Arakhin 7:5-8:1
משנה ערכין ז:ה-ח:א
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Arakhin | Chapters: 7-8
📖 Mishna
Mishna 7:5
משנה ז:ה
Hebrew:
הַלּוֹקֵחַ שָׂדֶה מֵאָבִיו, מֵת אָבִיו וְאַחַר כָּךְ הִקְדִּישָׁהּ, הֲרֵי הִיא כִּשְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה. הִקְדִּישָׁהּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת אָבִיו, הֲרֵי הִיא כִּשְׂדֵה מִקְנָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמְרִים, כִּשְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כז), וְאִם אֶת שְׂדֵה מִקְנָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר לֹא מִשְּׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּתוֹ, שָׂדֶה שֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לִהְיוֹת שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה, יוֹצֵאת זוֹ, שֶׁהִיא רְאוּיָה לִהְיוֹת שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה. שְׂדֵה מִקְנָה אֵינָהּ יוֹצְאָה לַכֹּהֲנִים בַּיּוֹבֵל, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם מַקְדִּישׁ דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ. כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם מַקְדִּישִׁים לְעוֹלָם, וְגוֹאֲלִין לְעוֹלָם, בֵּין לִפְנֵי הַיּוֹבֵל, בֵּין לְאַחַר הַיּוֹבֵל:
English:
One who purchases an ancestral field from his father, and his father subsequently died and afterward the son consecrated it, its halakhic status is like that of an ancestral field, as he inherited his father’s ancestral rights prior to the consecration. But if the son consecrated the field and afterward his father died, its halakhic status is like that of a purchased field, whose redemption price is based on its monetary value, and which will return to the ancestral owner at the Jubilee; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon say: Even in a case where the son consecrated the field before his father died, its halakhic status is like that of an ancestral field, as it is stated with regard to a purchased field: “And if he will consecrate unto the Lord a field that he has bought, which is not of his ancestral field” (Leviticus 27:22), indicating that this halakha applies only to a field that is not due to become his ancestral field, thereby excluding this field, which at the time of consecration is due to become his ancestral field in the future. A purchased field that was consecrated is not removed from the Temple treasury and given to the priests during the Jubilee Year, as the purchase was valid only until the Jubilee, and a person cannot consecrate an item that is not his. The priests and the Levites may always consecrate their ancestral fields and may always redeem their ancestral fields, both before the Jubilee Year and after the Jubilee Year.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This mishna explores a fascinating timing question: when a son buys a field from his father and later consecrates it, does the field’s status depend on when he inherited versus when he consecrated?
Rabbi Meir’s View (Timing Matters):
- Father dies THEN son consecrates: It’s an ancestral field (שדה אחוזה)—governed by fixed Torah rates
- Son consecrates THEN father dies: It’s a purchased field (שדה מקנה)—valued at market price, returns to “owner” (the Temple?) at Jubilee
Rabbi Meir focuses on status at the moment of consecration. When the son consecrated, if the father was alive, the son was merely a “purchaser.”
Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon’s View (Potential Matters): Both scenarios result in ancestral field status. Why? The Torah says “a field he purchased which is NOT from his ancestral field.” This excludes only fields that could NEVER become ancestral. Since this field was always destined to become the son’s inheritance, it’s treated as ancestral even before the father dies.
Purchased Field Limitation: A true purchased field cannot become priestly property at Jubilee because the “owner’s” rights expire at Jubilee anyway. You cannot consecrate what you don’t truly own. The consecration affects only the years until Jubilee.
Priests and Levites’ Special Status: Their land operates outside the normal Jubilee system. They can consecrate and redeem their property at any time, without the timing restrictions that apply to Israelites. Their tribal inheritance is perpetual and doesn’t reset at Jubilee.
