A person digs a pit nine handbreadths deep. One handbreadth fills with water. An animal falls in and dies. Is the owner liable?
Halachah 10: One handbreadth of water plus nine of earth equals ten — sufficient to kill. The owner is liable since water depth counts toward the total.
Question 2
Two partners own a pit. The first walks past without covering it; the second also doesn't cover it. The animal dies. Who is liable?
Halachah 6: The second partner's negligence in not covering takes over responsibility — the first partner is now exempt because the second had the final opportunity to prevent the harm.
Question 3
A person digs a pit in the public domain. Utensils (not animals) fall into it and break. Is the pit-digger liable?
Halachah 13 (and Ch. 13 halachah 1): The Torah's pit liability specifically covers animals falling in — utensils that fall in are exempt from this category.
Question 4
An ox pushes another animal into a pit and it dies. The ox is mu'ad. How are damages paid?
Halachah 18: When a mu'ad ox pushes another animal into a pit, the ox owner pays full damages (since the ox was mu'ad), and the pit owner is exempt.
Question 5
A person is digging a pit in the public domain. An ox falls on him and kills him. Is the ox owner liable?
Halachah 21: The ox owner is not liable because the person was in the public domain engaged in digging — a place where people are not normally present, and the ox had right of way.