Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

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

Bava Kamma 34: חובל ומקלקל חייב

jyungar December 7, 2023

For the source text click/tap here: Bava Kamma 34

To download, click/tap here: PDF

Rabbi Avahu taught before Rabbi Yochanan: For all acts of destruction on Shabbos, one is exempt, except for one who injures a person or burns something on Shabbos.

The Mishna is referring to a case where the ox needs the ashes. Rav Avya explained it as follows: We are dealing with an intelligent animal which, owing to a bite in the back, was anxious to burn the grain, so that it might roll in the ashes in order to be healed.

The Gemora asks: But how could we know that it had such an intention? The Gemora answers: We saw that after the grain had been burnt, the animal actually rolled in the ashes.

The Gemora asks: Did that ever happen? The Gemora answers: Ye sit did! For there was the ox which had been in the house of Rav Pappa, and which, having a severe toothache, went and removed the lid that covered a barrel of beer and drank from the beer until it was healed.

This very clever ox implies self awareness of pain which allows us to explore animal pain and its physiological and philosophical implications from Descartes to neurobiology.

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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.​