Positive Mitzvah 246
Laws of Claims
Exodus 22:8 "In every case of trespass...in which one can say: This is it"'
Ari and Izzy were playing ball on the lawn.
Suddenly, Ari felt his glove beginning to slip of his hand.
He shouted to Izzy to wait a second, but Izzy threw the ball anyway. It landed in the street sewer because Ari wasn't ready to catch it.
"Hey! I asked you to wait!" Ari yelled.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," Izzy answered.
"Yes you did. I could tell! Now you've got to buy me a new ball!" Ari demanded.
"No I don't" Izzy protested.
In cases like these, where an argument arises and people disagree about who bears responsibility for a loss or damage, the Torah teaches us how to come to a fair decision.