Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 24:18/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ד:י״ח
אאֵין נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ בַּבְּהֵמָה מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לִקְנוֹת לוֹ בְּהֵמָה כִּבְהֶמְתּוֹ, אֲבָל שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לוֹ דָּמִים בְּשׁוֹוִי הַנֶּזֶק אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לוֹ. וְכֵן "שֶׁבֶר תַּחַת שֶׁבֶר עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן" (ויקרא כ"ד:כ') עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ב"ק פג):
1AND HE THAT SMITETH A BEAST MORTALLY SHALL PAY FOR IT; ‘NEFESH’ (LIFE) FOR ‘NEFESH’ (LIFE). This does not mean a real animal, that he must buy him an animal similar to his one [that was killed], but rather it means that he is to give him monetary compensation equal to the damage he caused him. Similarly, breach for breach, eye for eye538 [also means monetary compensation], according to the opinion of our Rabbis.539