Why an Owners Ox Faces the Same Stoning as Any Other

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 341:7

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"The ox shall be stoned" (Exodus 21:29) - why is this said? So that one should not say: I have a claim from logic. Since a man is subject to death for killing his own male slave or his own female slave, and his ox is subject to death for killing his male slave or his female slave, and another's ox is subject to death for killing his male slave or his female slave - if you have learned that Scripture distinguished between his own ox and another's ox regarding death for his male slave or his female slave, let us also distinguish between his own ox and another's ox regarding his male slave or his female slave. Therefore the verse teaches, "the ox shall be stoned." Scripture informs us that even though it distinguished between his own ox and another's regarding death for his male slave or his female slave, we do not distinguish between his own ox and another's ox regarding his male slave or his female slave.

Themes

Divine JusticeCommandmentsJudgment

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