THE OX IN THE PIT
Texts, including the numbering are taken from The Gospels and Rabbinic Judaism: A Study Guide by Rabbi Michael Hilton with Gordian Marshall OP
Text 24. Mishnah, Tractate Bava Kamma 1: 1
There are four categories of damage ‑ the ox, and the pit, and the tooth, and the fire. The ox is not like the tooth, and the tooth is not like the ox, and neither of these two (which have the spirit of life in them) are like the fire, which is not alive, and none of these (which go out and do damage), are like the pit, which does not go out and do damage. The similar aspect of all of them is that they are likely to cause injury, so guarding them is your responsibility, and if damage is caused, the one who caused it is liable to pay for the damage from the best of his produce.
Text 25. Mishnah Bava Kamma 5: 5
If somebody digs a pit in a private area and opens it into a public area, or in a public area and opens it into a private area, or in a private area and opened it into another private area, he is to be held responsible. If somebody digs a pit in a public area, and an ox or ass falls into it and dies, he is liable. It is the same whether he digs a pit or a trench or a cave or a channel or ditches, he is [still] liable. If so, why does it say “pit”? Because just as a pit which is deep enough to cause death must be at least ten handbreadths deep, so also any other type must be at least ten handbreadths deep. If they were less than ten handbreadths deep, and an ox or ass fell into them and died, he is exempt, but he is liable for any injury caused.
Text 26. Mishnah Bava Kamma 5: 6
If a pit belonged to two partners, and the first one went away without putting a cover on it, and the second one [also] failed to cover it, the second one is liable. If the first one covered it, and the second one came along and found it uncovered [again], and failed to [re]cover it, the second one is liable. If he had covered it properly, but [in spite of that] an ox or an ass fell into it and died, he is exempt: but if he had not covered it properly, and an ox or an ass fell into it and died, he is liable. If it fell forwards because of the noise of the digging, he is liable, but if it fell backwards because of the noise of the digging, he is exempt. If an ox with its trappings fell into it and they became broken, or a donkey with its trappings and they became torn, he is liable [only] for the animal, but exempt for [damage to] the trappings. [But] if an ox that was deaf or mad or young fell into it, he is liable. If a boy or girl or a slave or a maidservant, he is exempt.
Text 27. Mishnah Bava Kamma 6: 1
If somebody brings his flock into a fold and locked it in properly, but it escaped and caused damage, he is exempt. But if he had not locked it in properly. and it escaped and caused damage, he is liable. If it was broken into during the night, or if robbers broke into it, and the flock came out and caused damage, he is exempt. If the robbers let it out, the robbers are liable.
Text 28. (i) Matthew 12: 11 ‑ 12
11 He said to them, “What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.
(ii) Luke 14: 5
And he said to them, “Which of you, having an ass or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day?”
Text 29. Matthew 18: 10 ‑ 14
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety‑nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than the ninety‑nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
HEBREW TEXT 24. Mishnah, Tractate Bava Kamma 1: 1
