Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee Chapter 11

אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּתְחַלֶּקֶת לִשְׁבָטִים אֵינָהּ נמְכֶּרֶת לִצְמִיתוּת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה כג) "וְהָאָרֶץ לֹא תִמָּכֵר לִצְמִתֻת". וְאִם מָכַר לִצְמִיתוּת שְׁנֵיהֶם עוֹבְרִין בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה. וְאֵין מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן מוֹעִילִין אֶלָּא תַּחֲזֹר הַשָּׂדֶה לִבְעָלֶיהָ בַּיּוֹבֵל:

[The portions of] Eretz Yisrael that were divided among the tribes can never be sold permanently, as [Leviticus 25:23] states: "The land will not be sold in perpetuity." If one sells the land in perpetuity, both [the buyer and the seller] violate a negative commandment. Their deeds are of no consequence, and the land reverts to its [original] owner in the Jubilee year.

וְהַמּוֹכֵר שָׂדֵהוּ לְשִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה אֵינָהּ יוֹצְאָה בַּיּוֹבֵל שֶׁאֵין חוֹזֵר בַּיּוֹבֵל אֶלָּא דָּבָר הַנִמְכָּר סְתָם אוֹ הַנִמְכָּר לִצְמִיתוּת:

When a person sells his field for 60 years, it is not returned in the Jubilee. For [the only property] that returns in the Jubilee year is property that is sold without qualification or property that is sold in perpetuity.

לֹא יִמְכֹּר אָדָם בֵּיתוֹ אוֹ שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּתוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם חוֹזְרִין אַחַר זְמַן אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הֶעֱנִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה כה) "וְכִי יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ וּמָכַר מֵאֲחֻזָּתוֹ". אֲבָל לִמְכֹּר וּלְהַנִּיחַ הַדָּמִים בְּכִיסוֹ אוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶן סְחוֹרָה אוֹ לִקַּח בָּהֶן כֵּלִים אוֹ עֲבָדִים וּבְהֵמָה אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי אֶלָּא לִמְזוֹנוֹת בִּלְבַד. וְאִם עָבַר וּמָכַר מִכָּל מָקוֹם הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מְכוּרִין:

A person should not sell his home or his ancestral field even though it returns to him eventually, unless he becomes impoverished, as [Leviticus 25:25] states: "If your brother becomes indigent and sells his ancestral heritage." One is not permitted to sell [such property] and hold the money in his pocket, engage in commerce with them, or purchase utensils, servants, or livestock. [He is only allowed to] sell to provide himself with sustenance. [Nevertheless,] if one transgressed and sold [such property], the sale is valid.

וְדָנִין בְּבַיִת דִּין בָּתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה וּבְשָׂדֶה דִּין שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה. דִּין מוֹכֵר שְׂדֶה אֲחֻזָּתוֹ לְחַשֵּׁב אֶת הַדָּמִים לְפִי הַשָּׁנִים הַנִּשְׁאָרוֹת לַיּוֹבֵל. וּבְכָל עֵת שֶׁיִּרְצֶה לִפְדּוֹת מְחַשֵּׁב עִם הַלּוֹקֵחַ עַל הַשָּׁנִים שֶׁאָכַל. וְגוֹרֵעַ מִדְּמֵי הַמּוֹכֵר וּמַחֲזִיר לוֹ הַשְּׁאָר:

Judgments are made with regard to a home in accordance with the laws of a walled city, and with regard to a field in accordance with the laws of a field that is an ancestral heritage. The laws of a person who sells a field that is an ancestral heritage [require] the calculation of the years remaining until the Jubilee. Whenever [the original owner] desires to redeem the field he should make a reckoning with the purchaser with regard to the years from which he benefited from the field and reduce that from the purchase price and return the remainder.