Key Terms:
- שדה אחוזה (Sedeh Achuzah) = Ancestral field; inherited land with special redemption rules
- שדה מקנה (Sedeh Miknah) = Purchased field; bought land with different rules
- ראויה להיות (Re’uyah Lihyot) = Due to become; destined to be
- כהנים ולויים (Kohanim U’Levi’im) = Priests and Levites; tribes with special land laws
Mishna 8:1
משנה ח:א
Hebrew:
הַמַּקְדִּישׁ אֶת שָׂדֵהוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ יוֹבֵל, אוֹמְרִים לוֹ פְּתַח אַתָּה רִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁהַבְּעָלִים נוֹתְנִים חֹמֶשׁ, וְכָל אָדָם אֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן חֹמֶשׁ. מַעֲשֶׂה בְאֶחָד שֶׁהִקְדִּישׁ אֶת שָׂדֵהוּ מִפְּנֵי רָעָתָהּ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ, פְּתַח אַתָּה רִאשׁוֹן. אָמַר, הֲרֵי הִיא שֶׁלִּי בְאִסָּר. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, לֹא אָמַר זֶה אֶלָּא בְּכַבֵּיצָה, שֶׁהַהֶקְדֵּשׁ נִפְדֶּה בְכֶסֶף וּבְשָׁוֶה כָסֶף. אָמַר לוֹ, הִגִּיעָתְךָ, נִמְצָא מַפְסִיד אִסָּר, וְשָׂדֵהוּ לְפָנָיו:
English:
In the case of one who consecrates his ancestral field during a period when the Jubilee Year is not observed, and therefore the field is not redeemed according to a fixed rate but according to its value, when the treasurer announces the sale of the field he says to the owner: You open the bidding first; how much do you offer for its redemption? This method is advantageous for the Temple treasury, as the owner gives an additional payment of one-fifth of the value of the field, and every other person does not give an additional one-fifth payment. There was an incident involving one who consecrated his field due to its inferior quality. The treasurers said to him: You open the bidding first. He said: It is hereby mine for an issar, a small sum. Rabbi Yosei says: That person did not say he would purchase it for an issar; rather, he said he would purchase it for an egg, as consecrated items may be redeemed with money or with the equivalent value of money. The treasurer said to him: The field has come into your possession based on your bid. As a result, he loses an issar and his field remains before him in his possession.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This mishna describes field consecration when the Jubilee isn’t in effect—a different system based on market value rather than fixed Torah rates.
Owner Bids First: The treasurer always asks the owner to open bidding. Why? Because the owner must add a fifth (25% extra) to whatever they bid. If the owner bids low, the Temple gets 125% of that low bid. If someone else bids higher, the Temple gets their bid without the fifth. Either way, letting the owner set the floor ensures the Temple gets at least the owner’s valuation plus 25%.
The Worthless Field Story: A clever (or perhaps cynical) landowner consecrated a poor-quality field—essentially dumping worthless property on the Temple. When asked to bid, he offered just one issar (a tiny coin).
Rabbi Yosei’s Detail: He clarifies the man actually offered an egg’s worth—demonstrating that consecrated property can be redeemed with goods, not just currency. This seems like a trivial detail, but it establishes an important principle about acceptable payment forms.
The Ironic Outcome: “הגיעתך” (It’s yours)—the treasurer accepts the ridiculous bid! The man “loses” one issar but gets back his worthless field. The irony: he tried to game the system by consecrating garbage, but the system threw it right back at him.
The Lesson: You cannot benefit from consecrating worthless property. The Temple doesn’t want your junk. If you consecrate something worthless, you’ll just have to buy it back—a pointless exercise that costs you the minimal bid plus the fifth.
Key Terms:
- שעה שאינה יובל (She’ah She’einah Yovel) = When Jubilee is not observed
- פתח אתה ראשון (Petach Atah Rishon) = You open first; owner bids first
- חומש (Chomesh) = One-fifth; 25% additional payment
- איסר (Issar) = A small coin; minimal currency
- כביצה (K’Beitzah) = Like an egg; egg-value equivalent
- הגיעתך (Higi’atekha) = It has reached you; it’s yours