א אַרְבָּעָה אֲבוֹת נְזִיקִין, הַשּׁוֹר וְהַבּוֹר וְהַמַּבְעֶה וְהַהֶבְעֵר. לֹא הֲרֵי הַשּׁוֹר כַּהֲרֵי הַמַּבְעֶה, וְלֹא הֲרֵי הַמַּבְעֶה כַּהֲרֵי הַשּׁוֹר. וְלֹא זֶה וָזֶה, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן רוּחַ חַיִּים, כַּהֲרֵי הָאֵשׁ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ רוּחַ חַיִּים. וְלֹא זֶה וָזֶה, שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לֵילֵךְ וּלְהַזִּיק, כַּהֲרֵי הַבּוֹר שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכּוֹ לֵילֵךְ וּלְהַזִּיק. הַצַּד הַשָּׁוֶה שֶׁבָּהֶן, שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לְהַזִּיק וּשְׁמִירָתָן עָלֶיךָ. וּכְשֶׁהִזִּיק, חָב הַמַּזִּיק לְשַׁלֵּם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי נֶזֶק בְּמֵיטַב הָאָרֶץ
HEBREW TEXT 25. Mishnah Bava Kamma 5: 5
ה הַחוֹפֵר בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וּפְתָחוֹ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, אוֹ בִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וּפְתָחוֹ לִרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד, בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וּפְתָחוֹ לִרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד אַחֵר, חַיָּב. הַחוֹפֵר בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ שׁוֹר אוֹ חֲמוֹר וָמֵת, חַיָּב. אֶחָד הַחוֹפֵר בּוֹר, שִׁיחַ וּמְעָרָה, חֲרִיצִין וּנְעִיצִין, חַיָּב. אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר בּוֹר, מַה בּוֹר שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ כְדֵי לְהָמִית, עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים, אַף כֹּל שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ כְדֵי לְהָמִית עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים. הָיוּ פְחוּתִין מֵעֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ שׁוֹר אוֹ חֲמוֹר וָמֵת, פָּטוּר. וְאִם הֻזַּק בּוֹ, חַיָּב
HEBREW TEXT 26. Mishnah Bava Kamma 5: 6
ו בּוֹר שֶׁל שְׁנֵי שֻׁתָּפִין, עָבַר עָלָיו הָרִאשׁוֹן וְלֹא כִסָּהוּ, וְהַשֵּׁנִי וְלֹא כִסָּהוּ, הַשֵּׁנִי חַיָּב. כִּסָּהוּ הָרִאשׁוֹן, וּבָא הַשֵּׁנִי וּמְצָאוֹ מְגֻלֶּה וְלֹא כִסָּהוּ, הַשֵּׁנִי חַיָּב. כִּסָּהוּ כָרָאוּי, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ שׁוֹר אוֹ חֲמוֹר וָמֵת, פָּטוּר. לֹא כִסָּהוּ כָרָאוּי, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ שׁוֹר אוֹ חֲמוֹר וָמֵת, חַיָּב. נָפַל לְפָנָיו מִקּוֹל הַכְּרִיָּה, חַיָּב. לְאַחֲרָיו מִקּוֹל הַכְּרִיָּה, פָּטוּר. נָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ שׁוֹר וְכֵלָיו וְנִשְׁתַּבְּרוּ, חֲמוֹר וְכֵלָיו וְנִתְקָרְעוּ, חַיָּב עַל הַבְּהֵמָה וּפָטוּר עַל הַכֵּלִים. נָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ שׁוֹר חֵרֵשׁ שׁוֹטֶה, וְקָטָן, חַיָּב. בֵּן אוֹ בַת, עֶבֶד אוֹ אָמָה, פָּטוּר
HEBREW TEXT 27. Mishnah Bava Kamma 6: 1
א הַכּוֹנֵס צֹאן לַדִּיר, וְנָעַל בְּפָנֶיהָ כָּרָאוּי, וְיָצְאָה וְהִזִּיקָה, פָּטוּר. לֹא נָעַל בְּפָנֶיהָ כָּרָאוּי, וְיָצְאָה וְהִזִּיקָה, חַיָּב. נִפְרְצָה בַלַּיְלָה אוֹ שֶׁפְּרָצוּהָ לִסְטִים וְיָצְאָה וְהִזִּיקָה פָּטוּר. הוֹצִיאוּהָ לִסְטִים. לִסְטִים חַיָּבִים
GREEK TEXT 28. (i) Matthew 12: 11 ‑ 12
11 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τίς ἔσται ἐξ ὑμῶν ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἕξει πρόβατον ἓν καὶ ἐὰν ἐμπέσῃ τοῦτο τοῖς σάββασιν εἰς βόθυνον, οὐχὶ κρατήσει αὐτὸ καὶ ἐγερεῖ;
12 πόσῳ οὖν διαφέρει ἄνθρωπος προβάτου. ὥστε ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν καλῶς ποιεῖν.
(ii) Luke 14: 5
5 καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἶπεν· τίνος ὑμῶν ὄνος ἢ βοῦς εἰς φρέαρ πεσεῖται, καὶ οὐκ εὐθέως ἀνασπάσει αὐτὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου;
GREEK TEXT 29. Matthew 18: 10 ‑ 14
10 Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσιν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.
12 Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; ἐὰν γένηταί τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ πλανηθῇ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν, οὐχὶ ἀφήσει τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον;
13 καὶ ἐὰν γένηται εὑρεῖν αὐτό, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι χαίρει ἐπ’ αὐτῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα τοῖς μὴ πεπλανημένοις.
14 οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μικρῶν τούτων.