Measuring People by Effort: The Value of Work in Torah Law

Rabbi Zweig begins by examining the Torah (תורה)'s law in Parshas Mishpatim that a thief who slaughters or sells a stolen ox must pay five times its value, while a stolen sheep requires only fourfold payment. Rashi (רש"י) quotes the Gemara (גמרא)'s explanation: the ox is valued higher because stealing it prevents the animal from working, whereas the sheep doesn't perform labor. The Gemara adds that the thief carrying a sheep on his shoulders already experiences embarrassment (bizayon), so the Torah reduces the penalty. The Maharsha raises a fundamental question: what about a young calf that cannot yet work? If the reason for the fivefold payment is loss of labor, a calf should only require fourfold payment like a sheep. The Ibn Ezra cites Rav Saadya Gaon, who explains that oxen are harder to hide, so only professional thieves steal them, warranting a harsher penalty. He also mentions that the ox owner suffers greater financial loss due to the animal's work capacity. But this appears to simply repeat the Gemara's reasoning—raising the question of why the Rishonim would present it as a novel explanation.