Cain and Able

Babylonian Talmud

A: It's all mine (3/4)

B: Half of it's mine (1/2)

proportional division

2/3

1/3

2 : 1 proportions

Talmud

3/4

1/4

3 : 1 proportions

Logic underlying solution:

The principle of the divided cloth

Cain vs Abel

Cain

100%
50%	50%

Cain & Abel

The solutions what has been conceded split by the other -half the amount is in dispute

Cain: It's all mine (3/4)

Abel: Half of it's mine (1/2)

Option 1

-Cain get’s half the cloth plus half of the disputed amount (77.5) so Cain gets 75%

-Abel only gets ½ of the disputed amount gets 25%

Split (33%/2) = 16%

Option 2:

-Cain concedes ⅔ conceding ⅓ to Abel

-Abel only gets ½ and gives ½ to Cain

16.7% of cloth in dispute = ((1/12) *2)

Cain gets 50% + 1/12

Abel gets ⅓ + 1/12

2/12 = 1/6

.66

.33

Why is Abel only asking for half the cloth?

If he asked for more he’d get more

*true under proportional division and principle of the divided cloth

2 Stages of negotiation

1. Making claims
2. Dividing things up once the claims are made

In some negotiations the claims are not negotiable

Sam owes money to two creditors

$100 to A $50 to B

Sam only has $100 dollars to his name.

Size of the debt is not in dispute

How to divided up his claims:  Owes $150 to creditors and has $100 in assets

Proportional division: split

66.7%

33.3%

Owed: $100   owed $50:

Principle of the Divided Cloth on this claim:

Creditor A owed $100

75%	25%

               The $100 creditor gets 50% plus half of the dispute leaving the other creditor with 25%

I don’t expect you to be convinced one approach is more reasonable than the other.

Say Cain and Able are fighting over $100.  Cain claims he should get 80$, leaving Abel with only $20.  Abel thinks he should get $60 while Cain gets $40.  According to the principle of the divided Cloth, how much money should Cain receive, in dollars?

Cain & Abel fight over $100

• Cain claims $80, leaves Abel $20
• Abel claims $60, leaves Cain $40

Talmund Rules:  What has been conceded cannot be disputed, the split comes with the otherside

$40 is in dispute:

Cain gets $40  +  $20  or $60

Abel gets $20  +  $20  or $40