Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

14th century Torah Scroll - in 15th century synagogue in Safed, Israel ... believed to be the oldest scroll still in use

Bava Kamma 54: שׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרְךָ

jyungar December 26, 2023

For the source text click/tap here: Bava Kamma 54

To download, click/tap here: PDF

When describing an animal that falls into a bor (a ditch or hole in the ground) the Torah talks about an ox or a donkey (see Shemot 21:33).

The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive concerning Shabbat itself that the words “ox” and “donkey” are referring to all types of animals? As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei says in the name of Rabbi Yishmael: In the first version of the Ten Commandmentsit is stated:

“Your manservant, your maidservant, nor your cattle” (Exodus 20:10), whereas in the second version of the Ten Commandments it is stated:

“Nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle” (Deuteronomy 5:14). Now, aren’t an ox and a donkey already included in the category of: All animals, which are included in the term “cattle”?

We explore the different versions of the Decalogue for different scholarly perspectives.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​