One who steals an ox or sheep and sells or slaughters it must pay five times the value of the ox and four times the value of the sheep. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai states one reason for setting the fine for a sheep to be less than that of an ox. He attributes the reduction to the thief’s humiliation when he carries the sheep on his shoulders as he escaped. The embarrassment incurred by a thief evokes Hashem’s compassion, thereby reducing his fine. This is a remarkable lesson demonstrating the Torah’s concern for the feelings of all people–even a common…