כֵּיצַד. הֲרֵי הַנִּשְׁאָר לַיּוֹבֵל עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וּמָכַר לוֹ שָׂדֶה בְּמֵאָה דִּינָר. אֲכָלָהּ הַלּוֹקֵחַ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְרָצָה הַמּוֹכֵר לִגְאל נוֹתֵן לוֹ שִׁבְעִים דִּינָר וּמַחֲזִיר שָׂדֵהוּ. וְכֵן אִם אֲכָלָהּ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים נוֹתֵן לוֹ אַרְבָּעִים דִּינָר וּמַחֲזִיר לוֹ שָׂדֵהוּ. לֹא גְאָלָהּ אֶלָּא הִנִּיחָהּ בְּיַד הַלּוֹקֵחַ עַד שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל תַּחֲזֹר לַבְּעָלִים בְּלֹא דָּמִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה טו) "בְּמִסְפַּר שְׁנֵי תְבוּאֹת יִמְכָּר לָךְ":

What is implied? There remained ten years until the Jubilee and a field was sold for 100 dinar. The purchaser benefited from the field for three years and then the seller desired to redeem his field. He should give him 70 dinar and then [the seller] should return the field. Similarly, if he benefited from the field for six years, he should give him 40 dinar and then [the seller] should return the field. If he did not redeem it, but instead left it in the purchaser's possession until the Jubilee, and then it should return to the owner without money, as [indicated by Leviticus 25:15]: "According to the number of years of [its] crops, he will sell it to you."

מְכָרָהּ לוֹ וְהִיא מְלֵאָה פֵּרוֹת וּלְאַחַר שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים גְאָלָהּ אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לוֹמַר לוֹ הַחֲזִירֶנָּה לִי מְלֵאָה פֵּרוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּכַרְתִּי לְךָ. לְפִיכָךְ אִם מְכָרָהּ לוֹ מְלֵאָה פֵּרוֹת לִפְנֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וּגְאָלָהּ אַחַר שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים הֲרֵי זֶה אוֹכֵל שָׁלֹשׁ תְּבוּאוֹת בִּשְׁתֵּי הַשָּׁנִים וְאֵינוֹ מְחַשֵּׁב עִמּוֹ אֶלָּא לְפִי שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים בִּלְבַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כז יח) "עַל פִּי הַשָּׁנִים" לֹא עַל פִּי הַתְּבוּאוֹת:

If he sold it to him when it was filled with produce and then he redeemed it after two years, he cannot tell him: "Return it to me filled with produce as it was when I sold it to you." Therefore if he sold it to him filled with produce before Rosh HaShanah and redeemed it after two years, the purchaser will have benefited from three harvests in those two years. Nevertheless, [the reduction of the price] is calculated only according to two years, as [implied by ibid. 27:18: "the priest shall calculate the money...] according to the remaining years," [i.e., the calculation is made according to years,] and not according to crops.

הַקָּנִים וְהַזְּמוֹרוֹת וּפֵרוֹת שִׁקְמָה שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ הֲרֵי הֵן שֶׁל לוֹקֵחַ כִּשְׁאָר הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁלָּהּ. אֲבָל אִילָן שֶׁנִּכְסַח אוֹ שֶׁיָּבַשׁ שְׁנֵיהֶן אֲסוּרִין בּוֹ. כֵּיצַד יַעֲשֶׂה. יִמָּכֵר וְיִלָּקַח בְּדָמָיו קַרְקַע וְהַלּוֹקֵחַ אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֶיהָ עַד שֶׁתִּגָּאֵל הַשָּׂדֶה מִיָּדוֹ:

The shoots, the twigs, and the fruits from the wild fig trees contained within it belong to the purchaser like its other produce. If, however, [the branches of a tree] are cut down or it dries, they are both forbidden to benefit from it. What should be done? It should be sold and land purchased with the proceeds. The purchaser is entitled to benefit from that land until the [original] field is redeemed from him.

הַלּוֹקֵחַ שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה וּנְטָעָהּ אִילָנוֹת וְהִשְׁבִּיחָה כְּשֶׁהִיא חוֹזֶרֶת בַּיּוֹבֵל שָׁמִין שֶׁבַח הָאִילָנוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ. וְנוֹתֵן בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה דְּמֵי הַשֶּׁבַח לַלּוֹקֵחַ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה לג) "וְיָצָא מִמְכַּר בַּיִת" מִמְכָּר חוֹזֵר וְלֹא הַשֶּׁבַח:

If a person purchases a field that is an ancestral heritage and plants trees which increase the value [of the field], when it returns [to its original owner] in the Jubilee, we should evaluate the increase in value brought about by the trees in it and the owner of the field must pay this sum to the purchaser. [This is derived from ibid. 25:33]: "A home that was sold shall go out... [in the Jubilee]." [Implied is that the home] is returned, but not the increase in its value.

