Goat rescuer, Widow, Orphan and the Neighbour
Question
B"H Person A a Widow saves a B=neighbours goat's life from a large extremely dangerous wild dog who was dragging this large female goat away. The rescuer Baruch HaShem acted on instinct could actually have been attacked themselves by the large wild dangerious dog but was not attacked and remained safe. The goat was in the neighbours field at the time tied. The neighbours were absent at the event. This goat was the only goat the neighbour had, and produced the daily goats milk for the family. Since then about 10 years has passed the neighbour and his family has benefited from the saving of their goats life drinking the milk and now having about 21 or 22 goats from that 1 goats life that was saved. Is there anything written anywhere in the Talmud that relates at all to this true story? On another note the same neighbour of recent months tried to force person A the goat rescuer to sign a paper to give use of the end of her farm for his 21 or 22 goats and 4 large sheep to pass through forever. But there's always been trees down there planted by person A the goat rescuer there never was a road as the goat and sheep owner neighbour portrayed. Fortunately person A the goat rescuer had papers drawn up with the local authorities and the maps coodinates registered. And now this same neighbour who owns the goats and 4 sheep uses his children goats and sheep to vandalize trees growing on person A's tree and vegetable farm. And person B the neighbour also once had a fit tantrum pulling out wooden stakes and tree protectors so his goats could eat the protected trees. 2 issues the story of saving the original goats life. And now destruction from the offspring of that original goat the children of and neighbour himself. The treefarm belongs to the goat rescuer and her son. She was a widow back then and has recently remarried. Her son lost his father since age 2. Is Yatom M'Abba orphan from his father. The person B the neighbour before was well behaved and took to teaching the son Yatom M'Abba Torah for about 3 years. Almost like a replacement for a father figure. And so did his wife teaching. They both used to be teachers. And now this disruption. With all these details. What clues does the Talmud give please? Tsophia
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for writing.
Your story is reminiscent of the story of Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa in the Talmud, Taanit 25.
Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa had some goats. His neighbors said
to him: Your goats are damaging our property by eating in our fields. He said
to them: If they are causing damage, let them be eaten by bears. But if they
are not eating your property, let each of them, this evening, bring a bear
impaled between its horns. That evening, each one brought in a bear impaled between
its horns.
The Talmud then asks a question about one of the details of this story: And Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa, from where did he have goats? Wasn’t he poor, as stated above? And furthermore, the Sages have said: One may not raise small, domesticated animals in the Land of Israel, as they destroy the fields and property of others. How, then, could Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa raise goats?
Rav Pineḥas said that this is how it came to pass: An incident occurred in which a certain man passed by the entrance of Rabbi Ḥanina’s house and left chickens there. And Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa’s wife found them and cared for them. And Rabbi Ḥanina said her: Do not eat of their eggs, as they are not ours. And the chickens laid many eggs, and chickens hatched from the eggs. And as the noise and mess of the chickens were distressing them, they sold them and bought goats with their proceeds.
Once that same man who lost the chickens passed by and said to his companion: Here is where I left my chickens. Rabbi Ḥanina heard this and said to him: Do you have a sign by which to identify them? He said to him: Yes. He gave him the sign and took the goats. The Talmud concludes: And these are the very goats that brought bears impaled between their horns.
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Your story of someone saving a goat many years ago, and now from that goat, they now have 23 goats, is similar to the story above. Yes, God repays kindnesses in different ways.
concerning your monetary query since we would have to hear both sides case and to see proof of claim As such, we are unable to give a halachic ruling based on your email.
With blessings,
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