Bizarre Talmudic Scenarios
Whenever one finds an absurd &quot;rule&quot;, there is, generally, a reason. You don&#x27;t put up a sign that says &quot;Don&#x27;t stick utensils in electrical sockets&quot; until someone&#x27;s done it or thought about it.<p>And if the rule is &quot;don&#x27;t juggle forks while riding a unicycle around electrical outlets&quot;, it&#x27;s usually because someone lied about what happened.<p>&gt; Rabba said: One who fell from a roof and was inserted into a woman due to the force of his fall is liable to pay four of the five types of indemnity that must be paid by one who damaged another, and if she is his yevama he has not acquired her in this manner. He is liable to pay for injury, pain, loss of livelihood, and medical costs. However, he is not liable to pay for the shame he caused her, as the Master said: One is not liable to pay for shame unless he intends to humiliate his victim…<p>This is a description of a rape, and the person who committed it came up with a story to explain it away, and the Talmud has codified this excuse as justifying a modest penalty, and it&#x27;s recorded in such a way that others may use it. &quot;Ah, sorry [your honor or equivalent], I fell off a roof, you see, and ...&quot;. Awful.<p>The only thing one should learn from this is that the Talmud can be wrong, that sometimes, people lie and cover up their crimes, and that whoever recorded this case abetted the criminal. That&#x27;s wrong and we should do better.