About this episode
Study Guide Bava Kamma 20 Today's daf is sponsored by Tina & Shalom Lamm with gratitude to HKB"H on the occasion of the brit and naming of their new grandson, Nadav Oz, born to their children, Bracha & Akiva Berger. If an animal eats in the public domain, the owner is not liable. However, there are some exceptions where something in the public domain can be considered private, such as taking food off the back of another animal. Also if the animal takes the food in an atypical manner, the owner will be liable (half damages as it is considered keren ). If eating is exempt in the public domain, what is the law if the animal rolled the food from a private domain into the public domain and then ate it (or from public to private)? The owner is exempt if the animal eats food in the public domain. However, if there was a benefit to the animal/owner, the owner is responsible for compensating the amount that was benefitted. How is this amount determined? This leads the Gemara to raise a basic question about a squatter, one who lives on another's property without the owner's knowledge. If one benefits and the other has not lost anything by that - is there a need to compensate? Several sources are brought to try to reach an answer but all are rejected.