1A person who sells a house in a city surrounded by a wall1 may redeem it throughout a twelve month period from the day2 he sold it whenever he desires, even on the day he sold it. When he redeems it, he returns all the money he received and does not deduct anything from the purchaser.3אהַמּוֹכֵר בַּיִת בְּתוֹךְ עִיר הַמֻּקֶּפֶת חוֹמָה - הֲרֵי זֶה גּוֹאֵל אוֹתָהּ כָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ מִיּוֹם שֶׁמָּכַר בְּכָל עֵת שֶׁיִּרְצֶה, וְאַפִלּוּ בַּיּוֹם שֶׁמָּכַר. וּכְשֶׁרוֹצֶה לִפְדּוֹת - נוֹתֵן כָּל הַדָּמִים שֶׁלָּקַח, וְאֵינוֹ גּוֹרֵעַ לַלּוֹקֵחַ כְּלוּם.
2Relatives may not redeem it,4 only the seller himself if he obtains the means. He may sell his property and redeem it,5 but he may not borrow to redeem it, nor may he redeem it partially.6בוְאֵין הַקְּרוֹבִים פּוֹדִין אוֹתָהּ, אֶלָא הַמּוֹכֵר עַצְמוֹ אִם הִשִּׂיגָה יָדוֹ. וְיֵשׁ לוֹ לִמְכֹּר מִנְּכָסָיו וְלִפְדּוֹת; אֲבָל לֹא יִלְוֶה וְיִגְאַל, וְלֹא יִגְאַל לַחֲצָיִין.
3If the purchaser dies, the original owner may redeem it from his son. Similarly, if the seller dies, his son may redeem it for the duration of the twelve months.7גמֵת הַלּוֹקֵחַ, יִפְדֶּה מִיַּד בְּנוֹ. וְכֵן אִם מֵת הַמּוֹכֵר, יֵשׁ לִבְנוֹ לִפְדּוֹתָהּ כָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ.
4If the seller sold it to one person and he sold it to another, the reckoning is made from the date of the first sale. When the first year is concluded, the house is established8 as the property of the second purchaser. For the second seller9 sold to the second purchaser all the rights that will accrue to him with regard to this property.10 If twelve months pass and it is not redeemed, it is established as the property of the second purchaser. Similarly, if a person gave a house as a present and did not redeem it within these twelve months, it is established as the property of the recipient of the present.11דמָכַר לְרִאשׁוֹן, וּמָכַר רִאשׁוֹן לְשֵׁנִי בְּתוֹךְ הַשָּׁנָה - מוֹנִין לָרִאשׁוֹן. כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁלְמָה שָׁנָה לָרִאשׁוֹן הֻחְלַט הַבַּיִת בְּיַד הַשֵּׁנִי; שֶׁהַמּוֹכֵר מָכַר לַשֵּׁנִי כָּל זְכוּת שֶׁתָּבוֹא לְיָדוֹ. הִגִּיעַ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ וְלֹא גְאָלָהּ, הֲרֵי זוֹ נֶחְלֶטֶת בְּיַד הַלּוֹקֵחַ. וְכֵן אִם נָתַן הַבַּיִת מַתָּנָה וְלֹא גְאָלוֹ כָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, הֲרֵי זֶה נֶחְלַט בְּיַד זֶה שֶׁנִּתָּן לוֹ מַתָּנָה.
5During a leap year, the permanent disposition of the property is not brought about until the end of the year,12 as Leviticus 25:30 states: “Until a complete year is completed for it.” This wording indicates that the extra month of the leap year is included.ההָיְתָה שָׁנָה מְעֻבֶּרֶת - אֵינוֹ נֶחְלָט עַד סוֹפָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "עַד מְלֹאת לוֹ שָׁנָה תְמִימָה" (ויקרא כה, ל) - לְהָבִיא חֹדֶשׁ הָעִבּוּר.