הַמּוֹכֵר אֶת שָׂדֵהוּ בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַיּוֹבֵל נוֹהֵג כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ אֵינוֹ מֻתָּר לִגְאל לְפָחוֹת מִשְּׁתֵּי שָׁנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה טו) "בְּמִסְפַּר שְׁנֵי תְבוּאֹת יִמְכָּר לָךְ". וַאֲפִלּוּ רָצָה הַלּוֹקֵחַ אָסוּר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה טו) "בְּמִסְפַּר שָׁנִים אַחַר הַיּוֹבֵל תִּקְנֶה מֵאֵת עֲמִיתֶךָ". אֵין פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁתֵּי שָׁנִים מֵעֵת לְעֵת מִיּוֹם הַמְּכִירָה:

When a person sells his field in the era when the Jubilee year is observed as we explained, he is not permitted to redeem it in less than two years, as [ibid.:15] states: "According to the number of years of [its] crops, he will sell it to you." Even if the purchaser was willing [to return it earlier], it is forbidden, as [the same verse] states: "According to the number of years after the Jubilee shall you purchase it from your colleague." [The purchaser must maintain possession for] at least two years from the date of the sale.

וְצָרִיךְ שֶׁיֹּאכַל הַלּוֹקֵחַ שְׁתֵּי תְּבוּאוֹת בִּשְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִגְאַל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה טו) "שְׁנֵי תְּבוּאוֹת". לְפִיכָךְ אִם הָיְתָה אַחַת מִשְּׁתֵּי הַשָּׁנִים שְׁבִיעִית אוֹ שְׁנַת שִׁדָּפוֹן אוֹ יֵרָקוֹן אֵינָהּ עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּנְיָן:

The purchaser must benefit from two crops in these two years and then [the seller] may redeem it, for it is written "years of its crops." Therefore if one of the two years were the Sabbatical year or a year of windblast or blight, they are not included in the reckoning.

הִנִּיחָהּ הַלּוֹקֵחַ בּוּרָה שָׁנָה וַאֲכָלָהּ שָׁנָה. אוֹ אֲכָלָהּ שָׁנָה וְנָרָהּ שָׁנָה וְלֹא זְרָעָהּ הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ עוֹלִין לַמִּנְיָן. מְכָרָהּ בִּשְׁנַת יוֹבֵל עַצְמָהּ אֵינָהּ נִמְכֶּרֶת וְהַדָּמִים חוֹזְרִין לַבְּעָלִים:

If, however, the purchaser left it fallow one year and then benefited from it in the second year or benefited from it one year and then lightly plowed it, but did not sow it in the following year, [these years] are included in the reckoning. If he sold it in the Jubilee itself, the sale is not binding and the money should be returned to the seller.

מְכָרָהּ שָׁנָה אַחַת לִפְנֵי הַיּוֹבֵל הֲרֵי הַלּוֹקֵחַ אוֹכֵל אוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה שְׁנִיָּה אַחַר הַיּוֹבֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה טו) "שְׁנֵי תְבוּאֹת":

If he sold it one year before the Jubilee, the purchaser benefits from it for a second year after the Jubilee, as [implied by the phrase]: "years of its crops."

מָכַר נְקָעִים מְלֵאִים מַיִם אוֹ סְלָעִים שֶׁאֵינָם רְאוּיִין לִזְרִיעָה הֲרֵי זֶה פּוֹדֶה בְּפָחוֹת מִשְּׁתֵּי שָׁנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה טו) "בְּמִסְפַּר שְׁנֵי תְבוּאֹת". שָׂדֶה הָרָאוּי לַתְּבוּאָה הִיא שֶׁאֵינָהּ נִגְאֶלֶת אֶלָּא אַחַר שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים. וְאִם לֹא גְּאָלָהּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לִזְרִיעָה חוֹזֶרֶת לַבְּעָלִים בַּיּוֹבֵל:

If he sold clefts that were filled with water or rocky [land] that was not fit to sow upon, he may redeem them in less than two years, as [implied by the phrase]: "years of its crops." One might infer that it is only a field that is fit to grow crops that is not redeemed in less than two years. [Nevertheless,] if the original owner did not redeem [this land], it returns to him in the Jubilee even though it is not fit to be sown.

