הלכות חובל ומזיק
19 halachot · Hebrew + English
הַחוֹבֵל בַּחֲבֵרוֹ חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּם לוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה דְּבָרִים וְאֵלּוּ הֵם. נֵזֶק וְצַעַר וְרִפּוּי וְשֶׁבֶת וּבשֶׁת. וַחֲמִשָּׁה דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ כֻּלָּן מִשְׁתַּלְּמִים מִן הַיָּפֶה שֶׁבִּנְכָסָיו כְּדִין כָּל הַמַּזִּיקִין:
One who injures his friend is obligated to pay him for five items, and they are: damage, pain, healing, loss of work, and embarrassment. And these five iterms are all paid for from the best of his property, as is the law for all damagers.
נֵזֶק כֵּיצַד. שֶׁאִם קָטַע יַד חֲבֵרוֹ אוֹ רַגְלוֹ רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא עֶבֶד נִמְכָּר בַּשּׁוּק כַּמָּה הָיָה יָפֶה [אָז] וְכַמָּה הוּא יָפֶה עַתָּה וּמְשַׁלֵּם הַפְּחָת שֶׁהִפְחִית מִדָּמָיו. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא כד) (ויקרא כד כ) "עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן". מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר תַּחַת לְשַׁלֵּם מָמוֹן הוּא:
Damage, in what manner? If he chopped off the hand or the foot of his fellow, we look at [the fellow] as if he was a slave being sold in the marketplace: how much was he worth [then] and how much is he worth now. And he pays the depreciation of his value that he caused. As it is stated, "An eye for (tachat) an eye" - from the tradition, they learned that that which it states, "for (tachat)" means to pay money.
זֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (ויקרא כד כ) "כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן מוּם בָּאָדָם כֵּן יִנָּתֶן בּוֹ" אֵינוֹ לַחֲבל בָּזֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁחָבַל בַּחֲבֵרוֹ אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא רָאוּי לְחַסְּרוֹ אֵיבָר אוֹ לַחֲבל בּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וּלְפִיכָךְ מְשַׁלֵּם נִזְקוֹ. וַהֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר לה לא) "וְלֹא תִקְחוּ כֹפֶר לְנֶפֶשׁ רֹצֵחַ" לְרוֹצֵחַ בִּלְבַד הוּא שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כֹּפֶר אֲבָל לְחֶסְרוֹן אֵיבָרִים אוֹ לְחַבָּלוֹת יֵשׁ בּוֹ כֹּפֶר:
That which it states in the Torah, "In the way that he gives a blemish to a man, so will it be given to him," is not [coming] to injure this one as he injured his fellow; but [rather] that it is fitting to remove a limb from him or to wound him as he did [to another]. And therefore, he must pay his damage. And behold, it states, "And you shall not take ransom for the soul of a murderer" - for a murderer only may you not take ransom, but for the loss of limbs or wounds, there is ransom.
וְכֵן זֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּחוֹבֵל בַּחֲבֵרוֹ וּמַזִּיקוֹ (דברים כה יב) "לֹא תָחוֹס עֵינֶךָ" שֶׁלֹּא תָּחוּס בְּתַשְׁלוּמִין שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר עָנִי הוּא זֶה וְשֶׁלֹּא בְּכַוָּנָה חָבַל בּוֹ אֲרַחֲמֶנּוּ לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר לֹא תָחוֹס עֵינֶךָ:
And so [too], that which it states about one who injures his fellow and causes him damage, "Your eye should not pity;" is [to mean] that you should not pity [him] concerning payments, lest you will say, "This one is a poor person and he injured him unintentionally, [so] I will have mercy on him." Hence, it states, "Your eye should not pity."
וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּאֵיבָרִים (שמות כא כד) (ויקרא כד כ) "עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן" תַּשְׁלוּמִין הוּא. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ (שמות כא כה) "חַבּוּרָה תַּחַת חַבּוּרָה" וּבְפֵרוּשׁ נֶאֱמַר (שמות כא יח) "וְכִי יַכֶּה אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בְּאֶבֶן אוֹ בְּאֶגְרוֹף" וְגוֹ' (שמות כא יט) "רַק שִׁבְתּוֹ יִתֵּן וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא". הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁתַּחַת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּחַבּוּרָה תַּשְׁלוּמִין. וְהוּא הַדִּין לְתַחַת הָאָמוּר בְּעַיִן וּבִשְׁאָר אֵיבָרִים:
And from where [do we know] that that which it states with regards to limbs, "An eye for an eye," is [to be understood as] payments? Since it is stated about it, "A wound for a wound," and it is explicitly stated, "And when a man strikes his neighbor with a stone or with a fist, etc... he should surely give him his rest and his rehabilitation." Behold, you have learned that "for (tachat)" mentioned with regards to a wound means payments. And this is [also] the case with "for (tachat)" mentioned concerning the eye and concerning the other limbs.
וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁדְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ נִרְאִים מֵעִנְיַן תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְכֻלָּן מְפֹרָשִׁין הֵן מִפִּי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ מֵהַר סִינַי. כֻּלָּן הֲלָכָה לְמשֶׁה הֵן בְּיָדֵינוּ וְכָזֶה רָאוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ דָּנִין בְּבֵית דִּינוֹ שֶׁל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וּבְבֵית דִּינוֹ שֶׁל שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָתִי וּבְכָל בֵּית דִּין וּבֵית דִּין שֶׁעָמְדוּ מִימוֹת משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ וְעַד עַכְשָׁו:
And even though these things are apparent from perusal of the written Torah, they are all explained from the mouth of Moshe, our teacher, and they are all laws [given] to Moshe (halacha le'Moshe) that are in our hands. And like this did our ancestors see that they were judging in the court of Yehoshua and in the court of Shmuel the Ramati and in each and every court that stood from the times of Moshe, our teacher, until today.
וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁמַּזִּיק בַּחֲבֵרוֹ חַיָּב בְּצַעַר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר בְּאוֹנֵס (דברים כב כט) "תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עִנָּהּ". וְהוּא הַדִּין לְכָל הַמְצַעֵר אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּגוּפוֹ שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּם דְּמֵי הַצַּעַר:
What is the source that teaches that a person who injures a colleague must pay independently for the pain that he caused? With regard to a maiden who has been raped Deuteronomy 22:29 states that payment is imposed: "because he oppressed her." the same law applies to anyone who causes a colleague bodily pain. He is required to give him financial recompense for the pain he caused.
וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב בְּשֶׁבֶת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ וְרִפּוּי בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא יט) "רַק שִׁבְתּוֹ יִתֵּן וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא":
What is the source that teaches that he is liable for the victim's unemployment expenses and medical expenses independently? It is written Exodus 21:19: "He should pay for his being idled and for his medical expenses."
וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב בְּבשֶׁת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר (דברים כה יא) "וְשָׁלְחָה יָדָהּ וְהֶחֱזִיקָה בִּמְבֻשָׁיו" (דברים כה יב) "וְקַצֹּתָה אֶת כַּפָּהּ" בִּכְלַל דִּין זֶה כָּל הַמְבַיֵּשׁ:
What is the source that teaches that he is liable for the embarrassment suffered by the victim independently? Deuteronomy 25:11-12 states: "... And she extends her hand, grabbing his private parts. You must cut off her hand." The same law applies to anyone who embarrasses another person.
הַמְבַיֵּשׁ אֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַל הַבּשֶׁת עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִתְכַּוֵּן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כה יא) "וְשָׁלְחָה יָדָהּ". אֲבָל הַמְבַיֵּשׁ חֲבֵרוֹ בְּלֹא כַּוָּנָה פָּטוּר. לְפִיכָךְ יָשֵׁן וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ שֶׁבִּיֵּשׁ פָּטוּר:
A person who causes embarrassment is not liable unless he acts intentionally, as implied by the phrase: "And she extends her hand." If, by contrast, a person embarrassed a colleague without intent, he is not liable. Therefore, if a person who was sleeping or the like embarrassed a colleague, he is not liable.