6The following rules apply when a person sold two houses, one in the middle of Adar 1 and the other on Rosh Chodesh Adar II. When the month of Adar arrives in the following year,13 the year for the house sold on Rosh Chodesh II is completed.14 The year for the house sold in the middle of Adar I is not completed until the middle of Adar in the following year, for the purchaser took possession in the middle of the extra month of the leap year.ומָכַר שְׁנֵי בָּתִּים, אֶחָד בַּחֲצִי אֲדָר רִאשׁוֹן וְאֶחָד בְּרֹאשׁ אֲדָר שֵׁנִי: זֶה שֶׁמָּכַר בְּרֹאשׁ אֲדָר שֵׁנִי, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ אֶחָד בַּאֲדָר שֶׁל שָּׁנָה הַבָּאָה עָלְתָה לוֹ שָׁנָה; וְזֶה שֶׁמָּכַר בַּחֲצִי אֲדָר רִאשׁוֹן, לֹא עָלְתָה לוֹ שָׁנָה עַד חֲצִי אֲדָר שֶׁל שָּׁנָה הַבָּאָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיָּרַד הַלּוֹקֵחַ בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָעִבּוּר.
7If the final day of the twelfth month arrives and the seller cannot find the purchaser to redeem his field from him,15 he may deposit his money in the court, break down the door, and enter his home.16 Whenever the purchaser comes, he may take his money.זהִגִּיעַ יוֹם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, וְלֹא נִמְצָא הַלּוֹקֵחַ לִפְדּוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ - הֲרֵי זֶה מַנִּיחַ מְעוֹתָיו בְּבֵית דִּין, וְשׁוֹבֵר אֶת הַדֶּלֶת וְנִכְנָס לְבֵיתוֹ; וְאֵימָתַי שֶׁיָּבוֹא הַלּוֹקֵחַ, יָבוֹא וְיִטֹּל אֶת מָעוֹתָיו.
8When a person consecrates a house in a walled city and another person redeems it from the Temple treasury, when a year passes from the time that it was redeemed from the Temple treasury17 without it being redeemed by its original owner, it becomes established as the property of the one who redeemed it from the Temple treasury. For the Temple treasury does not become the permanent owner, the purchaser does, as implied by Leviticus 25:30: “the one who purchases it for his generations.”18חהַמַּקְדִּישׁ בֵּית עִיר חוֹמָה, וּגְאָלוֹ אַחֵר מִיַּד הַהֶקְדֵּשׁ - כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָלְתָה לוֹ שָׁנָה מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁנִּגְאַל מִיַּד הַהֶקְדֵּשׁ וְלֹא גְאָלוֹ בְּעָלָיו, נֶחְלַט בְּיַד הַגּוֹאֵל. שֶׁאֵין הַהֶקְדֵּשׁ חוֹלֵט, אֶלָא הַלּוֹקֵחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "לַקֹּנֶה אֹתוֹ לְדֹרֹתָיו" (ויקרא כה, ל).
9When a person sells a house in a walled city and the Jubilee arrives within the first year after the sale, the house does not revert to its owner in the Jubilee.19 Instead, it remains in the possession of the purchaser until the seller decides to redeem it throughout the year after its sale or it becomes established as the property of the purchaser after that year is completed.טמָכַר בֵּית עִיר חוֹמָה, וְהִגִּיעַ יוֹבֵל בְּתוֹךְ שְׁנַת הַמֶּכֶר - אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר בַּיּוֹבֵל; אֶלָא יִהְיֶה בְּיַד הַלּוֹקֵחַ עַד שֶׁיִּרְצֶה הַמּוֹכֵר לִגְאֹל כָּל שְׁנַת הַמֶּכֶר, אוֹ תִּמָּלֵא שָׁנָה וְיַחְלֹט.
