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8.6.4 Injury to Animals
8.6.4.1 One who kills another’s animal must replace it (Lev. 24:18),
but whoever borrows an animal does not pay for its death or injury
if its owner is with it (Exod. 22:13–14).8.6.4.2 If someone’s ox gores another ox to death, the owners divide
the money from the sale of the living ox and divide the carcass of
the dead ox. If the ox that gored was a known gorer, its owner
replaces the dead ox and takes its carcass (Exod. 21:35–6).8.6.4.3 One must help someone else’s animal that is in distress and
has fallen under its load (Deut. 22:4).8.6.4.4 Special demands ensure the proper treatment of animals:
(a) One must not muzzle an ox while he threshes (Deut. 25:4).
(b) One must allow animals to rest on Sabbath (Exod. 20:10).
(c) Animals may graze on fallow fields (Lev. 25:6–7).
(d) An ox and ass may not be yoked together (Deut. 22:10). This is
also a mixing.
(e) Acts which violate the maternal rights or instincts of animals are
prohibited: one cannot slaughter an animal and its young on the
same day (Lev. 22:28), and one who takes young birds or eggs
from a nest must let the mother go (Deut. 22:6–7).8.7 Falsehood at law (and perjury) are serious offenses, part of the
Ten Commandments.8.7.1 False oath is an offense against the other and a trespass against
God. One who takes a false oath concerning deposit, robbery, fraud,
or ownership of a found article must return the object, plus a fifth
of its value, and give an ox for expiation (Lev. 5:20–26).8.7.2 False witness is a prohibition in the Ten Commandments, and
false witnesses are punished with the same punishment that the per-
son they are testifying against would have had to bear (Deut. 19:18–19).8.7.3 A husband who accuses his wife of adultery is not subject to
penalties for false accusation (Num. 5:31).westbrook_f27-975-1046 8/27/03 1:36 PM Page 1039