Vayikra (Leviticus) Chapter 25

29When a man sells a residential house inside a walled city, its redemption may take place only until the end of the year of its sale. Thus, its period of redemption is one full year.   כטוְאִ֗ישׁ כִּֽי־יִמְכֹּ֤ר בֵּֽית־מוֹשַׁב֙ עִ֣יר חוֹמָ֔ה וְהָֽיְתָה֙ גְּאֻלָּת֔וֹ עַד־תֹּ֖ם שְׁנַ֣ת מִמְכָּר֑וֹ יָמִ֖ים תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה גְאֻלָּתֽוֹ:
בֵּֽית־מוֹשַׁב עִיר חוֹמָה - A residential house (lit.) of a walled city - i.e., a house within a city surrounded by a wall from the time of Joshua son of Nun.   בֵּֽית־מוֹשַׁב עִיר חוֹמָה.  בַּיִת בְּתוֹךְ עִיר הַמֻּקֶּפֶת חוֹמָה מִימוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן (ספרא):
וְהָֽיְתָה גְּאֻלָּתוֹ - Its redemption may take place. Since it says regarding a field that he may redeem it from two years after sale and onward, whenever he wishes, but within the first two years he may not redeem it, it was necessary to explain regarding this case that the opposite applies: If he wishes to redeem it within the first year, he may redeem it, but after that he may no longer redeem it.   וְהָֽיְתָה גְּאֻלָּתוֹ.  לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּשָׂדֶה שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְגָאֳלָהּ מִשְּׁתֵי שָׁנִים וָאֵילָךְ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּרְצֶה, וּבְתוֹךְ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְגָאֳלָהּ, הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵט בָּזֶה שֶׁהוּא חִלּוּף — שֶׁאִם רָצָה לִגְאֹל בְּשָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה גּוֹאֲלָהּ, וּלְאַחַר מִכָּאן אֵינוֹ גוֹאֲלָהּ:
וְהָֽיְתָה גְּאֻלָּתוֹ - Its redemption may take place - i.e., that of the house.   וְהָֽיְתָה גְּאֻלָּתוֹ.  שֶׁל בַּיִת:
יָמִים - (lit.) Days. The days of an entire year are called יָמִים. Similarly we find: “Let the girl remain with us for a year (יָמִים).” 1   יָמִים.  יְמֵי שָׁנָה שְׁלֵמָה קְרוּיִים יָמִים, וְכֵן "תֵּשֵׁב הַנַּעֲרָה אִתָּנוּ יָמִים" (בראשית כ"ד):
30If it is not redeemed by the end of a complete year since its sale, that house in the walled city will remain permanently the property of the person who purchased it, throughout his generations. It will not leave his possession in the Jubilee year.   לוְאִ֣ם לֹֽא־יִגָּאֵ֗ל עַד־מְלֹ֣את לוֹ֘ שָׁנָ֣ה תְמִימָה֒ וְ֠קָ֠ם הַבַּ֨יִת אֲשֶׁר־בָּעִ֜יר אֲשֶׁר־ל֣וֹ (כתיב אשר־לא) חֹמָ֗ה לַצְּמִיתֻ֛ת לַקֹּנֶ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ לְדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו לֹ֥א יֵצֵ֖א בַּיֹּבֵֽל:
וְקָם הַבַּיִת … צמיתת - That house…will remain permanently. i.e., it leaves the control of the seller and stays under the control of the purchaser.   וְקָם הַבַּיִת … צמיתת.  יָצָא מִכֹּחוֹ שֶׁל מוֹכֵר וְעוֹמֵד בְּכֹחוֹ שֶׁל קוֹנֶה:
אֲשֶׁר־לֹֽא־חֹמָה - Although the written form לֹא would indicate that the phrase be translated “that has no wall,” we read, i.e., interpret, the word as if it were written לוֹ, i.e., “that has a wall.” Our rabbis of blessed memory 2 stated the meaning of this: although it does not have one now, it is considered a walled city since it had one previously. Although this word is referring to עִיר “city,” which is feminine, and it therefore should have written לָהּ and not לוֹ, since it was necessary to write the word as לֹא in the text, the traditional reading was established as לוֹ, since the sound of לוֹ is similar to לֹא.   אֲשֶׁר־לֹֽא־חֹמָה.  "לוֹ" קָרֵינָן, אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִ"לִ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ עַכְשָׁיו הוֹאִיל וְהָיְתָה לוֹ קֹדֶם לָכֵן; וְעִיר נְקֵבָה הִיא, וְהֻצְרַךְ לִכְתֹּב "לָהּ", אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִכְתֹּב "לֹא" בִּפְנִים, תִּקְּנוּ "לוֹ" בַּמָּסֹרֶת — זֶה נוֹפֵל עַל זֶה:
