Ketubot 34b
כתובות ל״ד ב — ד"ה אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא
Ketubot 34b:4
The sugya analyzes Rav Pappa's statement against a clause in Rava's ruling. The discussion turns on whether the case of an object or act involving a prohibited status is treated as a case of liability for the principal obligation, and whether that liability can coexist with or preclude the other consequence under consideration. The two readings differ in how they align Rav Pappa with Rava's formulation and in which part of Rava's statement is taken as the point of comparison.
אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: הָיְתָה פָּרָה גְּנוּבָה לוֹ, וּטְבָחָהּ בְּשַׁבָּת — חַיָּיב, שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְחַיֵּיב בִּגְנֵיבָה קוֹדֶם שֶׁיָּבֹא לִידֵי אִיסּוּר שַׁבָּת. הָיְתָה פָּרָה שְׁאוּלָה לוֹ, וּטְבָחָהּ בְּשַׁבָּת — פָּטוּר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרָבָא לְרַב אָשֵׁי: רַב פָּפָּא, פָּרָה אֲתָא לְאַשְׁמוֹעִינַן?! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: רַב פָּפָּא, שְׁאוּלָה אֲתָא לְאַשְׁמוֹעִינַן. סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אָמֵינָא, הוֹאִיל וְאָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: מִשְּׁעַת מְשִׁיכָה הוּא דְּאִתְחַיַּיב לֵיהּ בִּמְזוֹנוֹתֶיהָ, הָכָא נָמֵי: מִשְּׁעַת שְׁאֵלָה אִתְחַיַּיב בְּאוּנְסֶיהָ. קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.
Rav Pappa said: If one had a stolen cow in his possession that he had stolen previously and he slaughtered it on Shabbat, he is liable to pay four or five times the principal as he was already liable for theft before he came to violate the prohibition of Shabbat. If a cow was lent to him and he slaughtered it on Shabbat, he is exempt from paying the fine. Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, said to Rav Ashi: Is Rav Pappa coming to teach us the case of a cow? In other words, what did Rav Pappa add that was not already clear from Rabba’s statement? The same principle applies with regard to both a kid and a cow. If one was liable to pay for the theft when he stole the animal, he is liable to pay the fine for slaughter as well, even if he is liable to receive the death penalty. Rav Ashi said to him: Rav Pappa is coming to teach us the halakha with regard to a borrowed cow, as it could enter your mind to say that since Rav Pappa said: It is from the moment of pulling the animal into his domain that the borrower is obligated to provide the animal’s sustenance, then here too, from the moment of borrowing he is liable to pay for its unavoidable accidents. From that point, the animal is legally in his possession and therefore, even if he slaughtered the animal on Shabbat he should be liable. Therefore, he teaches us that one assumes liability for unavoidable accidents only when they actually occur, and if that is on Shabbat, he is exempt.