The four primary damagers are: the bull, the pit, the maveh, and the fire. The bull is not like the maveh, nor is the maveh like the bull. These two, which are living things, are not like the fire, which is not a living thing; nor are these, whose manner is to go forth and damage, like the pit, whose manner is not to go forth and damage. The common feature in them is that their manner is to damage, and you are responsible to watch them, and when it damages, the damager is obligated to pay for the damage with the best of the land.

Anything that I am obligated to watch I have perpetrated its damage. [If] I partially perpetrated its damage, I am obligated to pay as though I had completely perpetrated its damage.  [The law of damages applies to] property that is not [subject to] me'ilah, property of Jews, property that is owned, and anywhere except [on] the premises owned by the damager and the premises of the damagee and the damager. When he damages, the damager is obligated to pay for the damage with the best of the land.