Ein Mann ist immer ein Muad, ob unwissend oder witzig, ob schlafend oder wach. [Wenn er schlief und ein anderer kam und an seiner Seite schlief und ihn verletzte, haftet er. Aber wenn der erste den zweiten verletzt, haftet er nicht. Und wenn sie sich zusammen hinlegen, haftet jeder, der den anderen verletzt, beide sind Muadim gegenüber einander.] Wenn er das Auge seines Nachbarn blind macht oder Gefäße bricht, zahlt er vollen Schaden. [Selbst wenn er unwissentlich sein Auge blind gemacht hat, haftet er für die Verletzung, aber nicht für die vier (anderen) Dinge (siehe 8: 1), von denen einer nur dann für diese Dinge haftet, wenn seine Handlung witzig ist oder fast. ]]
Rambam on Mishnah Bava Kamma
A man is accustomed always, whether by accident or intentional etc... Like that a person is sleeping and comes another and sleeps at his side, the second is accustomed with regard to the first. And if the second damages the first, he's obligated (to pay damages). And if the first damages, that he was asleep first the other who came to sleep at his side, he is exempt. And if the two lay down together, all who do damage from them to their friend are obligated, since they are both accustomed to each other.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Kamma
בין ער בין ישן – if he was sleeping and another [person] came and slept at his side, and he second damaged the first, he is liable, but if he first [person] damaged the second, he is exempt [from punishment]. But if they slept together, each one of them who caused damage to his fellow is liable, because of them are considered as forewarned regarding each other.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Kamma
Introduction
This mishnah deals with damages caused by a human being, a topic that was mentioned briefly in chapter one mishnah four. There we learned that a person was always considered to be muad, or an attested danger. This mishnah explains deals with that concept, that a human being is a muad.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Kamma
סימא את עין חבירו – even inadvertently, he is liable for damages, but not for four things (see Talmud Bava Kamma 26a-b), for [the Torah] does not declare him liable for four things other than wanton action, or something close to wanton action.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Kamma
Human beings are always an attested danger, whether the damage is caused inadvertently or deliberately, whether the person who caused the damage is awake or asleep. If a man blinded his fellow’s eye or broke his utensils he must pay full damages. A person who damages is always considered to be a muad, attested danger, and as such he will always pay full damages. The idea is that a person cannot claim that something was accidental and thereby exempt herself from culpability. For instance if I throw something heavy out my window and it hits someone’s car, I cannot claim that it was an accident and that I didn’t mean to do it. Even if I go to sleep next to something that belongs to someone else, and in my sleep I roll over and break the item, I will always be obligated. Questions for further thought: Why should a human being always be a muad? Why not exempt her when she causes damages inadvertently?