לֹֽא־יֵצֵא בַּיֹּבֵֽל - It will not leave [his possession] in the Jubilee [year]. Rabbi Safra said: From here, we learn that even if the Jubilee year arrives during the year of sale, the house does not leave him.   לֹֽא־יֵצֵא בַּיֹּבֵֽל.  אָמַר רַב סַפְרָא אִם פָּגַע בּוֹ יוֹבֵל בְּתוֹךְ שְׁנָתוֹ לֹא יֵצֵא (עי' ערכין ל"א):
31Houses in open cities that do not have a surrounding wall are to be considered as the field of the land. Such houses must be allowed their redemption; the house will leave the purchaser’s possession in the Jubilee year.   לאוּבָתֵּ֣י הַֽחֲצֵרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵֽין־לָהֶ֤ם חֹמָה֙ סָבִ֔יב עַל־שְׂדֵ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ יֵֽחָשֵׁ֑ב גְּאֻלָּה֙ תִּֽהְיֶה־לּ֔וֹ וּבַיֹּבֵ֖ל יֵצֵֽא:
וּבָתֵּי הַֽחֲצֵרִים - Houses in open cities. The meaning of חֲצֵרִים is as Onkelos translates it: פַצְחִין “open cities without walls,” and there are many instances of such usage in the Book of Joshua, e.g., הֶעָרִים וְחַצְרֵיהֶם “The walled cities and their open towns”; 3 and similarly: בְּחַצְרֵיהֶם וּבְטִירֹתָם “their open towns and their strongholds.” 4   וּבָתֵּי הַֽחֲצֵרִים.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "פַּצְחִין" — עֲיָרוֹת פְּתוּחוֹת מֵאֵין חוֹמָה, וְיֵשׁ הַרְבֵּה בְּסֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, "הֶעָרִים וְחַצְרֵיהֶם" (יהושע י"ג), "בְּחַצְרֵיהֶם וּבְטִירֹתָם" (בראשית כ"ה):
עַל־שְׂדֵה הָאָרֶץ יֵֽחָשֵׁב - Are to be considered as field of the land - i.e., they are like fields in that they may be redeemed until the Jubilee year, and revert to the original owner in the Jubilee year if they were not previously redeemed.   עַל־שְׂדֵה הָאָרֶץ יֵֽחָשֵׁב.  הֲרֵי הֵן כְּשָׂדוֹת, הַנִּגְאָלִים עַד הַיּוֹבֵל וְיוֹצְאִין בַּיּוֹבֵל לַבְּעָלִים אִם לֹא נִגְאֲלוּ:
גְּאֻלָּה תִּֽהְיֶה־לּוֹ - [Such houses] must be allowed their redemption - immediately, if the seller so wishes. In this respect houses in open cities have an advantage over fields, for fields cannot be redeemed until two years after their sale.   גְּאֻלָּה תִּֽהְיֶה־לּוֹ.  מִיָּד, אִם יִרְצֶה, וּבָזֶה יָפֶה כֹחוֹ מִכֹּחַ שָׂדוֹת, שֶׁהַשָּׂדוֹת אֵין נִגְאֲלוֹת עַד שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים (ערכין ל"ג):
וּבַיֹּבֵל יֵצֵֽא - Will leave [the purchaser’s possession] in the Jubilee [year] - for free.   וּבַיֹּבֵל יֵצֵֽא.  בְּחִנָּם:
32Regarding the cities of the Levites: the Levites will have unlimited rights of redemption both of the houses of their cities and of their landed property.   לבוְעָרֵי֙ הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם בָּתֵּ֖י עָרֵ֣י אֲחֻזָּתָ֑ם גְּאֻלַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה לַֽלְוִיִּֽם:
וְעָרֵי הַֽלְוִיִּם - The cities of the Levites - i.e., the 48 cities that were given to them.   וְעָרֵי הַֽלְוִיִּם.  אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה עִיר שֶׁנִתְּנוּ לָהֶם:
גְּאֻלַּת עוֹלָם - Unlimited rights of redemption - i.e., the Levite may redeem it immediately, even before two years have elapsed since the sale, if the Levites sold one of their fields that were given to them within the 2000-cubit area surrounding their cities; or if they sold a house in a walled city, they may always redeem it, and it does not become transferred absolutely to the buyer at the end of one year.   גְּאֻלַּת עוֹלָם.  גּוֹאֵל מִיָּד, אֲפִלּוּ לִפְנֵי שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים, אִם מָכְרוּ שָׂדֶה מִשְּׂדוֹתֵיהֶם הַנְּתוּנוֹת לָהֶם בְּאַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה סְבִיבוֹת הֶעָרִים, אוֹ אִם מָכְרוּ בַיִת בְּעִיר חוֹמָה, גּוֹאֲלִין לְעוֹלָם וְאֵינוֹ חָלוּט לְסוֹף שָׁנָה (שם):