אָדָם מוּעָד לְעוֹלָם בֵּין שׁוֹגֵג בֵּין מֵזִיד בֵּין עֵר בֵּין יָשֵׁן בֵּין שִׁכּוֹר אִם חָבַל בַּחֲבֵרוֹ אוֹ הִזִּיק מָמוֹן חֲבֵרוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם מִן הַיָּפֶה שֶׁבִּנְכָסָיו. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים שֶׁהַיָּשֵׁן חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּם בִּשְׁנַיִם שֶׁיָּשְׁנוּ כְּאֶחָד וְנִתְהַפֵּךְ אֶחָד מֵהֶן וְהִזִּיק אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ אוֹ קָרַע בִּגְדוֹ. אֲבָל אִם הָיָה אֶחָד יָשֵׁן וּבָא אַחֵר וְשָׁכַב בְּצִדּוֹ. זֶה שֶׁבָּא בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה הוּא הַמּוּעָד וְאִם הִזִּיקוֹ הַיָּשֵׁן פָּטוּר. וְכֵן אִם הִנִּיחַ כְּלִי בְּצַד הַיָּשֵׁן וּשְׁבָרוֹ פָּטוּר שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁהִנִּיחוֹ הוּא הַמּוּעָד שֶׁפָּשַׁע:
A man is considered mu'ad at all times - whether acting intentionally or unintentionally, whether asleep or awake or intoxicated. If he injures a colleague or damages a colleague's property, he must always reimburse him from his choicest property. When is a person who causes damage while asleep required to make restitution? When they both went to sleep at the same time, and one turned over and injured his colleague or tore his garment. If, however, a person was sleeping and a colleague came and lay down next to him, only the one who lay down afterwards is considered mu'ad. If the person sleeping injures the one who came afterwards, he is not liable. Similarly, if a person places a utensil next to a person who is sleeping, and the one who is sleeping breaks it, he is not liable. For the one who placed the article down was the one who was mu'ad and who acted with negligence.
מִי שֶׁנָּפַל מִן הַגַּג בְּרוּחַ מְצוּיָה וְהִזִּיק חַיָּב בְּאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים וּפָטוּר מִן הַבּשֶׁת. נָפַל בְּרוּחַ שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְצוּיָה חַיָּב בְּנֵזֶק בִּלְבַד וּפָטוּר מֵאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים. וְאִם נִתְהַפֵּךְ חַיָּב בַּכּל אַף בְּבשֶׁת שֶׁכָּל הַמִּתְכַּוֵּן לְהַזִּיק אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְכַּוֵּן לְבַיֵּשׁ חַיָּב בְּבשֶׁת:
If a person fell from a roof because of an ordinary wind and caused damage, he is liable for four assessments, but is not liable for the embarrassment he caused. If he fell because of an exceptional wind, he is liable only for the injury, but not for the other four assessments. If, however, he turned over so that he would fall on a person to soften the blow he would receive, he is liable even for the embarrassment he caused. For whenever a person intentionally causes injury, he is liable for the embarrassment he caused, even though he did not have the intent of embarrassing the other person.
שְׁנַיִם שֶׁחָבְלוּ בְּאֶחָד כְּאֶחָד שְׁנֵיהֶם חַיָּבִין וּמְשַׁלְּשִׁין בֵּינֵיהֶן. הָיָה אֶחָד מִתְכַּוֵּן וְאֶחָד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּן זֶה שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּן פָּטוּר מִן הַבּשֶׁת:
When two people injure another person at the same time, they are both liable and they divide the assessment between themselves. If one of them acted intentionally and the other acted unintentionally, the one who acted unintentionally is not liable for the embarrassment that was caused.
