Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 21:34/רמב"ן על שמות כ״א:ל״ד

אוְהַמֵּת יִהְיֶה לוֹ לַנִּזָּק, וְשָׁמִין אֶת הַנְּבֵלָה וְנוֹטְלָהּ בְּדָמִים וּמְשַׁלֵּם לוֹ הַמַּזִּיק עֲלֵיהֶם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי נִזְקוֹ. זֶה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות כ"א:ל"ד). וְלֹא בֵּרֵר אֶת דִּינוֹ, כִּי אֵין צֹרֶךְ לֵאמֹר בַּנְּבֵלָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁיִּטְּלֶנָּה הַנִּזָּק בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַתַּשְׁלוּמִין כְּשֶׁיָּבִיא אוֹתָהּ לב"ד לְשַׁלֵּם הַנֶּזֶק, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ לַמַּזִּיק נְבֵלוֹת וּטְרֵפוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת בְּבֵיתוֹ יִפְרָעֶנּוּ בָּהֶם כְּפִי דְּמֵיהֶם, שֶׁכְּבָר אָמַרְנוּ לְרַבּוֹת שְׁוֵה כֶּסֶף אֲפִלּוּ סֻבִּין (ב"ק ז.). אֲבָל הָעִנְיָן לוֹמַר כִּי הַנְּבֵלָה שֶׁל נִזָּק הִיא וּמָמוֹנוֹ תֵּחָשֵׁב, לְפִיכָךְ אִם פָּחֲתוּ דָּמֶיהָ אַחֲרֵי כֵן אוֹ שֶׁנִּגְנְבָה אֵין עַל הַמַּזִּיק לְשַׁלֵּם אֶלָּא דְּמֵי הַמִּיתָה, אִם הָיָה הַשּׁוֹר כְּשֶׁהוּא חַי שָׁוֶה מָנֶה וּכְשֶׁמֵּת שָׁוֶה חֲמִשִּׁים זוּז, יֵשׁ עָלָיו חֲמִשִּׁים זוּז וְזֶה יִטַּפֵּל בְּנִבְלָתוֹ וְיִשְׁמְרֶנָּה לְעַצְמוֹ. וְזֶה הַדִּין בְּכָל הַנִּזּוֹקִין, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁקּוֹרִין חֲכָמִים פְּחַת נְבֵלָה, וּמְפֹרָשׁ הוּא בַּגְּמָרָא (שם י:):

1AND THE DEAD BEAST SHALL BELONG TO HIM — “to the one who suffered the damage. We make an estimation of the value of the carcass and he takes it in part payment and the one who caused the damage, [the owner of the pit], pays him in addition as much as makes up the value of his damage.” This is Rashi’s language. But he did not explain the law sufficiently. For there is no need for Scripture to tell us concerning this carcass that the one who suffered the damage must take it in part payment, when he brings it before the court to collect his damage; for even if the one who caused the damage had other carcasses that were carrion, or flesh that was treifah¹⁸⁹ in his possession, he can give it to him in part payment, it being already established¹⁹⁰ that restitution for damages need not be in money, but may “include anything of value, even bran.” Rather, the meaning of the verse is to state that the carcass belongs to the one who suffered the damage and is considered his property; therefore if its value decreased after the damage was caused, or it was stolen, the one who caused the damage, [the owner of the pit], pays only the loss in value caused by the death of the animal. Thus if the ox that was killed was worth when alive one hundred zuzim, and upon its death became worth fifty, the one who caused the damage is liable to pay only fifty zuzim, and the other attends to his carcass [removing it from the pit], and keeps it for himself.¹⁹¹ This law applies to all damages, and it is what the Sages call: “the loss in the carcass’ value,” and is explained in the Gemara.¹⁹², 34a. [See in my translation of Hameniach, Shulsinger Bros., New York, 5729, p. 65.]