Bava Kamma

'A cattle dealer may, however, buy and slaughter, or buy and [even] keep for the market. He may, however, not retain the animal he bought last for thirty days.' R. Gamaliel was asked by his disciples whether it is permissible to breed [small cattle]. He said to them: 'It is permissible.' But did we not learn: 'IT IS NOT RIGHT TO BREED'? — What they asked him was really this: 'What about retaining [it]?'  He said to them: 'It is permissible, provided it does not go out and pasture with the herd, but is fastened to the legs of the bed.' Our Rabbis taught:  There was once a certain pious person  who suffered with his heart, and the doctors on being consulted said that there was no remedy for him unless he sucked warm milk every morning. A goat was therefore brought to him and fastened to the legs of the bed, and he sucked from it every morning. After some days his colleagues came to visit him, but as soon as they noticed the goat fastened to the legs of the bed they turned back and said: 'An armed robber  is in the house of this man, how can we come in to [see] him?' They thereupon sat down and inquired into his conduct, but they did not find any fault in him except this sin about the goat. He also at the time of his death proclaimed: 'I know that no sin can be imputed to me save that of the goat, when I transgressed against the words of my colleagues.' R. Ishmael  said: My father's family belonged to the property owners in Upper Galilee. Why then were they ruined? Because they used to pasture their flocks in forests, and to try money cases without a colleague.  The forests were very near to their estates, but there was also a little field near by [belonging to others], and the cattle were led by way of this. Our Rabbis taught: If a shepherd  desires to repent,  it would not be right to order him to sell immediately [the small cattle with him], but he may sell by degrees. So also in the case of a proselyte to whom dogs and pigs fall as an inheritance,  it would not be right to order him to sell immediately, but he may sell by degrees. So also if one vows to buy a house, or to marry a woman in Eretz Yisrael,  it would not be right to order him to enter into a contract immediately, until he finds a house or a woman to suit him. Once a woman being annoyed by her son jumped up [in anger] and swore: 'Whoever will come forward and offer to marry me, I will not refuse him', and as unsuitable persons offered themselves to her, the matter was brought to the Sages, who thereupon said: Surely this woman did not intend her vow to apply save to a suitable person. Just as the Sages said that it is not right to breed small cattle, so also have they said that it is not right to breed small beasts. R. Ishmael said: It is however allowed to breed village dogs,  cats, apes, huldoth sena'im [porcupines], as these help to keep the house clean.  What are 'huldoth sena'im'? — Rab Judah replied: A certain creeping animal of the harza [species]. Some say, of the harza [species]  with thin legs which pastures among rose-bushes, and the reason why it is called 'creeping' is because its legs are [short and] underneath it. Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: We put ourselves in Babylon with reference to the law of breeding small cattle on the same footing as if we were in Eretz Yisrael. R. Adda b. Ahabah said to R. Huna:  What about your small cattle? He answered him: Ours are guarded by Hoba.  He, however, said to him: Is Hoba prepared to neglect her son so much as to bury him?  In point of fact, during the lifetime of R. Adda b. Ahabah, no children born of Hoba survived to R. Huna. Some report: R. Huna said: From the time Rab arrived in Babylon,  We put ourselves in Babylon with reference to breeding small cattle on the same footing as if we were in Eretz Yisrael. Rab and Samuel and R. Assi once met at a circumcision of a boy,  or as some say, at the party for the redemption of a son.  Rab would not enter before Samuel,