בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכָהּ חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּם נֵזֶק שָׁלֵם מִן הַיָּפֶה שֶׁבִּנְכָסָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כב ד) "מֵיטַב שָׂדֵהוּ וּמֵיטַב כַּרְמוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם". וְאִם שִׁנְּתָה וְעָשְׂתָה מַעֲשִׂים שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּהּ לַעֲשׂוֹתָם תָּמִיד וְהִזִּיקָה בָּהֶן. כְּגוֹן שׁוֹר שֶׁנָּגַח אוֹ נָשַׁךְ. חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּם חֲצִי נֵזֶק מִגּוּף הַמַּזִּיק עַצְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא לה) "וּמָכְרוּ אֶת הַשּׁוֹר הַחַי וְחָצוּ אֶת כַּסְפּוֹ" וְגוֹ':

How much must [the owner] pay? If [the animal] caused damage through the performance of an act that it performs frequently and that is its natural habit - e.g., an animal ate straw or fodder, or it caused damage by [treading on an object] with its feet while walking - [the owner] is obligated to pay the full amount of the damage, [giving up, if necessary,] his most choice property, as stated in [Exodus 22:4]: "Payment should be exacted from his choice field and his choice vineyard." If [the animal] deviated from its ordinary habit and performed acts that it does not usually perform and caused damage in this manner - e.g., a ox gored or bit [another animal] - the owner is obligated to pay half the damages caused. [The payment must be exacted] from the animal that caused the damage, as [Exodus 21:35] states: "And they shall sell the ox that is alive and divide the money."

כֵּיצַד. שׁוֹר שָׁוֶה מָנֶה שֶׁנָּגַח לְשׁוֹר שָׁוֶה עֶשְׂרִים וֶהֱמִיתוֹ וַהֲרֵי הַנְּבֵלָה שָׁוָה אַרְבָּעָה בַּעַל הַשּׁוֹר חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּם שְׁמוֹנה שֶׁהוּא חֲצִי הַנֵּזֶק. וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּם אֶלָּא מִגּוּף הַשּׁוֹר שֶׁהִזִּיק שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא לה) "וּמָכְרוּ אֶת הַשּׁוֹר הַחַי". לְפִיכָךְ אִם הֵמִית שׁוֹר שָׁוֶה עֶשְׂרִים לְשׁוֹר שָׁוֶה מָאתַיִם וְהַנְּבֵלָה שָׁוָה מָנֶה אֵין בַּעַל הַנְּבֵלָה יָכוֹל לוֹמַר לְבַעַל הַחַי תֵּן לִי חֲמִשִּׁים. אֶלָּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ הֲרֵי שׁוֹר שֶׁהִזִּיק לְפָנֶיךָ קָחֵהוּ וְלֵךְ אֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ שָׁוֶה אֶלָּא דִּינָר. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:

What is implied? When an ox that is worth a manehgores an ox that is worth 20 zuz and kills it, [leaving] a corpse that is worth four zuz, the owner of the ox [that caused the damage] is liable to pay eight zuz, half of the loss [suffered by the owner of the ox that was killed]. The payment must be exacted from the body of the animal that caused the damage, as it is written: "And they shall sell the ox that is alive." Therefore, if an ox that was worth 20 zuz killed an ox that was worth 200 zuz and its carcass was worth [only] a maneh, the owner of the dead ox cannot compel the owner of the living ox to give him 50 [zuz]. Instead, he should tell him: "Here is the ox that caused the damage. Take it and depart."[This applies] even if the [ox that gored] is worth only a dinar. Similar principles apply in all analogous situations.

הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁדַּרְכּוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ תָּמִיד כְּמִנְהַג בְּרִיָּתוֹ הוּא הַנִּקְרָא מוּעָד. וְהַמְשַׁנֶּה וְעָשָׂה מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ כָּל מִינוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן תָּמִיד כְּגוֹן שׁוֹר שֶׁנָּגַח אוֹ נָשַׁךְ הוּא הַנִּקְרָא תָּם. וְזֶה הַמְשַׁנֶּה אִם הִרְגִּיל בְּשִׁנּוּיוֹ פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת נַעֲשָׂה מוּעָד לְאוֹתוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁהִרְגִּיל בּוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא לו) "אוֹ נוֹדַע כִּי שׁוֹר נַגָּח הוּא":

[An animal] that performs a deed it is accustomed to performing by nature is called a mu'ad. [When an animal] deviates from its ordinary pattern and performs an act that its species does not usually perform - e.g., an ox gores or bites - it is called a tam. If the animal continues to follow the deviant pattern on several occasions, it is considered to be mu'ad with regard to the deviation to which it has become habituated, as [implied by Exodus 21:36]: "Or it is known that it is a goring ox."

חֲמִשָּׁה מַעֲשִׂים תָּמִים יֵשׁ בִּבְהֵמָה. וְאִם הוּעֲדָה לְאֶחָד מֵהֶן נַעֲשֵׂית מוּעֶדֶת לְאוֹתוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן. הַבְּהֵמָה אֵינָהּ מוּעֶדֶת מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ לֹא לִגַּח וְלֹא לִגֹּף וְלֹא לִשֹּׁךְ וְלֹא לִרְבֹּץ עַל כֵּלִים גְּדוֹלִים וְלֹא לִבְעֹט. וְאִם הוּעֲדָה לְאֶחָד מֵהֶן הֲרֵי זוֹ מוּעֶדֶת לוֹ. אֲבָל הַשֵּׁן מוּעֶדֶת מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ לֶאֱכל אֶת הָרָאוּי לָהּ. וְהָרֶגֶל מוּעֶדֶת מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ לִשְׁבֹּר בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכָהּ. וְהַבְּהֵמָה מוּעֶדֶת מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ לִרְבֹּץ עַל פַּכִּין קְטַנִּים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם וְלִמְעֹךְ אוֹתָן:

Five types of activities are considered to be abnormal for an animal. If it repeatedly performs any of them, it is considered to be mu'ad with regard to that activity. An animal is not considered to be prone to gore, to butt, to bite, to lie down on large utensils or to kick. If it becomes accustomed to such an activity, its owner should be forewarned. At the outset, [an animal] is, however, considered prone to eat foods that are appropriate for it and to break utensils [on which it treads] as it walks. Similarly, an animal is considered prone to lie down on small utensils and crush them.

חֲמִשָּׁה מִינֵי בְּהֵמָה מוּעָדִין מִתְּחִלַּת בְּרִיָּתָן לְהַזִּיק וַאֲפִלּוּ הֵן בְּנֵי תַּרְבּוּת. לְפִיכָךְ אִם הִזִּיקוּ אוֹ הֵמִיתוּ בִּנְגִיחָה אוֹ בִּנְשִׁיכָה וּדְרִיסָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן חַיָּב נֵזֶק שָׁלֵם. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן. הַזְּאֵב וְהָאֲרִי וְהַדֹּב וְהַנָּמֵר וְהַבַּרְדְּלָס. וְכֵן הַנָּחָשׁ שֶׁנָּשַׁךְ הֲרֵי זֶה מוּעָד וַאֲפִלּוּ הָיָה בֶּן תַּרְבּוּת:

Five kinds of animals are an attested danger from the outset even when they are tamed. Hence, if any of them did damage or killed by goring, biting, clawing, or the like, the owner must restore in full. They are: the wolf, the lion, the bear, the leopard, and the panther. So too the snake that bit is an attested danger, even if tamed

כָּל מוּעָד מְשַׁלֵּם נֵזֶק שָׁלֵם מִן הַיָּפֶה שֶׁבִּנְכָסָיו. וְכָל תָּם מְשַׁלֵּם חֲצִי נֵזֶק מִגּוּפוֹ. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּשֶׁנִּכְנְסָה הַבְּהֵמָה לִרְשׁוּת הַנִּזָּק וְהִזִּיקַתְהוּ. אֲבָל אִם נִכְנַס הַנִּזָּק לִרְשׁוּת הַמַּזִּיק וְהִזִּיקַתְהוּ בְּהֶמְתּוֹ שֶׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר עַל הַכּל. שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ אִלּוּ לֹא נִכְנַסְתָּ לִרְשׁוּתִי לֹא הִגִּיעַ לְךָ הֶזֵּק וַהֲרֵי מְפֹרָשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה (שמות כב ד) "וְשִׁלַּח אֶת בְּעִירֹה וּבִעֵר בִּשְׂדֵה אַחֵר":

