Sifra 13.0.14

Bechukotai, Chapter 10

1) (Vayikra 27:14) "then the Cohein shall valuate it, good or bad": Consecrations are not redeemed by approximation. "As the Cohein valuates it, so shall it stand": If the owner says (I redeem it) for twenty, and another: for twenty, the owner takes precedence, for he adds a fifth. If one said: It is mine for twenty-one, the owner gives twenty-six; (If he said) twenty-two, the owner gives twenty-seven; twenty-three, the owner gives twenty-eight; twenty-four, the owner gives twenty-nine; twenty-five, the owner gives thirty, for a fifth is not added to the other's "raising." If he (the other) said: It is mine for twenty-six — If the owner wishes to give thirty-one plus a dinar, he takes precedence; if not, he (the other) is told "It is yours."

2) "the consecrator would redeem": to include his wife. "And if the consecrator would redeem": to include his heir. "then he shall add a fifth of the money of your valuation upon it, and it shall be his": If he gives the money, it is his; if not, it is not his.

3) (Vayikra 27:16) "And if from the field of his holding a man shall consecrate to the L–rd, then your valuation will be according to its sowing; the sowing of a chomer of barley for fifty silver shekels." "from the field of his holding": This tells me only of a field of holding from his father. Whence do I derive (the same for) a field of holding from his mother? From "a man shall consecrate" — in any event. "then your valuation will be according to its sowing": according to its sowing and not according to its growing. "the sowing of a chomer of barley for fifty silver shekels": This is the decree of the King — Both he who consecrates in the sands of Machoz and he who consecrates in the orchards of Sebaste gives the sowing of a chomer of barley for fifty silver shekels.

4) (Vayikra 27:17) "If from the Yovel year he shall consecrate his field, according to your valuation shall it stand." Whence is it derived that one is not permitted to consecrate his field at the time of Yovel and that if he does, it is not consecrated? From "If from the Yovel year he shall consecrate his field." "his field": What is the intent of this (apparent redundancy)? Where is it derived that if there were in it clefts ten tefachim deep or rocks ten tefachim high they are not measured together with it? From "his field."

5) "according to your valuation shall it stand": He gives forty-nine selaim and forty-nine pondionoth. What is the nature (i.e., the purpose) of this pondion? It is the premium (for exchange of currency).

6) (Vayikra 27:18) ("And if after the Yovel year he shall consecrate his field, then the Cohein shall reckon for him the money remaining until the Yovel year, and it shall be deducted from your valuation.") "after the Yovel": (This implies) next to the Yovel (i.e., the first year after the Yovel). Whence do we derive (the same for a year) removed from the Yovel (i.e., the second year, the third year, etc.)? From "And (connoting inclusion) if after the Yovel year he shall consecrate his field." "his field": (See 4 above).

7) Whence is it derived that there are no consecrations fewer than two years before the Yovel and no redemptions less than one year after the Yovel? From "And the Cohein shall reckon for him the money (to be returned to the Temple) according to the 'years' (a minimum of two) remaining until the Yovel year."

9) And whence is it derived that if he said: I would like to pay in yearly installments, he is not heeded, but must give the entire amount (until the next Yovel) in one sum? From "according to (all) the years remaining.

10) "the years remaining": He reckons the years remaining and not the months. And whence is it derived that if he (the Temple treasurer) wishes to reckon months as a year he may do so? From "then he shall reckon." "until the Yovel year": It (the reckoning) is not to enter into the Yovel year at all. "and it shall be deducted from your valuation": Even from the Temple, so that if the Temple consumed (the field's produce) for a year or two before the Yovel year, or (even if) it did not do so, but it was in its domain, a sela and a pondion is deducted for each year.

11) (Vayikra 27:19) ("And if redeem, will redeem the field, he who consecrates it, then he shall add one fifth of the money of your valuation upon it, and it shall be his.") "redeem, will redeem": to include his (the consecrator's) wife. "And if redeem, will redeem": to include his heir. "the field": What is the intent of this ("the field," instead of simply "it")? (Because it is written (Vayikra 27:16) "the sowing of a chomer of barley for fifty silver shekels,") I might think that this applied only if he consecrated a beth-kor. Whence would I derive (that the same applied for smaller fields, such as) beth lethach, bath sa'ah, and beth kav? From "the field" (— in any event). "then he shall add one fifth of the money of your valuation upon it, and it shall be his": If he gives the money, it is his; if not, it is not his.

12) (Vayikra 27:20) ("And if he does not redeem the field, and if he sells the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed again.") "And if he does not redeem" — the owner, "and if he sells" — the (Temple) treasurer; "to another" — and not to his son. — But perhaps (the meaning is) to another, and not to his brother. (This cannot be, for "another) man" includes his brother. Why do you see fit to include (with the owner) his son and to exclude his brother? After Scripture includes, it excludes. I include the son, who is in place of his father vis-à-vis yiud (betrothal to a Hebrew handmaid) and vis-à-vis (inheritance of) his Hebrew manservant, and I exclude his brother, who is not in his place for these things.

13) "It shall not be redeemed again": I might think that he cannot (even) buy it from the treasurer as a "field of acquisition," (which returns to the Temple on the Yovel year [as opposed to a field of holding" (a patrimony), which returns to him on the Yovel year]); it is, therefore, written "it shall not be redeemed again," i.e., it does not revert to its prior status (a field of holding); but he may buy it from the treasurer as a field of acquisition.