מָכַר אִילָנוֹת אֵין נִגְאָלִין לְפָחוֹת מִשְּׁתֵּי שָׁנִים שֶׁהֲרֵי רְאוּיִים לִתְבוּאוֹת. וְאִם לֹא גְּאָלָן אֵינָן חוֹזְרִין לַבְּעָלִים בַּיּוֹבֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה כז כח) "וְשָׁב לַאֲחֻזָּתוֹ" וְלֹא לָאִילָנוֹת:

If he sold [fruit-]trees, they may not be redeemed in less than two years, for they are fit to produce crops. If he did not redeem them, they are not returned to the owner in the Jubilee, as [implied by ibid.:27]: "he shall return to his ancestral heritage." [This excludes] trees.

מָכַר שָׂדֵהוּ לְרִאשׁוֹן וְרִאשׁוֹן מָכַר לְשֵׁנִי וְשֵׁנִי לִשְׁלִישִׁי אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה זֶה אַחַר זֶה בִּשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל תַּחֲזֹר לָאָדוֹן הָרִאשׁוֹן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כז כד) "בִּשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל יָשׁוּב הַשָּׂדֶה לַאֲשֶׁר קָנָהוּ מֵאִתּוֹ לַאֲשֶׁר לוֹ אֲחֻזַּת הָאָרֶץ":

If a person sold his field to one person, that person sold it to a second, the second to a third - even if there were 100 consecutive sales - in the Jubilee, it returns to its original owner, as [implied by Leviticus 27:24]: "In the Jubilee year, the field will return to the one from whom he purchased it, whose ancestral heritage it was."

מְכָרָהּ לְרִאשׁוֹן בְּמֵאָה דִּינָר וְרִאשׁוֹן לְשֵׁנִי בְּמָאתַיִם וְרָצָה הָאָדוֹן לִגְאל אֵינוֹ מְחַשֵּׁב אֶלָּא עִם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה כז) "לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר מָכַר לוֹ". מְכָרָהּ לְרִאשׁוֹן בְּמָאתַיִם וְרִאשׁוֹן לְשֵׁנִי בְּמֵאָה הֲרֵי זֶה מְחַשֵּׁב עִם הָאַחֲרוֹן. וְכֵן אִם מָכַר בְּמֵאָה וְהִשְׁבִּיחָה בְּיַד הַלּוֹקֵחַ וַהֲרֵי הִיא רְאוּיָה לְהִמָּכֵר בְּמָאתַיִם מְחַשֵּׁב לְפִי מַה שֶּׁמָּכַר. וְאִם מְכָרָהּ בְּמָאתַיִם וְהִכְסִיפָה וַהֲרֵי הִיא רְאוּיָה לְהִמָּכֵר בְּמֵאָה מְחַשֵּׁב לְפִי מַה שֶּׁהִיא. וּלְעוֹלָם מְיַפִּים כֹּחַ מוֹכֵר שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה וּמְרֵעִין כֹּחַ הַלּוֹקֵחַ:

If [the owner] sold it to the first purchaser for 100 dinarim and [the latter] sold it to the second for 200, should the original owner desire to redeem it, he makes a reckoning only with the first purchaser, as [ibid. 25:27] states: "[And return the remainder] to the man to whom he sold it." If [the owner] sold it to a person for 200 and [the latter] sold it for 100, [the owner] makes a reckoning with the final [purchaser]. Similarly, if he sold the field for 100 and it increased in value in the possession of the purchaser until it was appropriate to be sold for 200, the reckoning should be made according to the purchase price. If he sold it for 200 and its value diminished and it is now fit to be sold for 100, the reckoning should be made according to its present value. [The general principle is:] We always augment the legal power of the seller of an ancestral heritage and weaken the legal power of the purchaser.

