Bava Kama 93 - 99 - Issue #16
17 - 23 Sivan 5754 / 27 May - 2 June 1994

---

This issue is dedicated in memory of Rachmil Schwartz Z'L

---

This publication is also available in the following formats: Explanation of these symbols

---

Letter of the Law and Beyond

A woman consulted the Sage Rabbi Chiya as to whether she should accept a certain coin proffered to her in a business transaction. She later returned with a complaint that she was not able to spend the coin he had advised her to accept because it turned out to be worthless. Rabbi Chiya immediately instructed his nephew and treasurer, the Sage Rav, to compensate the woman and to chalk it up in their accounting records as a "bad deal".

Why did Rabbi Chiya feel obligated to compensate this woman? After all, he was an expert who knew everything there was to know about currency. As such, any error he committed, such as failing to be aware of the sudden cancellation of a coin by the government was considered the result of something beyond his control and therefore imposed no responsibility for compensation.

The answer says the Talmud, is that even though Rabbi Chiya was not obligated to pay by the letter of the law, he was anxious to deal with others in a noble manner beyond the letter of the law. He thus followed the higher level of behavior which is hinted at in the Torah as a standard which everyone should strive to live by.

---

Taking Up for the Underbird

One	should always prefer to be amongst the hunted, said Rabbi Abahu, and not amongst the hunters. No birds are so hunted as the turtledove and the young pigeon and yet they alone of all fowl are eligible as sacrifices on the holy altar. Bava Kama 99b
No One	is being counseled by the Sage to impose upon himself the unfortunate role of the hunted. This is rather a moral challenge to have the courage to be on the side of the hunted; to take up the case of the underbird. Maharsha

---

General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
HTML Design: Eli Ballon

---

© 1994 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved. This publication may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission, and then send us a sample issue.

---

This publication is available via E-Mail

---

Ohr Somayach Institutions is an international network of Yeshivot and outreach centers, with branches in North America, Europe, South Africa and South America. The Central Campus in Jerusalem provides a full range of educational services for over 685 full-time students.

The Jewish Learning Exchange (JLE) of Ohr Somayach offers summer and winter programs in Israel that attract hundreds of university students from around the world for 3 to 8 weeks of study and touring.

Ohr Somayach's Web site is hosted by TeamGenesis

---

Copyright © 1994 Ohr Somayach International. Send us feedback.
Dedication opportunities are available for Weekly Daf. Please contact us for details.