Our Rabbis taught: "and the owner of the ox is clear." Rabbi Eliezer says: clear of half the ransom [kofer]. Rabbi Akiva said to him: but he himself is paid only from the body [of the ox]; bring it to court and it will pay you. He said to him: Akiva, is this how I seem in your eyes, that my ruling concerns one [an ox] that is liable to death? My ruling concerns only when it killed a person on the testimony of one witness or on the owner's own admission; [for] on the owner's admission, he is one who concedes to a fine and is exempt. He holds that ransom is atonement. Another teaching: Rabbi Eliezer said to him: Akiva, is this how I seem in your eyes, that my ruling concerns one that is liable to death? My ruling concerns only one who intended to kill the beast and killed the person, [or aimed] at nonviable offspring and killed a viable being. Another teaching: "and the owner of the ox is clear," Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: clear of the value of [miscarried] offspring. Rabbi Akiva said to him: behold it says "and if men strive" (Exodus 21:22), men and not oxen. Rabbi Akiva spoke well. Rav Adda bar Ahavah said: it was necessary, lest you think: men, when they intended [to strike] one another, even though there is a fatal outcome to the woman they are punished [with payment for offspring]; but had they intended the woman herself they would not be punished, and oxen, even if they intended the woman would be punished; therefore the Merciful One wrote "the owner of the ox is clear," that they are exempt. Another teaching: "and the owner of the ox is clear," Rabbi Akiva says: clear of the value of a slave. Rava said: it was necessary, lest you think: since I am stricter regarding a slave than a free man, for a free man worth a sela one pays a sela, while a slave worth a sela one pays thirty, [the owner] is also paid from his superior property; therefore the Merciful One wrote "the owner of the ox is clear," that he is exempt.
Why the Owner of the Goring Ox Goes Free
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 339:9
תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן, וּבַעַל הַשּׁוֹר נָקִי, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, נָקִי מֵחֲצִי כֹּפֶר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, וַהֲלֹא הוּא עַצְמוֹ אֵינוֹ מִשְׁתַּלֵּם אֶלָּא מִגּוּפוֹ, הָבִיאֵהוּ לְבֵית דִּין וִישַׁלֵּם לְךָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, עֲקִיבָא, כָּךְ אֲנִי בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֶׁדִּינִי בְּזֶה שֶׁחַיָּב מִיתָה, אֵין דִּינִי אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהֵמִית הָאָדָם עַל פִּי עֵד אֶחָד אוֹ עַל פִּי הַבְּעָלִים, עַל פִּי בְּעָלִים, מוֹדֶה בִּקְנָס הוּא וּפָטוּר, קָסְבַר כּוּפְרָא כַּפָּרָה. תַּנְיָא אִידָךְ, אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, עֲקִיבָא, כָּךְ אֲנִי בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֶׁדִּינִי בְּזֶה שֶׁחַיָּב מִיתָה, אֵין דִּינִי אֶלָּא בְּמִתְכַּוֵּן לַהֲרֹג אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה וְהָרַג אֶת הָאָדָם, לִנְפָלִים וְהָרַג אֶת בֶּן קְיָימָא, תַּנְיָא אִידָךְ, וּבַעַל הַשּׁוֹר נָקִי רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר, נָקִי מִדְּמֵי וְלָדוֹת. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (לעיל פסוק כב) "וְכִי יִנָּצוּ אֲנָשִׁים", אֲנָשִׁים וְלֹא שְׁוָרִים. שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, אֲמַר רַב אַדָא בַּר אַהֲבָה, אִצְטְרִיךְ, סַלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אֲמִינָא, אֲנָשִׁים כִּי נִתְכַּוְּנוּ זֶה לְזֶה, אַף עַל גַּב דְּיֵשׁ אָסוֹן בָּאִשָּׁה יֵעָנְשׁוּ, הָא נִתְכַּוְּנוּ לָאִשָּׁה גּוּפָהּ, לֹא יֵעָנְשׁוּ, וְלָא שְׁוָרִים דַּאֲפִלּוּ נִתְכַּוְּנוּ לָאִשָּׁה נַמִי יֵעָנְשׁוּ, כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא וּבַעַל הַשּׁוֹר נָקִי דִּפְטִירֵי. תַּנְיָא אִידָךְ, וּבַעַל הַשּׁוֹר נָקִי, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, נָקִי מִדְּמֵי עֶבֶד. וְנֵימָא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ, וַהֲלֹא הוּא עַצְמוֹ אֵין מִשְׁתַּלֵּם אֶלָּא מִגּוּפוֹ, הָבִיאֵהוּ לְבֵית דִּין וִישַׁלֵּם לְךָ. אָמַר רָבָא, אִצְטְרִיךְ, סַלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אֲמִינָא, הוֹאִיל וּמַחְמִיר אֲנִי בְּעֶבֶד יוֹתֵר מִבֶּן חוֹרִין, שֶׁבֶּן חוֹרִין יָפֶה סֶלַע נוֹתֵן סֶלַע וְעֶבֶד יָפֶה סֶלַע נוֹתֵן שְׁלֹשִׁים, מִשְׁתַּלֵּם נַמִי מִן הָעֲלִיָּה, כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא וּבַעַל הַשּׁוֹר נָקִי דְּפָטוּר.