Arakhin

That will be right in the view of the Rabbis who hold that the fiftieth year is not included,1 but according to R. Judah who holds that the fiftieth year counts both ways,2 why was that necessary [to count the Jubilees]? It would have been enough if the years of release alone had been counted! Hence [we must say], this is not in accord with the view of R. Judah. But did they not count years of release and the Jubilees?3 Is it not written: At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew, that hath been sold unto thee,4 and when we asked: Why ‘at the end of seven years’? is it not written: He shall serve thee six years?5 and to this R. Nahman b. Isaac replied: Six for one who had been sold and seven for one who had his ear pierced?6 — This is written in connection with the threat of punishment, for the prophet said: ‘Did you set them free [when you should have done so]?7 But it is said: They hearkened and let them go’?8 — Rather, said R. Johanan: Jeremiah brought them back, and Josiah son of Amon ruled over them. Whence do we know that they returned? — Because it is written: For the seller shall not return to that which is sold.9 Now is it possible that the Jubilee was abolished already and the prophet would prophesy concerning it that it will be abolished? This therefore teaches that Jeremiah had brought them back. Whence do we know that Josiah ruled over them? — Because it is written: Then he said: What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him: It is the sepulchre of the man of God, who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth-El.10 Now what had Josiah to do at Beth-El?11 Hence [we must say]. When Jeremiah had brought them back, Josiah ruled over them. R. Nahman b. Isaac derived it from here: Also, O Judah, there is a harvest [katsir] appointed for thee! 12 MISHNAH. HOUSES IN COURTYARDS13 HAVE THE PRIVILEGES BOTH OF HOUSES IN A WALLED CITY. AND THE PRIVILEGES GIVEN TO FIELDS: THEY CAN BE REDEEMED AT ONCE, AND AT ANY TIME WITHIN THE TWELVE MONTHS LIKE HOUSES [IN A WALLED CITY], AND THEY GO OUT [TO THE OWNERS] IN THE YEAR OF JUBILEE OR [AT AN EARLIER TIME] BY [PAYMENT OF A] LESSENED PRICE14 LIKE FIELDS. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: [It is written:] [But the houses in courtyards which have no wall about them] shall be reckoned with the fields of the country:15 Scripture compares them with a field of possession: just as a field of possession goes out in the Jubilee and by payment of a lessened price, so do houses in courtyards go out in the year of Jubilee and by payment of a lessened price. [One might have assumed that similarly:] Just as a field of possession may not be redeemed before two years, thus may houses in courtyards not be redeemed before two years, therefore it is said: they may be redeemed,15 i.e., at once. Since you have given them the privileges of fields, as well as those of houses in walled cities, one might assume that they do not go out in the year of Jubilee, therefore it is said: And they shall go out in the Jubilee.15 What does he mean to say?16 — Said R. Huna: This was necessary [to be stated] only for the case of one who consecrates a house among the houses in a courtyard, and someone else redeemed it from the Sanctuary, and the year of Jubilee came in its second year.17 With what, now, will you compare it? If you compare it to a house in a walled city. it becomes the perpetual [possession] of the purchaser;18 if you compare it to a field of possession, it goes out to the priests. For this case it was necessary to say: ‘And they shall go out in the Jubilee’.19 To this R. Ze'ira demurred: Why speak about someone else redeeming it? Even if no-one redeemed it the same [law would apply]?20 — Said Abaye: [This is not so] lest people say: Consecrated property goes out without redemption. Whence do we know that? — [It is derived] from a Levite: If a Levite whose privilege is strengthened where he sold property21 has his rights weakened where he consecrated an object,22 how much more shall an Israelite whose rights are weakened where he sold property, have his rights weakened with regard to an object which he consecrated himself! And whence do we know it there?23 — Because it was taught: And if a man purchase of the Levites, then shall go out [in the Jubilee] that which was sold.24 From this I might infer that [the law applies] even to his slaves, his movable property, and his documents, therefore it is said: Of a house [in the] city of his possession. What then does ‘that which was sold’ mean? What he sold goes out without payment, but no consecrated object goes out without payment but [requires] redemption. Now this25 conflicts with R. Oshaia, for R. Oshaia said: All was included in the general statement: Then shall he add [the fifth part of] the money . . . and it shall be assured to him,26 and when Scripture specified with regard to the field of possession: But the field when it goeth out in the Jubilee shall be holy unto the Lord,27 [as a field devoted], [it teaches] only a field if redeemed goes out [from the one who redeemed it] to the priests, but all other [objects redeemed from the Sanctuary] remain where they are. 28 For what purpose [then]29 is it said: ‘And they shall go out in the Jubilee’? — R. Papa said: This is necessary but for the case of one who sells a house among the houses in courtyards, and the Jubilee came in the second year. With what now will you compare it? If you compare it to a house in a walled city, it becomes the perpetual [possession] of the purchaser; if you compare it to a field of possession, it needs the completion [of two years in the purchaser's possession],30 for this case it was necessary to state: ‘And they shall go out in the Jubilee’. It was taught in accord with R. Huna and in refutation of R. Oshaia: If one consecrates a house among the houses in courtyards, then he may redeem it at once, and redeem it for ever. If someone else redeemed it from the Sanctuary, and the Jubilee arrived and it had not been redeemed [by the original owner] it reverts in the year of Jubilee to the owner. the Jubilee, is pierced. If such a pierced servant has completed seven years and the eighth was a Jubilee year. he went out free. This passage of Jeremiah refers to the time of Zedekiah, long after Sennacherib had exiled a large part of the people, and yet the law of the year of Jubilee was valid! Hebrew Bible. The meaning of the passage thus is given as: ‘From Judah (whose king Josiah was first) was a king appointed for thee (O Israel)’. superfluous, And they shall go out in the Jubilee? consecration no less than to that of sale, making the house in a courtyard returnable on the Jubilee to the original owner. original owner at Jubilee. object in permanence.