Nezikin in the context of Horayot

Pirkei Avot (Hebrew: פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת, romanized: pirqē aḇoṯ, lit. 'Chapters of the [Fore]fathers'; also transliterated as Pirqei Avoth or Pirkei Avos or Pirke Aboth, also Abhoth), is a compilation of the Jewish theological and ethical teachings and maxims from Rabbinic Jewish tradition. It is part of didactic Jewish ethical literature. Because of its contents, the name is sometimes given as Ethics of the Fathers. Pirkei Avot consists of the Mishnaic minor tractate of Avot, the second-to-last tractate in the order of Nezikin in the Mishnah, plus one additional chapter. Avot is unique in that it is the only tractate of the Mishnah dealing solely with ethical and moral principles; there is relatively little Halakha (Jewish law) in Pirkei Avot.

Bava Kamma (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: בָּבָא קַמָּא, romanized: Bāḇā Qammā, lit. 'The First Gate') is the first of a series of three Talmudic tractates in the order Nezikin ("Damages") that deal with civil matters such as damages and torts. The other two of these tractates are Bava Metzia ('The Middle Gate') and Bava Batra ('The Last Gate'): originally all three formed a single tractate called Nezikin, each "Bava" meaning "part" or "subdivision." Bava Kamma discusses various forms of damage and the compensation owed for them.

Biblical laws dealing with the cases discussed in Bava Kamma are contained in the following passages: Exodus 21:18–19, and Exodus 21:24–22:5. The principle that underlies the legislation in this respect is expressed by the sentence, "He that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution". Exodus 22:5