10When a person sells a home in a settlement or in a city that is not surrounded by a wall in the appropriate manner,20 he may redeem it according to the advantages that apply with regard to both the redemption of an ancestral field and the redemption of a home in a walled city. What is implied? If he desires to redeem the home immediately, he may,21 as is the law with regard to a home in a walled city. If the twelve months pass and he does not redeem it, he may redeem it until the Jubilee, as is the law regarding a field.22 When he redeems it, he makes a reckoning with the purchaser and subtracts the value of the benefit he received.23 If the Jubilee arrives without having redeemed it, the house returns to the owner without payment, as is the law with regard to fields.יהַמּוֹכֵר בַּיִת בְּבָתֵּי הַחֲצֵרִים אוֹ בָּעִיר שֶׁאֵינָהּ מֻקֶּפֶת חוֹמָה כָּרָאוּי - הֲרֵי זֶה נִגְאָל בְּכוֹחַ יָפֶה שֶׁבְּדִין הַשָּׂדוֹת וְשֶׁבְּדִין הַבָּתִּים הַמֻּקָּפִין חוֹמָה. כֵּיצַד? אִם רָצָה לִגְאֹל מִיָּד - גּוֹאֵל, כְּדִין הַבָּתִּים. הִגִּיעַ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ וְלֹא גָאַל - הֲרֵי זֶה גּוֹאֵל עַד שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל, כְּדִין הַשָּׂדוֹת. וּבְעֵת שֶׁגּוֹאֵל מְחַשֵּׁב עִם הַמּוֹכֵר, וְגוֹרֵעַ לוֹ מַה שֶׁאָכַל. הִגִּיעַ יוֹבֵל וְלֹא גָאַל - חוֹזֵר הַבַּיִת בְּלֹא דָּמִים, כְּדִין הַשָּׂדוֹת.
11Any residential property within a city’s wall, e.g., gardens, bathhouses, and dovecotes, is considered as a house,24 for ibid. states: “that are in the city.” Fields that are located in the city may be redeemed according to the rules applying to fields outside the city, as implied the phrase (ibid.): “And the house that will be within the city will be established.” This includes houses and anything resembling houses, not fields.יאכָּל שֶׁהוּא לִפְנִים מִן הַחוֹמָה, כְּגוֹן הַגִּנּוֹת וְהַמֶּרְחֲצָאוֹת וְהַשּׁוֹבָכוֹת - הֲרֵי הוּא כַּבָּתִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר" (ויקרא כה, ל). אֲבָל הַשָּׂדוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר - נִגְאָלִין כְּדִין הַשָּׂדוֹת שֶׁחוּץ לָעִיר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְקָם הַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר" (שם) - "הַבַּיִת" וְכָל הַדּוֹמֶה לַבַּיִת, לֹא הַשָּׂדוֹת.
12When a house is not four cubits by four cubits, it does not become the permanent property of the purchaser like the houses in a walled city.25 A house does not become the permanent property of a purchaser in Jerusalem.26 A house that is built in the wall is not considered as a home in a walled city.27יבבַּיִת שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַל אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, אֵינוֹ נֶחְלָט בְּבָתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה. וִירוּשָׁלַיִם, אֵין הַבַּיִת נֶחְלָט בָּהּ. וּבַיִת הַבָּנוּי בַּחוֹמָה, אֵינוֹ כְּבָתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה.
13When the roofs of a city serve as its walls28 or the sea serves as it wall,29 it is not considered as a city surrounded by a wall.30יגעִיר שֶׁגַּגּוֹתֶיהָ חוֹמָתָהּ אוֹ שֶׁהַיָּם חוֹמָתָהּ - אֵינָהּ כְּמֻקֶּפֶת חוֹמָה.
14A city is not referred to as a walled city unless it has three or more courtyards and in each of the courtyards, it has two or more houses.31 Moreover, it must have been surrounded by a wall first and then the courtyards were built in its midst. If, however, a place was settled and afterwards, surrounded by a wall or it did not have at least three courtyards with at least two houses each, it is not considered as a walled city. Instead, its houses are like the houses of a settlement.32ידאֵין הַמָּקוֹם נִקְרָא "עִיר חוֹמָה" (ויקרא כה, כט) עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בּוֹ שָׁלוֹשׁ חֲצֵרוֹת אוֹ יָתֵר, וּבְכָל חָצֵר מֵהֶן שְׁנֵי בָּתִּים אוֹ יָתֵר, וְיַקִּיפוּ אוֹתָן חוֹמָה תְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִבְנוּ הַחֲצֵרוֹת בְּתוֹכוֹ. אֲבָל מָקוֹם שֶׁיָּשַּׁב וְאַחַר כָּךְ הֻקַּף, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ בּוֹ שָׁלוֹשׁ חֲצֵרוֹת שֶׁל שְׁנֵי שְׁנֵי בָּתִּים - אֵינוֹ "עִיר חוֹמָה", אֶלָא בָּתִּים שֶׁבּוֹ כְּבָתֵּי הַחֲצֵרִים.
