About this episode
Today's Daf is sponsored by David and Mitzi Geffen in loving memory of David's grandmother, Rabbanit Sara Hene Rabinowitz Geffen, on her Tu B'Shevat yahrzeit. "She and her husband, Rav Tuvia Geffen, Rabbi of Sherith Israel Synagogue in Atlanta for 60 years, brought up their eight children with love and learning. Seven of their grandchildren made aliyah and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren live in Israel." Today's daf is sponsored by Debbie Pine and Mark Orenshein in loving memory of Debbie's father Harry Pine, Noach Aharon ben Yakov v'Devora on his 22nd yahrzeit. "We miss him every day and especially on Tu B'Shvat." Today's daf is sponsored for the refua shleima of Nadav Efraim ben Shulamit Leah who will be undergoing surgery this morning. Several more sources are brought to prove that "an eye for an eye" is not to be taken literally but is meant to be understood as monetary compensation. However, five of them are rejected. Rabbi Eliezer has a different understanding of "an eye for an eye." How is his opinion understood? What types of payments were not able to be collected in Babylonia, as the Babylonian rabbis were not properly ordained? Penalty payments ( k'nas ) were not collected there, as well as monetary payments that needed assessment, unless they were both common and were compensating for a financial loss. Therefore, damages to oxen, that were common, were able to be ruled in Babylonia, but not damages to a person, as that was uncommon. Who is the tana of our Mishna who holds that there is a payment for tzaar , pain, even if there are no damages to be paid?