33If someone purchases property from the Levites, the purchased house or inherited city will leave the possession of the purchaser in the Jubilee year, because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their sole inherited property amid the Israelites.   לגוַֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר יִגְאַל֙ מִן־הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם וְיָצָ֧א מִמְכַּר־בַּ֛יִת וְעִ֥יר אֲחֻזָּת֖וֹ בַּיֹּבֵ֑ל כִּ֣י בָתֵּ֞י עָרֵ֣י הַֽלְוִיִּ֗ם הִ֚וא אֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
וַֽאֲשֶׁר יִגְאַל מִן־הַֽלְוִיִּם - If someone purchases property from the Levites - i.e., if one buys a house or a city from them.   וַֽאֲשֶׁר יִגְאַל מִן־הַֽלְוִיִּם.  וְאִם יִקְנֶה בַיִת אוֹ עִיר מֵהֶם:
וְיֵצֵא בַיּוֹבֵל - 

that sold house or city will leave the possession of the purchaser in the Jubilee year and will revert to the possession of the Levite who sold it; it will not become transferred to the purchaser absolutely like other houses in walled cities belonging to lay Israelites. This instance of the verb גאל thus denotes selling.

Another explanation, rendering גאל as “redeem”: Since it says: “the Levites will have unlimited rights of redemption,” 5 I might think that Scripture is only speaking about an Israelite buyer who bought a house in one of the Levite cities, but if a Levite buys a house from another Levite, it does become transferred absolutely if not redeemed within the year. Scripture therefore states: וַאֲשֶׁר יִגְאַל מִן הַלְוִיִּם “And that which is redeemed from the Levites” – i.e., a Levite who redeems from a Levite buyer also has a permanent right of redemption.

  וְיֵצֵא בַיּוֹבֵל.  אוֹתוֹ מִמְכָּר שֶׁל בַּיִת אוֹ שֶׁל עִיר וְיָשׁוּב לַלֵּוִי שֶׁמְּכָרוֹ, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה חָלוּט כִּשְׁאָר בָּתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּגְאֻלָּה זוֹ לְשׁוֹן מְכִירָה; דָּבָר אַחֵר, לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר גְּאֻלַּת עוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה לַלְוִיִּם, יָכוֹל לֹא דִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא בְּלוֹקֵחַ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁקָּנָה בַיִת בְּעָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם, אֲבָל לֵוִי שֶׁקָּנָה מִלֵּוִי, יִהְיֶה חָלוּט, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר וַאֲשֶׁר יִגְאַל מִן הַלְוִיִּם — אַף הַגּוֹאֵל מִיַּד לֵוִי גּוֹאֵל גְּאֻלַּת עוֹלָם:
וְיָצָא מִמְכַּר־בַּיִת - The purchased house…will leave. According to the previous explanation, this is stating another commandment: And if he did not redeem it beforehand, it leaves the possession of buyer in the Jubilee year and does not become transferred absolutely to the buyer at the end of one year like a house bought from an Israelite.   וְיָצָא מִמְכַּר־בַּיִת.  הֲרֵי זוֹ מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת, וְאִם לֹא גְאָלָהּ, יוֹצְאָה בַיּוֹבֵל וְאֵינוֹ נֶחְלָט לְסוֹף שָׁנָה כְּבַיִת שֶׁל יִשְֹרָאֵל:
כִּי בָתֵּי עָרֵי הַֽלְוִיִּם הִוא אֲחֻזָּתָם - Because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their inherited property. They do not receive an inheritance of fields or vineyards, but only cities to dwell in and their surrounding open spaces. Therefore, these cities are for them in place of regular fields, and may thus be redeemed like fields, so that their possession of their inheritance never be terminated.   כִּי בָתֵּי עָרֵי הַֽלְוִיִּם הִוא אֲחֻזָּתָם.  לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם נַחֲלַת שָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים, אֶלָּא עָרִים לָשֶׁבֶת וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם, לְפִיכָךְ הֵם לָהֶם בִּמְקוֹם שָׂדוֹת, וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם גְּאֻלָּה כְשָׂדוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תֻּפְקַע נַחֲלָתָם מֵהֶם:
34A field surrounding the open areas of the Levites’ cities cannot be “sold,” because it is the Levites’ eternal inheritance.   לדוּֽשֲׂדֵ֛ה מִגְרַ֥שׁ עָֽרֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֣א יִמָּכֵ֑ר כִּֽי־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם ה֖וּא לָהֶֽם:
וּֽשֲׂדֵה מִגְרַשׁ עָֽרֵיהֶם לֹא יִמָּכֵר - A field [surrounding] the open areas of their cities cannot be sold - this refers to a sale by the Temple treasurer, and thus implies that if a Levite consecrated his field to the Temple but did not redeem it, and the treasurer subsequently sold it, it does not pass to the priests in the Jubilee year as is stated regarding a field consecrated by an Israelite: “if the treasurer has sold the field to someone else, it may no longer be redeemed.” 6 That is true of the lay Israelite, but the Levite may always redeem it.   וּֽשֲׂדֵה מִגְרַשׁ עָֽרֵיהֶם לֹא יִמָּכֵר.  מֶכֶר גִּזְבָּר, שֶׁאִם הִקְדִּישׁ בֶּן לֵוִי אֶת שָׂדֵהוּ וְלֹא גְאָלָהּ וּמְכָרָהּ גִּזְבָּר, אֵינָהּ יוֹצְאָה לַכֹּהֲנִים בַּיּוֹבֵל כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִם מָכַר אֶת הַשָּׂדֶה לְאִישׁ אַחֵר לֹא יִגָּאֵל עוֹד (ויקרא כ"ז), אֲבָל בֶּן לֵוִי גּוֹאֵל לְעוֹלָם:
35If your brother Israelite is becoming destitute, you must support him as soon as his “hand,” i.e., his financial power, begins to falter beside you, so that he can continue to live with you in financial solvency, even if he be a convert or a resident alien.   להוְכִֽי־יָמ֣וּךְ אָחִ֔יךָ וּמָ֥טָה יָד֖וֹ עִמָּ֑ךְ וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּ בּ֔וֹ גֵּ֧ר וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב וָחַ֖י עִמָּֽךְ:
וְהֶֽחֱזַקְתָּ בּוֹ - You must support him - i.e., do not let his fortunes drop and collapse, as then it will be difficult to set him up again; rather, support him as soon as he begins to falter. To what is this comparable? To a slipping load on a donkey – as long as it is still on the donkey, one person can grab it and set it right, but once it has fallen to the ground, even five people cannot set it right.   וְהֶֽחֱזַקְתָּ בּוֹ.  אַל תַּנִּיחֵהוּ שֶׁיֵּרֵד וְיִפֹּל וְיִהְיֶה קָשֶׁה לַהֲקִימוֹ, אֶלָּא חַזְּקֵהוּ מִשְּׁעַת מוֹטַת הַיָּד; לְמָה זֶה דוֹמֶה? לְמַשּׂאוֹי שֶׁעַל הַחֲמוֹר, עוֹדֵהוּ עַל הַחֲמוֹר אֶחָד תּוֹפֵס בּוֹ וּמַעֲמִידוֹ, נָפַל לָאָרֶץ, חֲמִשָּׁה אֵין מַעֲמִידִין אוֹתוֹ:
גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב - A convert or a resident - i.e., even if he is a convert or a resident. What is a “resident”? Any non-Jew who accepted upon himself not to worship idols, but who may still eat carcasses of animals that were not ritually slaughtered.   גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב.  אַף אִם הוּא גֵּר אוֹ תוֹשָׁב; וְאֵיזֶהוּ תוֹשָׁב? כָּל שֶׁקִּבֵּל עָלָיו שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְאוֹכֵל נְבֵלוֹת (עי' ספרא):
36You must not take interest, interest from him. You must fear your God. Enable your brother Israelite to live with you in financial solvency.   לואַל־תִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתּוֹ֙ נֶ֣שֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּ֔ית וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְחֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ עִמָּֽךְ:
נֶשֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּית - Interest, interest. Although it is expressed as two terms, the rabbis equated them. It is expressed as two terms in order to teach us that one who transgresses this prohibition violates two passive commandments.   נֶשֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּית.  חַד שַׁוִּינְהוּ רַבָּנָן, וְלַעֲבֹר עָלָיו בִּשְׁנֵי לָאוִין (בבא מציעא ס'):
וְיָרֵאתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶיךָ - You must fear your God. Since a person’s thought naturally inclines to take interest, and it is difficult to refrain from doing so, and he may convince himself that it is permitted as compensation for him not making any profit through his money while it was held by the borrower, it was therefore necessary for Scripture to say: “You must fear your God.” Alternatively, if someone pretends that his money is really that of a non-Jew so that he can lend it to an Israelite on interest, this is a matter of which only his own heart and thoughts can be aware, and for this reason Scripture needed to say: “You must fear your God.”   וְיָרֵאתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶיךָ.  לְפִי שֶׁדַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם נִמְשֶׁכֶת אַחַר הָרִבִּית, וְקָשֶׁה לִפְרֹשׁ הֵימֶנּוּ, וּמוֹרֶה לְעַצְמוֹ הֶתֵּר בִּשְׁבִיל מְעוֹתָיו שֶׁהָיוּ בְטֵלוֹת אֶצְלוֹ, הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר וְיָרֵאתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ, אוֹ הַתּוֹלֶה מְעוֹתָיו בְּגוֹי כְּדֵי לְהַלְווֹתָם לְיִשְֹרָאֵל בְּרִבִּית, הֲרֵי זֶה דָבָר הַמָּסוּר לְלִבּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ, לְכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר וְיָרֵאתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ (שם ס"א):
37You must not give him your money on the condition of being paid back with interest; you must not give him your food on the condition of being paid back with interest.   לזאֶת־כַּ֨סְפְּךָ֔ לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן ל֖וֹ בְּנֶ֑שֶׁךְ וּבְמַרְבִּ֖ית לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן אָכְלֶֽךָ:
38I am God, your God, who took you out of Egypt in order to give you Canaan; in order to be a God to you.   לחאֲנִ֗י יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לָתֵ֤ת לָכֶם֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לִֽהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִֽים:
אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵאתִי וגו' - Who took [you] out…. just as I discerned between a firstborn and a non-firstborn, I also recognize and will exact punishment from one who lends money to an Israelite on interest and claims that it belongs to a non-Jew. Another explanation: “who took you out of Egypt” – I redeemed you on condition that you accept My commandments upon yourselves, even if they be difficult for you.   אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵאתִי וגו'.  וְהִבְחַנְתִּי בֵין בְּכוֹר לְשֶׁאֵינוֹ בְכוֹר, אַף אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ וְנִפְרָע מִן הַמַּלְוֶה מָעוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרִבִּית וְאוֹמֵר שֶׁל גּוֹי הֵם; דָּבָר אַחֵר: אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַל מְנָת שֶׁתְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיכֶם מִצְוֹתַי, וַאֲפִלּוּ הֵן כְּבֵדוֹת עֲלֵיכֶם:
לָתֵת לָכֶם אֶת־אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן - To give you Canaan - as reward for accepting upon yourselves to fulfill My commandments.   לָתֵת לָכֶם אֶת־אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן.  בִּשְׂכַר שֶׁתְּקַבְּלוּ מִצְוֹתַי:
לִֽהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵֽאלֹהִֽים - In order to be a God to you - for whoever lives in the Land of Israel – I consider Myself his God, but whoever leaves I consider to be an idolater.   לִֽהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵֽאלֹהִֽים.  שֶׁכָּל הַדָּר בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי לוֹ לֵאלֹהִים וְכָל הַיּוֹצֵא מִמֶּנָּה כְּעוֹבֵד עַ"זָ (ספרא; כתובות ק"י):