15We rely only on a wall that surrounded a city at the time of the conquest of the land. What is implied? When a city was not surrounded by a wall at the time when Joshua conquered the land even though it is surrounded now, the houses in it are considered as the houses of a settlement. Conversely, if a city was surrounded by a wall at the time of Joshua,33 even though it is not surrounded at present, it is considered as walled.34טואֵין סוֹמְכִין אֶלָא עַל חוֹמָה הַמֻּקֶּפֶת בִּשְׁעַת כִּבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ. כֵּיצַד? עִיר שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה מֻקֶּפֶת חוֹמָה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁכָּבַשׁ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת הָאָרֶץ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִיא מֻקֶּפֶת עַתָּה - הֲרֵי הִיא כְּבָתֵּי הַחֲצֵרִים; וְעִיר שֶׁהָיְתָה מֻקֶּפֶת חוֹמָה בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ מֻקֶּפֶת עַתָּה - הֲרֵי הִיא כְּמֻקֶּפֶת.
When the Jews were exiled after the first destruction of the Temple, the sanctity of the walled cities from Joshua’s time were nullified35 When Ezra ascended at the time of the second entry into the land, all of the walled cities of that time became consecrated. For the entry into the land at the time of Ezra, i.e., the second entry, was comparable to the entry at the time of Joshua. Just as after their entry at the time of Joshua, they counted Sabbatical years and Jubilees, sanctified the homes in walled cities and were obligated in the tithes, so too, after their entry in the time of Ezra, they counted Sabbatical years and Jubilees, sanctified the homes in walled cities and were obligated in the tithes.36וְכֵיוָן שֶׁגָּלוּ בְּחֻרְבָּן רִאשׁוֹן - בָּטְלָה קְדֻשַּׁת עָרֵי חוֹמָה שֶׁהָיוּ בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָלָה עֶזְרָא בְּבִיאָה שְׁנִיָּה - נִתְקַדְּשׁוּ כָּל הֶעָרִים הַמֻּקָּפוֹת חוֹמָה בְּאוֹתָהּ הָעֵת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבִּיאָתָן בִּימֵי עֶזְרָא שֶׁהִיא בִּיאָה שְׁנִיָּה, כְּבִיאָתָן בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ; מַה בִּיאָתָן בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, מָנוּ שְׁמִטִּין וְיוֹבֵלוֹת, וְקִדְּשׁוּ בָּתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה, וְנִתְחַיְּבוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂר - אַף בִּיאָתָן בִּימֵי עֶזְרָא, מָנוּ שְׁמִטִּין וְיוֹבֵלוֹת, וְקִדְּשׁוּ בָּתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה, וְנִתְחַיְּבוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂר.
16Similarly, in the Ultimate Future, upon the third entry to the land,37 we will begin to count the Sabbatical and Jubilee years and sanctify the homes in walled cities, and every place that will be conquered will be obligated in the separation of tithes, as Deuteronomy 30:5: “And God your Lord will bring you to the land that your ancestors possessed as a heritage and you shall possess.” The verse equates the Jews’ ultimate possession with that of their ancestors. Just as when your ancestors took possession of the land as a heritage, they practiced the renewal of all these observances, when you take possession of the land, you should practice the renewal of all these observances.38טזוְכֵן לָעֲתִיד לָבוֹא בְּבִיאָה שְׁלִישִׁית, בְּעֵת שֶׁיִּכָּנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ - יַתְחִילוּ לִמְנוֹת שְׁמִטִּין וְיוֹבֵלוֹת, וִיקַדְּשׁוּ בָּתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה, וְיִתְחַיֵּב כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיִּכְבְּשׁוּהוּ בְּמַעַשְׂרוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ" (דברים ל, ה) - מַקִּישׁ יְרֻשָּׁתְךָ לִירֻשַּׁת אֲבוֹתֶיךָ: מַה יְרֻשַּׁת אֲבוֹתֶיךָ, אַתָּה נוֹהֵג בְּחִדּוּשׁ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ; אַף יְרֻשָּׁתְךָ, אַתָּה נוֹהֵג בָּהּ בְּחִדּוּשׁ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ.
