Arakhin

for as long as a year is not complete it cannot be deducted.1 What is he teaching us? That one does not reckon months to the disadvantage of the Sanctuary? But that was [expressly] taught [in the Mishnah]: ONE MAY NOT RECKON ANY MONTHS TO THE [DISADVANTAGE OF] THE SANCTUARY? — He gives the reason: Why is it ruled: NOR REDEEM IT LESS THAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE YEAR OF JUBILEE? Because one does not reckon the months to [the disadvantage] of the Sanctuary. Our Rabbis taught: Whence do we know that one does not reckon months to the [disadvantage of] the Sanctuary? The text states: Then the Priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain,2 i.e., you may reckon years but not months. Whence do we know that if you desire to add the months [so as] to consider them one year, you can do so; as e.g., if he consecrated [the field] in the middle of the forty-eighth year?3 Therefore the text states: Then the priest shall reckon unto him, in any case.4 MISHNAH. IF A MAN CONSECRATED HIS FIELD AT THE TIME WHEN THE LAW OF THE JUBILEE IS IN FORCE,5 HE MUST PAY FIFTY SHEKELS FOR [EVERY PIECE OF FIELD SUFFICIENT FOR] THE SOWING OF A HOMER OF BARLEY. IF THE FIELD CONTAINED RAVINES TEN HANDBREADTHS DEEP OR ROCKS TEN HANDBREADTHS HIGH, THEY ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE MEASURE. BUT IF LESS THAN THIS, THEY ARE INCLUDED. IF HE CONSECRATED IT TWO OR THREE YEARS BEFORE THE JUBILEE, THEN HE MUST PAY ONE SELA’ [SHEKEL] AND ONE PONDION FOR EACH YEAR. IF HE SAYS: ‘I SHALL PAY FOR EACH YEAR AS IT COMES ONE DOES NOT LISTEN TO HIM, BUT HE MUST PAY FOR ALL THE YEARS TOGETHER. IT IS ALL THE SAME WHETHER THE OWNER OR ANYONE ELSE [REDEEMS THE FIELD]. WHEREIN THEN DOES THE OWNER DIFFER FROM ANY OTHER MAN? IN THAT THE OWNER MUST ADD ONE FIFTH, WHEREAS ANY OTHER MAN NEED NOT ADD ONE FIFTH. GEMARA. A Tanna taught: [A field requiring] one kor6 seed, but not one [yielding] a kor crop. Strewn with the hand, not with oxen!7 Levi taught: Neither too thick, nor too thin, but in average manner! IF THE FIELD CONTAINS RAVINES etc. But let them be treated as if they had been consecrated separately? And if you were to say that since they are not sufficient for [the sowing of] a kor, they cannot become consecrated; surely it was taught: Field.8 What does that mean to teach? Because it is said: the sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver;8 from this I know only [the law] if he consecrated it in this manner. Whence [do I know] to include also a lethek, half a lethek, a se'ah, or half a se'ah, a tarkab, or half a tarkab?9 Therefore Scripture says ‘Field’, of any size! Mar Ukba b. Hama replied: Here the reference is to ravines full of water which cannot be sown. Infer that also [from the fact] that [the clefts] were mentioned in an analogous position to that of rocks.10 This proves it. But then also smaller [areas than ten handbreadths] too [ought not to be included]? — Those are called small ‘clefts of the earth’ or ‘spines of the earth’. 11 IF HE CONSECRATED IT TWO OR THREE YEARS etc. Our Rabbis taught: And an abatement shall be made from thy valuation,12 also from the Sanctuary; so that if the Sanctuary enjoyed the property for two or three years, or even if it did not enjoy it, but had it in its possession, one may deduct one sela’ and one pondion for each year. IF HE SAYS: I SHALL PAY EACH YEAR etc. Our Rabbis taught: Whence do we know, that if the owner said, ‘I shall pay for each year as it comes’ that we do not listen to him? Therefore the text says: ‘Then the priest shall reckon unto him the money’, i.e., until the whole sum is together. It is all the same whether it be the owner or someone else, except that the owner must add one fifth, whereas any other man need not add the fifth. MISHNAH. IF A MAN CONSECRATED [HIS FIELD] AND THEN REDEEMED IT, IT DOES NOT GO OUT OF HIS POSSESSION IN THE JUBILEE.13 IF HIS SON REDEEMED IT, IT REVERTS TO HIS FATHER IN THE JUBILEE. IF ANOTHER, OR A RELATIVE REDEEMED IT, AND HE14 REDEEMED IT FROM HIS HAND, IT GOES OUT TO THE PRIESTS.15 IF ONE OF THE PRIESTS REDEEMED IT,16 AND IT WAS STILL IN HIS POSSESSION,17 THEN HE CANNOT SAY: ‘SINCE IT GOES OUT TO THE PRIESTS IN THE YEAR OF JUBILEE, AND SINCE IT IS NOW IN MY POSSESSION, THEREFORE IT BELONGS TO ME’, BUT IT GOES OUT OF HIS POSSESSION TO BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG ALL HIS BRETHREN THE PRIESTS.18 shekel with its pondion, The Mishnah thus means that after the Jubilee all redemptions must be made on the basis of complete years. Jubilee, in which case the redemption price is the full fifty shekels. the hand, but not when strewn from a perforated bag or wagon drawn by oxen. used as the term. tech. for three kabs. redeem it in the twentieth, he would deduct the ten years during which he had it, so if the Sanctuary had had the benefit of the field for a number of years he would deduct from the sum wherewith he redeems the field all the years the Sanctuary owned, or derived benefit from it. 19. Maim. Mishnah Commentary. redeemed it, I and my collagues would have received it anyhow in the year of Jubilee; now that I have it in my possession, I have the best claim to it.