Vayikra (Leviticus) Chapter 25

19The land will yield its produce, you will eat to satiety, and you will live upon the land securely.   יט וְנָֽתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ פִּרְיָ֔הּ וַֽאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם לָשׂ֑בַע וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם לָבֶ֖טַח עָלֶֽיהָ:
וְנָֽתְנָה הָאָרֶץ וגו', וִֽישַׁבְתֶּם לָבֶטַח עָלֶֽיהָ - The land will yield…and you will live securely. i.e., you will not be worried about a year of drought.   וְנָֽתְנָה הָאָרֶץ וגו', וִֽישַׁבְתֶּם לָבֶטַח עָלֶֽיהָ.  שֶׁלֹּא תִדְאֲגוּ מִשְּׁנַת בַּצֹּרֶת:
וַֽאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשׂבַע - You will eat to satiety - even in your stomach the food will be blessed, i.e., the food will be miraculously filling.   וַֽאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשׂבַע.  אַף בְּתוֹךְ הַמֵּעַיִם תְּהֵא בוֹ בְּרָכָה (עי' ספרא):
20If you should wonder, “What will we eat in the seventh year? We cannot sow, and we cannot gather in our produce!”   כוְכִ֣י תֹֽאמְר֔וּ מַה־נֹּאכַ֖ל בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑ת הֵ֚ן לֹ֣א נִזְרָ֔ע וְלֹ֥א נֶֽאֱסֹ֖ף אֶת־תְּבֽוּאָתֵֽנוּ:
וְלֹא נֶֽאֱסֹף - And we cannot gather in - into the house.   וְלֹא נֶֽאֱסֹף.  אֶל הַבַּיִת:
אֶת־תְּבֽוּאָתֵֽנוּ - Our produce - such as wine, fruit of trees, and crops that grew on their own.   אֶת־תְּבֽוּאָתֵֽנוּ.  כְּגוֹן יַיִן וּפֵרוֹת הָאִילָן וּסְפִיחִין הַבָּאִים מֵאֵלֵיהֶם:
21I will command My blessing for you in the sixth year, and it will yield enough produce for three years,   כאוְצִוִּ֤יתִי אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ לָכֶ֔ם בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֑ית וְעָשָׂת֙ אֶת־הַתְּבוּאָ֔ה לִשְׁל֖שׁ הַשָּׁנִֽים:
לִשְׁלשׁ הַשָּׁנִֽים - For three years - i.e., for part of the sixth year – from Nisan to Rosh Hashanah, for the entire seventh year, and for part of the eighth year – for they will sow in the eighth year in Marcheshvan and reap only in Nisan.   לִשְׁלשׁ הַשָּׁנִֽים.  לִקְצָת הַשִּׁשִּׁית — מִנִּיסָן וְעַד רֹ"הַ, וְלַשְּׁבִיעִית, וְלַשְּׁמִינִית, שֶׁיִּזְרְעוּ בַשְּׁמִינִית בְּמַרְחֶשְׁוָן וְיִקְצְרוּ בְנִיסָן:
22for you will sow in the eighth year, while eating from the old crops. You will eat from the old crop until the ninth year, until the arrival of its crop.   כבוּזְרַעְתֶּ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁמִינִ֔ת וַֽאֲכַלְתֶּ֖ם מִן־הַתְּבוּאָ֣ה יָשָׁ֑ן עַ֣ד | הַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַתְּשִׁיעִ֗ת עַד־בּוֹא֙ תְּב֣וּאָתָ֔הּ תֹּֽאכְל֖וּ יָשָֽׁן:
עַד הַשָּׁנָה הַתְּשִׁיעִת - Until the ninth year - i.e., until the Festival of Sukot of the ninth year, which is the time when the crop of the eighth year enters the house, for throughout the summer it was in the field in the granaries, and in Tishrei is its time to be gathered into the house. There were also times that one year would need to yield enough produce for four years, in the sixth year before the seventh sabbatical year, when they abstain from agricultural work for two consecutive years: the seventh year and the Jubilee. This verse, however, was stated regarding all the other regular sabbatical years.   עַד הַשָּׁנָה הַתְּשִׁיעִת.  עַד חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת שֶׁל תְּשִׁיעִית, שֶׁהוּא עֵת בֹּא תְּבוּאָתָהּ שֶׁל שְׁמִינִית לְתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, שֶׁכָּל יְמוֹת הַקַּיִץ הָיוּ בַשָּׂדֶה בַּגְּרָנוֹת, וּבְתִשְׁרֵי הוּא עֵת הָאָסִיף לַבַּיִת; וּפְעָמִים שֶׁהָיְתָה צְרִיכָה לַעֲשׂוֹת לְאַרְבַּע שָׁנִים — בַּשִּׁשִּׁית שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַשְּׁמִטָּה הַשְּׁבִיעִית, שֶׁהֵן בְּטֵלִין מֵעֲבוֹדַת קַרְקַע שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים רְצוּפוֹת — הַשְּׁבִיעִית וְהַיּוֹבֵל, וּמִקְרָא זֶה נֶאֱמַר בִּשְׁאָר הַשְּׁמִטּוֹת כֻּלָּן:
23The land must not be sold in such a way as to sever it permanently from its original owner, for the land belongs to Me, for you are sojourners and residents dwelling with Me on My land.   כגוְהָאָ֗רֶץ לֹ֤א תִמָּכֵר֙ לִצְמִתֻ֔ת כִּי־לִ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֧ים וְתֽוֹשָׁבִ֛ים אַתֶּ֖ם עִמָּדִֽי:
וְהָאָרֶץ לֹא תִמָּכֵר - The land must not be sold. This is stated here to add a prohibition to the command to return purchased fields to their original owners in the Jubilee year, namely, that the purchaser not withhold the field for himself.   וְהָאָרֶץ לֹא תִמָּכֵר.  לִתֵּן לָאו עַל חֲזָרַת שָׂדוֹת לַבְּעָלִים בַּיּוֹבֵל, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא הַלּוֹקֵחַ כּוֹבְשָׁהּ:
לִצְמִתֻת - means literally “for severance”; in our context, as a sale fixed for perpetuity.   לִצְמִתֻת.  לִפְסִיקָה, לִמְכִירָה פְסוּקָה עוֹלָמִית:
כִּי־לִי הָאָרֶץ - For the land belongs to Me. Do not regard the land begrudgingly, for it is not yours.   כִּי־לִי הָאָרֶץ.  אַל תֵּרַע עֵינְךָ בָהּ שֶׁאֵינָהּ שֶׁלְּךָ (ספרא):
24Throughout the land of your possession, you must also allow the land its redemption:   כדוּבְכֹ֖ל אֶ֣רֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶ֑ם גְּאֻלָּ֖ה תִּתְּנ֥וּ לָאָֽרֶץ:
וּבְכֹל אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם - Throughout the land of your possession. The word כֹל “entire” is added to include houses and Hebrew bondmen in the law of redemption. This matter is explained in the first chapter of Kiddushin. 1 But according to its straightforward meaning it is connected to the following passage, teaching us that one who sells his inherited land is entitled to redeem it after two years, either he or his relative, and the purchaser cannot prevent it.   וּבְכֹל אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם.  לְרַבּוֹת בָּתִּים וְעֶבֶד עִבְרִי, וְדָבָר זֶה מְפֹרָשׁ בְּקִדּוּשִׁין בְּפֶרֶק רִאשׁוֹן (דף כ"א). וּלְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ סָמוּךְ לְפָרָשָׁה שֶׁלְּאַחֲרָיו, שֶׁהַמּוֹכֵר אֲחֻזָּתוֹ רַשָּׁאִי לְגָאֳלָהּ לְאַחַר שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים, אוֹ הוּא אוֹ קְרוֹבוֹ, וְאֵין הַלּוֹקֵחַ יָכוֹל לְעַכֵּב:
25If your brother Israelite becomes destitute and sells some of his inherited land, his redeemer who is related to him may come forth and redeem that which his relative had sold.   כהכִּֽי־יָמ֣וּךְ אָחִ֔יךָ וּמָכַ֖ר מֵֽאֲחֻזָּת֑וֹ וּבָ֤א גֹֽאֲלוֹ֙ הַקָּרֹ֣ב אֵלָ֔יו וְגָאַ֕ל אֵ֖ת מִמְכַּ֥ר אָחִֽיו:
כִּֽי־יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ וּמָכַר - If your brother becomes destitute and sells. This teaches us that a person is not permitted to sell his field unless forced to do so by poverty.   כִּֽי־יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ וּמָכַר.  מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין אָדָם רַשַּׁאי לִמְכֹּר שָׂדֵהוּ אֶלָּא מֵחֲמַת דֹּחַק עֹנִי (עי' ספרא):
מֵֽאֲחֻזָּתוֹ - Some of his inherited land - but not all of it. Scripture thus teaches us correct behavior, namely, that a person should leave a field for himself.   מֵֽאֲחֻזָּתוֹ.  וְלֹא כֻּלָּהּ, לִמֵּד דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁיְּשַׁיֵּר שָׂדֶה לְעַצְמוֹ:
וְגָאַל אֵת מִמְכַּר אָחִֽיו - And redeem that which his relative had sold - and the purchaser may not prevent it.   וְגָאַל אֵת מִמְכַּר אָחִֽיו.  וְאֵין הַלּוֹקֵחַ יָכוֹל לְעַכֵּב:
26If a man does not have a redeemer for his land, but he obtains sufficient means to afford its redemption,   כווְאִ֕ישׁ כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־לּ֖וֹ גֹּאֵ֑ל וְהִשִּׂ֣יגָה יָד֔וֹ וּמָצָ֖א כְּדֵ֥י גְאֻלָּתֽוֹ:
וְאִישׁ כִּי לֹא יִֽהְיֶה־לּוֹ גֹּאֵל - If a man does not have a redeemer. Is there anyone among the Israelites that has no redeemers? This can therefore only refer to a redeemer who is able to redeem the original owner’s sold property.   וְאִישׁ כִּי לֹא יִֽהְיֶה־לּוֹ גֹּאֵל.  וְכִי יֵשׁ לְךָ אָדָם בְּיִשְֹרָאֵל שֶׁאֵין לוֹ גּוֹאֲלִים? אֶלָּא גּוֹאֵל שֶׁיּוּכַל לִגְאֹל מִמְכָּרוֹ (קידושין כ"א):
27he must calculate the years for which the land has been sold, and return the difference to the man to whom he sold it, and then he may return to his inheritance.   כזוְחִשַּׁב֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י מִמְכָּר֔וֹ וְהֵשִׁיב֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֹדֵ֔ף לָאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָֽכַר־ל֑וֹ וְשָׁ֖ב לַֽאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ:
וְחִשַּׁב אֶת־שְׁנֵי מִמְכָּרוֹ - He must calculate the years for which the land has been sold. How many years were there until the Jubilee year? Such and such. For how much did I sell it to you? For such and such a price. You would have ultimately returned it to me in the Jubilee year. It follows that you actually bought a number of crops at a certain rate for each year: If you ate its produce for three or four years, deduct their value from the total you paid and take back the rest of the sum, and that is what is meant by וְהֵשִׁיב אֶת הָעֹדֵף(lit.) “and return the excess”. i.e., the excess of the purchase price over the consumed crops that the purchaser ate of it, giving this amount back to the purchaser.   וְחִשַּׁב אֶת־שְׁנֵי מִמְכָּרוֹ.  "כַּמָּה שָׁנִים הָיוּ עַד הַיּוֹבֵל? כָּךְ וְכָךְ, וּבְכַמָּה מְכַרְתִּיהָ לְךָ? בְּכָךְ וְכָךְ, עָתִיד הָיִיתָ לְהַחֲזִירָהּ בַּיּוֹבֵל, נִמְצֵאתָ קוֹנֶה מִסְפַּר הַתְּבוּאוֹת כְּפִי חֶשְׁבּוֹן שֶׁל כָּל שָׁנָה, אָכַלְתָּ אוֹתָהּ שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים אוֹ אַרְבַּע, הוֹצֵא אֶת דְּמֵיהֶן מִן הַחֶשְׁבוֹן וְטֹל אֶת הַשְּׁאָר"; וְזֶהוּ וְהֵשִׁיב אֶת הָעֹדֵף בִּדְמֵי הַמֶּקַח עַל הָאֲכִילָה שֶׁאֲכָלָהּ וְיִתְּנֵם לַלּוֹקֵחַ:
לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר מָֽכַר־לוֹ - To the man to whom he sold it - “he” referring to the original seller, who wishes to redeem it.   לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר מָֽכַר־לוֹ.  הַמּוֹכֵר הַזֶּה שֶׁבָּא לְגָאֳלָהּ:
28But if he cannot afford to repay, his sale must remain in the possession of the one who has purchased it until the Jubilee year. It must go out of the purchaser’s possession in the Jubilee year and revert to the original owner’s inheritance.   כחוְאִ֨ם לֹא־מָֽצְאָ֜ה יָד֗וֹ דֵּי֘ הָשִׁ֣יב לוֹ֒ וְהָיָ֣ה מִמְכָּר֗וֹ בְּיַד֙ הַקֹּנֶ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ עַ֖ד שְׁנַ֣ת הַיּוֹבֵ֑ל וְיָצָא֙ בַּיֹּבֵ֔ל וְשָׁ֖ב לַֽאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ:
דֵּי הָשִׁיב לוֹ - (lit.) Enough to repay [the buyer]. From here, we learn that he may not redeem it one part at a time.   דֵּי הָשִׁיב לוֹ.  מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵינוֹ גוֹאֵל לַחֲצָאִין (ספרא; ערכין ל'):
עַד שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל - Until the Jubilee year. עַד “until” indicates that the field may not enter that year in the purchaser’s possession at all, for the Jubilee effects release of property at its onset.   עַד שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל.  שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס לְתוֹךְ אוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה כְּלוּם, שֶׁהַיּוֹבֵל מְשַׁמֵּט בִּתְחִלָּתוֹ (ספרא; ערכין כ"ח):