הַמּוֹכֵר שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּתוֹ וְהָיוּ לוֹ שָׂדוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת וּמָכַר מֵאוֹתָם הַשָּׂדוֹת כְּדֵי לִגְאל שָׂדֶה שֶׁמָּכַר אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה כו) "וּמָצָא כְּדֵי גְאֻלָּתוֹ" עַד שֶׁיִּמְצָא דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מָצוּי לוֹ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמָּכַר. וְכֵן אִם לָוָה לִגְאל אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה כו) "וְהִשִּׂיגָה יָדוֹ" לֹא שֶׁיִּלְוֶה:

When a person sells a field that is an ancestral heritage, but he also possesses other fields and sells some of those other fields to redeem [his ancestral heritage] that he sold, his [request to redeem the field] is not heeded, for [ibid.:26] states: "And he attained enough to redeem it." [We can infer that] he must attain something that was not accessible to him at the time he sold it. Similarly, if he borrowed [money] to redeem [the field], his [request] is not heeded, for that verse states: "And he acquired." [Implied is that he must obtain the means on his own], not through a loan.

מָצָא מְעַט וְרָצָה לִגְאל חֲצִי הַשָּׂדֶה שֶׁמָּכַר אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה כו) "כְּדֵי גְאֻלָּתוֹ". אוֹ גּוֹאֵל אֶת כֻּלָּהּ אוֹ אֵינוֹ גּוֹאֵל. וְאִם רָצוּ קְרוֹבָיו לִגְאל גּוֹאֲלִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה כה) "וּבָא גֹאֲלוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו":

If he attained a small amount [of resources] and desired to redeem half the field he sold, his [request] is not heeded, for that verse states: "enough to redeem it." Either he redeems the entire [field] or he does not redeem at all. If a relative desired to redeem it, he may, as [ibid.:25] states: "And his redeemer who is related to him shall come...."

הַנּוֹתֵן שָׂדֵהוּ מַתָּנָה הֲרֵי זוֹ חוֹזֶרֶת לוֹ בַּיּוֹבֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה יג) "תָּשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ" לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַמַּתָּנָה:

When a person gives his field away as a present, it returns to him in the Jubilee, as [ibid.:13] states: "Each man shall return to his ancestral heritage." This includes one who gave [it away as] a present.

הָאַחִין שֶׁחָלְקוּ כְּלָקוֹחוֹת הֵן וּמַחְזִירִין זֶה לָזֶה חֶלְקוֹ בַּיּוֹבֵל. לֹא תִּבָּטֵל חֲלוּקָתָן מִכְּמוֹת שֶׁהָיְתָה. וְכֵן הַבְּכוֹר וְהַמְיַבֵּם אֵשֶׁת אָחִיו מַחֲזִיר בַּיּוֹבֵל חֵלֶק שֶׁנָּטַל וְנוֹטֵל הַחֵלֶק שֶׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ:

Brothers who divide [an inheritance] are considered as purchasers and each one should return his portion to the other in the Jubilee, but their division is not nullified. Similarly, a firstborn and one who performs yibbum with his brother's wife, return the portion that they received in the Jubilee and take another portion instead of it.

אֲבָל הַיּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיְּרֻשַּׁת הַבַּעַל מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם עָשׂוּ חִזּוּק לְדִבְרֵיהֶם כְּשֶׁל תּוֹרָה וְאֵינוֹ מַחֲזִיר בַּיּוֹבֵל. וְאִם יָרַשׁ מִמֶּנָּה בֵּית הַקְּבָרוֹת יַחֲזִיר לִבְנֵי מִשְׁפָּחָה מִשּׁוּם פְּגַם מִשְׁפָּחָה וְיִתְּנוּ לוֹ דָּמֶיהָ וּמְנַכִּין לוֹ דְּמֵי קֶבֶר אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁהֲרֵי חַיָּב בִּקְבוּרָתָהּ:

[Different rules apply with regard to a husband] who inherits his wife's [property]. Although a husband's inheritance of this property is a Rabbinic ordinance, our Sages reinforced their decree as if it were of Scriptural origin and he is not required to return it [to the women's family] in the Jubilee year. If he inherited a [family] cemetery from her, he should return it to her family members lest this blemish [the reputation of] the family. They should pay him its worth after deducting the value of his wife's grave, for he is obligated to bury her.