הַמִּתְכַּוֵּן לְבַיֵּשׁ אֶת הַקָּטָן וּבִיֵּשׁ אֶת הַגָּדוֹל נוֹתֵן לַגָּדוֹל דְּמֵי בָּשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל קָטָן. נִתְכַּוֵּן לְבַיֵּשׁ הָעֶבֶד וּבִיֵּשׁ אֶת בֶּן חוֹרִין נוֹתֵן לְבֶן חוֹרִין דְּמֵי בָּשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל עֶבֶד:
If a person intended to embarrass a minor and instead embarrassed an adult, he is required to pay the adult what he would pay for embarrassing a minor. If a person intended to embarrass a servant and instead embarrassed a free man, he is required to pay the free man what he would pay for embarrassing a servant.
הָיְתָה לוֹ אֶבֶן מֻנַּחַת בְּחֵיקוֹ בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא הִכִּיר בָּהּ מֵעוֹלָם בֵּין שֶׁהִכִּיר בָּהּ וּשְׁכָחָהּ וְעָמַד וְנָפְלָה וְהִזִּיקָה חַיָּב בְּנֵזֶק בִּלְבַד וּפָטוּר מֵאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים. וְכֵן אִם נִתְכַּוֵּן לִזְרֹק שְׁתַּיִם וְזָרַק אַרְבַּע וְהִזִּיק אוֹ שֶׁהִזִּיק כְּשֶׁהוּא יָשֵׁן חַיָּב בְּנֵזֶק וּפָטוּר מֵאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים:
If a stone was placed in a person's bosom - regardless of whether he had never known about it, or he had known about it and forgotten it - and when he stood up, the stone fell and caused damage, he is liable only for the injury, but not for the other four assessments. Similarly, if he intended to throw a stone two cubits, and he throw it four cubits and it caused an injury, or if he caused an injury while sleeping, he is liable only for the injury, but not for the other four assessments.
הַמַּזִּיק אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּכַוָּנָה בְּכָל מָקוֹם חַיָּב בַּחֲמִשָּׁה דְּבָרִים. וַאֲפִלּוּ נִכְנַס לִרְשׁוּת חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְשׁוּת וְהִזִּיקוֹ בַּעַל הַבַּיִת חַיָּב שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ רְשׁוּת לְהוֹצִיאוֹ וְאֵין לוֹ רְשׁוּת לְהַזִּיקוֹ. אֲבָל אִם הֻזַּק זֶה שֶׁנִּכְנַס בְּבַעַל הַבַּיִת הֲרֵי בַּעַל הַבַּיִת פָּטוּר. וְאִם הֻזַּק בּוֹ בַּעַל הַבַּיִת חַיָּב מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּכְנַס שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְשׁוּת. הָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בִּרְשׁוּת אוֹ שְׁנֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְשׁוּת וְהֻזְּקוּ זֶה בָּזֶה שְׁנֵיהֶם פְּטוּרִין:
Whenever a person injures a colleague, he is liable for the five assessments. Even if a person enters a colleague's domain without permission and the owner injures him, the owner is liable. For he has permission to remove the intruder from his domain, but he does not have permission to injure him. If, however, the person who entered bumps into the owner and is injured, the owner is not liable. If the owner bumps into him and is injured, the person who entered is liable, for he entered without permission. If they both had permission to be in that domain, or neither had permission to be in that domain, and one bumps into the other and is injured, neither is liable.
הַמְבַקֵּעַ עֵצִים בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וּפָרַח עֵץ מֵהֶן וְהִזִּיק בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד. אוֹ שֶׁבִּקֵּעַ בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וְהִזִּיק בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים. אוֹ שֶׁבִּקֵּעַ בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וְהִזִּיק בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד אַחֵר. אוֹ שֶׁנִּכְנַס לַחֲנוּתוֹ שֶׁל נַגָּר בֵּין בִּרְשׁוּת בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְשׁוּת וְנִתְּזָה בְּקַעַת וְטָפְחָה עַל פָּנָיו. בְּכָל אֵלּוּ חַיָּב בְּאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים וּפָטוּר מִן הַבֹּשֶׁת:
In all of the situations to be described, the person who caused the injury is liable for four assessments, but not for the embarrassment he caused: He was chopping wood in the public domain, and a piece of wood took flight and caused injury in the private domain. He was chopping wood in a private domain and caused injury in a public domain. He was chopping wood in a private domain and caused injury in another private domain. A person entered a carpenter's store - whether with permission or without permission - and a block of wood was propelled and hit him in the face.
כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאוֹמְדִין לְמִיתָה כָּךְ אוֹמְדִין לִנְזָקִין. כֵּיצַד. הֲרֵי שֶׁהִכָּה חֲבֵרוֹ בִּצְרוֹר קָטָן שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כְּדֵי לְהַזִּיק אוֹ בְּקֵיסָם שֶׁל עֵץ קָטָן וְחָבַל בּוֹ חַבָּלָה שֶׁאֵין חֵפֶץ זֶה רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא יח) "בְּאֶבֶן אוֹ בְאֶגְרֹף" דָּבָר הָרָאוּי לְהַזִּיק. אֲבָל חַיָּב הוּא בְּבֹשֶׁת בִּלְבַד. אֲפִלּוּ רָקַק בְּגוּפוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ חַיָּב בְּבשֶׁת. לְפִיכָךְ צְרִיכִין הָעֵדִים לֵידַע בְּמָה הִזִּיק וּמְבִיאִין הַחֵפֶץ שֶׁהִזִּיק בּוֹ לְבֵית דִּין עַד שֶׁאוֹמְדִין אוֹתוֹ וְדָנִין עָלָיו. וְאִם אָבַד הַחֵפֶץ וְאָמַר הַחוֹבֵל לֹא הָיָה בּוֹ כְּדֵי לְהַזִּיק וּכְמוֹ אָנוּס אֲנִי. וְהַנֶּחְבָּל אוֹמֵר הָיָה בּוֹ כְּדֵי לְהַזִּיק. יִשָּׁבַע הַנֶּחְבָּל וְיִטּל כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר:
Just as an evaluation is made with regard to death, so too, an evaluation is made with regard to damages. What is implied? If he strikes a colleague with a small stone that is not large enough to cause injury, or a small sliver of wood and causes an injury that this article is not ordinarily capable of causing, he is not liable. This concept is alluded to by Exodus 21:18, which speaks of "a man strik(ing) a colleague with a stone or a fist" - i.e., an entity that is capable of causing injury. He is, however, liable for the embarrassment that he caused. [For even if he merely spat on his colleague's person, he is liable for the embarrassment that he caused. Accordingly, the witnesses have to know the article that caused the injury. This article should be brought to the court, and an evaluation is made concerning it, and a reckoning. If the article that caused the injury was lost and the person who caused the injury claims: "It was not sufficient to cause the injury. The injury occurred because of forces beyond my control," and the person who was injured claims: "It was sufficient to cause the injury," the person who was injured should support his claim with an oath and collect his due, as will be explained.
הַבַּרְזֶל אֵין לוֹ אֹמֶד אֲפִלּוּ מַחַט קְטַנָּה רְאוּיָה הִיא לְהָמִית וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר לְהַזִּיק. הַזּוֹרֵק אֶבֶן וּלְאַחַר שֶׁיָּצָא מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ הוֹצִיא הַלָּה אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ מִן הַחַלּוֹן וְקִבְּלָהּ פָּטוּר מִכְּלוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יט ה) "וּמָצָא אֶת רֵעֵהוּ" פְּרָט לְמַמְצִיא אֶת עַצְמוֹ:
A metal object is never evaluated to see whether it can cause injury. Instead, we assume that it can, for even a small needle is capable of killing and surely of causing injury. When a person throws a stone, and afterwards another person extends his head out from a window and is struck by it, the one who threw the stone is not liable at all. This is derived from Deuteronomy 19:5, which speaks of the head of an axe coming loose and "strik(ing) a colleague." This excludes one who causes himself to be stricken.