Commentary for Bava Kamma 6:4

הַשּׁוֹלֵחַ אֶת הַבְּעֵרָה בְּיַד חֵרֵשׁ, שׁוֹטֶה וְקָטָן, פָּטוּר בְּדִינֵי אָדָם וְחַיָּב בְּדִינֵי שָׁמָיִם. שָׁלַח בְּיַד פִּקֵּחַ, הַפִּקֵּחַ חַיָּב. אֶחָד הֵבִיא אֶת הָאוּר, וְאֶחָד הֵבִיא אֶת הָעֵצִים, הַמֵּבִיא אֶת הָעֵצִים חַיָּב. אֶחָד הֵבִיא אֶת הָעֵצִים, וְאֶחָד הֵבִיא אֶת הָאוּר, הַמֵּבִיא אֶת הָאוּר חַיָּב. בָּא אַחֵר וְלִבָּה, הַמְּלַבֶּה חַיָּב. לִבְּתָה הָרוּחַ, כֻּלָּן פְּטוּרִין. הַשּׁוֹלֵחַ אֶת הַבְּעֵרָה וְאָכְלָה עֵצִים, אוֹ אֲבָנִים, אוֹ עָפָר, חַיָּב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כב) כִּי תֵצֵא אֵשׁ וּמָצְאָה קוֹצִים וְנֶאֱכַל גָּדִישׁ אוֹ הַקָּמָה אוֹ הַשָּׂדֶה, שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם הַמַּבְעִיר אֶת הַבְּעֵרָה. עָבְרָה גָּדֵר שֶׁהוּא גָּבוֹהַּ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, אוֹ דֶּרֶךְ הָרַבִּים, אוֹ נָהָר, פָּטוּר. הַמַּדְלִיק בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ, עַד כַּמָּה תַעֲבֹר הַדְּלֵקָה. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אוֹמֵר, רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ כְּאִלוּ הוּא בְאֶמְצַע בֵּית כּוֹר. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמּוֹת, כְּדֶרֶךְ רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם הַמַּבְעִיר אֶת הַבְּעֵרָה (שמות כב), הַכֹּל לְפִי הַדְּלֵקָה:

If one sends a fire by the hand of a deaf mute, an imbecile, or a minor, he is not liable by the laws of man, but he is liable by the laws of Heaven. If he sends it by a pikeach (a "knowing" person), the pikeach is liable. If one brought the fire and another (then) brought the wood, the bringer of the wood is liable. If one brought the wood and another (then) brought the fire, the bringer of the fire is liable. If another came and fanned (libah) the fire ["libah," as in (Exodus 3:2)): "belabath esh." Some books have "nibah," as in (Isaiah 57:19): "niv sfatayim" ("the expression of the lips"). When one speaks, he moves his lips and wind (i.e., an air current) is produced.] If the wind fanned it, they are all not liable. If one sent a fire and it consumed trees or stones or soil, [singeing one's furrow and spoiling it], he is liable, it being written (Exodus 22:5): "If fire go out, and find thorns, and there be consumed sheaves, or the standing corn, or the field, then pay shall he pay, he that lights the fire." If it went over a fence four cubits high, or a public way [sixteen cubits, as the (distance of the) flags of the desert], or a river, he is not liable. If one lights a fire in his domain, how far may the fire go (for him still to be liable)? R. Elazar b. Azaryah said: He is perceived as standing in the midst of a beth kor (liability obtaining up to about 137 cubits on all sides.) R. Eliezer says: Sixteen cubits, as (the distance of) the public way. R. Akiva says: Fifty cubits. R. Shimon says: "Then pay shall he pay, he that lights the fire" — all according to the fire [i.e., according to the height of the fire and its mass. The bigger it is, the farther it travels. The halachah is in accordance with R. Shimon.]

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