Whenever [an animal] is mu'ad, [the owner] must pay the entire amount of the damage, [even if this requires expropriating] his most choice property. Whenever, by contrast, an animal is considered a tam, [the owner] is required to pay [only] half the amount of the damages. [Moreover,] that half is taken only from the animal itself. When does the above apply? When the animal entered into the domain belonging to the person to whom damage was caused, and caused damage. When, however, the person to whom damage was caused entered into the domain of the person [whose animal] caused the damage, [the owner] is not liable for anything. For he can tell [the party who suffered the damages]: "If you had not entered my domain, you would not have suffered any damages." Indeed, this is explicitly stated in the Torah, as [Exodus 22:4] states: "And if he shall send forth his animals, and they pasture in another's field."

הִזִּיקָה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים אוֹ בְּחָצֵר שֶׁאֵינָהּ שֶׁל שְׁנֵיהֶן לֹא לַמַּזִּיק וְלֹא לַנִּזָּק אוֹ בְּחָצֵר שֶׁהִיא שֶׁל שְׁנֵיהֶן וַהֲרֵי הִיא מְיֻחֶדֶת לְהַנִּיחַ בָּהּ פֵּרוֹת וּלְהַכְנִיס לָהּ בְּהֵמָה כְּגוֹן הַבִּקְעָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהּ. אִם בְּשֵׁן וְרֶגֶל הִזִּיקָה כְּדַרְכָּהּ הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ רְשׁוּת לְהַלֵּךְ [כָּאן] וְכָאן וְדֶרֶךְ הַבְּהֵמָה לְהַלֵּךְ וְלֶאֱכל כְּדַרְכָּהּ וְלִשְׁבֹּר בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכָהּ. וְאִם נָגְחָה אוֹ נָגְפָה אוֹ רָבְצָה אוֹ בָּעֲטָה אוֹ נָשְׁכָה. אִם תַּמָּה הִיא מְשַׁלֵּם חֲצִי נֵזֶק וְאִם מוּעֶדֶת נֵזֶק שָׁלֵם:

[The following rules apply when a person's] animal causes damage in the public domain or in a courtyard that belongs neither to the owner of [the animal that] caused the damage nor to the party who suffered the damages, or in a courtyard owned jointly by both parties that is set aside to leave produce there and/or to harbor an animal - e.g., a valley. If [the animal] caused damage by eating or treading in its ordinary manner, the owner is not liable. For [the animal] has permission to go from here to there, and it is the habit of an animal to go and eat as it proceeds and to break [anything lying in its way] as it proceeds.[Different rules apply if] it [caused damage by] goring, butting, kicking or biting. If its status is tam, [the owner] must pay for half the damages. If its status is mu'ad, [the owner] must pay the entire amount of the damages.

הָיְתָה הֶחָצֵר שֶׁל שְׁנֵיהֶן מְיֻחֶדֶת לְפֵרוֹת וְלֹא לְהַכְנִיס בָּהּ בְּהֵמָה וְהִכְנִיס שָׁם אֶחָד מִן הַשֻּׁתָּפִין בְּהֶמְתּוֹ וְהִזִּיקָה חַיָּב אֲפִלּוּ עַל הַשֵּׁן וְעַל הָרֶגֶל. וְכֵן אִם הָיְתָה מְיֻחֶדֶת לִבְהֵמָה לִשְׁנֵיהֶם וְהָיָה רְשׁוּת לָאֶחָד מֵהֶן בִּלְבַד לְהַכְנִיס לָהּ פֵּרוֹת וְהִזִּיקָה פֵּרוֹתָיו חַיָּב עַל הַשֵּׁן וְעַל הָרֶגֶל:

When a courtyard owned jointly by both parties is designated for produce and not for harboring an animal, and one of the parties lets his animal in and it causes damage, [the owner] is liable even for damage caused by eating or treading. Similarly, if both of them had the right to harbor an animal there, but only one had the right to keep produce there, if [an animal belonging to the other] damaged [that person's] produce, [its owner] is liable even for damage caused by eating or treading.

שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲבוֹת נְזִיקִין בְּשׁוֹר. הַקֶּרֶן וְהַשֵּׁן וְהָרֶגֶל. תּוֹלְדוֹת הַקֶּרֶן נְגִיפָה נְשִׁיכָה רְבִיצָה בְּעִיטָה. תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשֵּׁן אִם נִתְחַכְּכָה בְּכֹתֶל לַהֲנָאָתָהּ וְהִזִּיקָה בְּחִכּוּכָהּ. וְכֵן אִם טִנְּפָה פֵּרוֹת לַהֲנָאָתָהּ. תּוֹלְדוֹת הָרֶגֶל הִזִּיקָה בְּגוּפָהּ דֶּרֶךְ הִלּוּכָהּ אוֹ שֶׁהִזִּיקָה בִּשְׂעָרָהּ דֶּרֶךְ הִלּוּכָהּ אוֹ כִּשְׁכְּשָׁה בִּזְנָבָהּ אוֹ בַּאֻכָּף שֶׁעָלֶיהָ בַּפְּרוּמְבְּיָא שֶׁבְּפִיהָ בַּזּוֹג שֶׁבְּצַוָּארָהּ. וְכֵן חֲמוֹר שֶׁהִזִּיק בְּמַשָּׂאוֹ בִּשְׁעַת הִלּוּכוֹ וְעֶגְלָה הַמּוֹשֶׁכֶת בְּקָרוֹן שֶׁהִזִּיקָה בִּשְׁעַת מְשִׁיכָתָהּ. כָּל אֵלּוּ תּוֹלְדוֹת הָרֶגֶל הֵן וּבִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים פְּטוּרִין וּבִרְשׁוּת הַנִּזָּק מְשַׁלְּמִין נֵזֶק שָׁלֵם:

There are three categories of damages [caused by] an ox: a) goring, b) eating and c) treading. The derivatives of goring are butting, biting, lying upon and kicking.The derivatives of eating are causing damage when scratching itself on a wall for its benefit, and soiling produce for its benefit. The derivatives of treading are causing damage with its body while walking; causing damage with its hair while walking or by swishing its tail, or with its saddle, the bit in its mouth or the bell around its neck. Similarly, a donkey that causes damage with its burden while walking or a calf that is pulling a cart that causes damage while pulling it. All of these are derivatives of treading. In a public domain [the owner] is not liable, and in a domain belonging to the party who suffered the damages, he must pay for the entire amount of the damages.

כִּשְׁכְּשָׁה בִּזְנָבָהּ כִּשְׁכּוּשׁ רַב שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּהּ לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ תָּמִיד וְהִזִּיקָה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים. אוֹ שֶׁכִּשְׁכְּשָׁה בַּגִּיד שֶׁלָּהּ בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וְהִזִּיקָה. פָּטוּר. וְאִם תָּפַשׂ הַנִּזָּק גּוֹבֶה חֲצִי נֵזֶק מִמַּה שֶּׁתָּפַשׂ. שֶׁזֶּה הַדָּבָר סָפֵק הוּא אִם אֵלּוּ תּוֹלְדוֹת הַקֶּרֶן שֶׁחַיָּב עָלֶיהָ בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים אוֹ תּוֹלְדוֹת הָרֶגֶל שֶׁפָּטוּר עָלֶיהָ בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ:

When [an animal] swishes its tail repeatedly in an abnormal manner and causes damage in the public domain, or when it swishes its sexual organ and causes damage in the public domain, [the owner] is not held liable. If the person whose property was damaged seizes possession [of property belonging to the owner], he may take payment for half of the damages. [The rationale for that ruling is that] there is an unresolved question whether these acts are derivatives of goring, in which case [the owner] is liable [for damage caused] in the public domain, or whether they are derivatives of treading, in which case [the owner] is not liable [for damage caused] in the public domain, as has been explained.