משנה: שׁוּם כֶּסֶף שָׁוֶה כֶסֶף בִּפְנֵי בֵית דִּין וְעַל פִּי עֵדִים בְּנֵוּ חוֹרִין בְּנֵי בְרִית. וְהַנָּשִׁים בְּכְלָל הַנֶּזֶק וְהַנִּיזָּק וְהַמַּזִּיק בְּתַשְׁלוּמִין. MISHNAH: Estimation134The estimation of the damage sustained. and determination135The determination of the value of land which the person liable for the damage has to pay. of money’s worth is by a court based on testimony of free persons of the Covenant. Women are under the rule of torts136In contrast to minors and slaves who cannot be sued. and sometimes both the person who causes and the one who suffers the damage pay137In cases of damage through goring by a tame animal, when the owner of the animal only pays for half the damage. This is considered a fine; a restitution would be payment of full damages; the rules of fines do not apply to Gentiles..
הלכה: שּׁוּם כֶּסֶף שָׁוֶה כֶסֶף כול׳. אֵין אוֹמְרִים תֵּצֵא פָרָה בְטַלִּית. אֶלָּא שָׁמִין אֶת הַנְּכָסִין בְּבֵית דִּין. שָׁוֶה כֶסֶף. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין בֵּית דִּין שָׁמִין אֶלָּא נְכָסִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶן אַחְרָיוּת. וְאִם תָּפַשׂ הַנִּיזָּק בִּמְטַלְטְלִין שָׁמִין לוֹ מֵהֶן. בִּפְנֵי בֵית דִּין. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין שָׁמִין לוֹ אֶלָּא בִּפְנֵי בֵית דִּין. עַל פִּי עֵדִים. שֶׁאֵין שָׁמִין אֶלָּא עַל פִּי עֵדִים. בְּנֵי חוֹרִין וּבְנֵי בְרִית. יָֽצְאוּ גּוֹיִם וַעֲבָדִים וּפְסוּלֵי עֵדוּת. וְנָשִׁים בְּכְלָל הַנֶּזֶק. לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא תָפַשׂ הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא אֶת הָאִישׁ צָרִיךְ לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה. תַּנֵּי רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל. וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם. וְהַנִּיזָּק וְהַמַּזִּיק בְּתַשְׁלוּמִין. מְשַׁלְּמִין חֲצִי נֶזֶק. מִיכַּן שֶׁמְּחַצִּין אֶת הַנֶּזֶק. מִיכָּן שֶׁזֶּה מַפְסִיד חֲצִי נֶזֶק וְזֶה מַפְסִיד חֲצִי נֶזֶק. HALAKHAH: “Estimation and determination of money’s worth,” etc. 138The Halakhah is a parallel, shorter version of Tosephta 1:2,3 and parallel beraitot in the Babli, 14b, 15a. One does not say that a cow be compensated for by a stole139In Tosephta and Babli (and a Genizah fragment of the Yerushalmi): “a cow is compensated for by a stole and a stole by a cow”, explained in the Babli that the stole injured the cow and the cow tore the stole. This sentence is only an amplification of the expression “estimation of money’s worth”., but one appraises all property in court. “Money’s worth,” this teaches that the court only appraises mortgageable property140The Babli, 14b, after a lengthy discussion comes to the conclusion that “money’s worth” in contrast to “money” means real estate whose value can only be established by appraisal, not by barter.. But if the person suffering damage appropriated movables, one appraises those141The two Babylonian sources point out that in case the person liable for damages had died, the injured party is absolutely barred from appropriating movables from the estate.. “By a court”, this teaches that one only appraises in court142The two Babylonian sources insist that the only court competent in the matter is the permanent court of the community. This interpretation also has to be accepted in the Yerushalmi since imposing fines is restricted to judges qualified to sit in criminal cases.. “Based on testimony”, for one only appraises by testimony143Since payment of half the damages has the status of a fine, not of restitution, the court cannot recognize an admission of liability by either of the parties since “nobody can be sentenced to a fine based on his confession” (Babli 14b).. “Of free persons of the Covenant”, this excludes Gentiles, and slaves, and persons disqualified for testimony144While the same statement is also found in the Tosephta, it is clear that people disqualified for testimony, such as professional gamblers, are excluded by the requirement of testimony in court.. “Women are under the rule of torts”; since the verse145Ex. 21–22. speaks only of men, it is necessary to include women: Rebbi Ismael stated, “these are the laws which you shall put before them146The introductory sentence, Ex.21:1, is formulated gender neutral. In the Babli, 15b, this argument is attributed to R. Eleazar.” “And sometimes10It has no history of attacking other animals. The owner only has to pay half the damage caused. both the person who causes and the one who suffers the damage pay”; they pay half the damage. From here, that one splits the damage; each one loses half the value of the damage.