## Mishnah Arakhin Chapter 9

###### Mishnah Arakhin 9:1
[Mishnah Arakhin 9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Arakhin/r/9:1)

הַמּוֹכֵר אֶת שָׂדֵהוּ בִּשְׁעַת הַיּוֹבֵל, אֵינוֹ מֻתָּר לִגְאוֹל פָּחוּת מִשְּׁתֵּי שָׁנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה), בְּמִסְפַּר שְׁנֵי תְבוּאֹת יִמְכָּר לָךְ. הָיְתָה שְׁנַת שִׁדָּפוֹן וְיֵרָקוֹן אוֹ שְׁבִיעִית, אֵינָהּ עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּנְיָן. נָרָהּ אוֹ הוֹבִירָהּ, עוֹלָה לוֹ מִן הַמִּנְיָן. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, מְכָרָהּ לוֹ לִפְנֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְהִיא מְלֵאָה פֵרוֹת, הֲרֵי זֶה אוֹכֵל מִמֶּנָּה שָׁלשׁ תְּבוּאוֹת לִשְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**One who sells his field during a period** when **the Jubilee** Year is in effect **is not permitted to redeem it less than two years** after the sale, **as it is stated: “According to the number of years of the crops he shall sell to you”** (Leviticus 25:15). The plural form “years” indicates a minimum of two years. If one of those years **was a year of blight or mildew, or** if it was the **Sabbatical Year,** when the buyer is unable to derive benefit from the field, that year **does not count** as part **of the tally,** and the owner must wait an additional year before redeeming the field. If the buyer **plowed** the field but did not sow it, **or** if **he left it fallow,** that year **counts** as part **of his tally,** as it was fit to produce a crop. **Rabbi Eliezer says:** If the owner of the field **sold it to** the buyer **before Rosh HaShana and** the field **was full of produce,** and the owner redeems the field after two years, **that** buyer **consumes from** the field’s produce **three crops in two years.** Although he received the field with its crop, he is not required to return it in the same state.


###### Mishnah Arakhin 9:2
[Mishnah Arakhin 9:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Arakhin/r/9:2)

מְכָרָהּ לָרִאשׁוֹן בְּמָנֶה, וּמָכַר הָרִאשׁוֹן לַשֵּׁנִי בְּמָאתַיִם, אֵינוֹ מְחַשֵּׁב אֶלָּא עִם הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר מָכַר לוֹ. מְכָרָהּ לָרִאשׁוֹן בְּמָאתַיִם, וּמָכַר הָרִאשׁוֹן לַשֵּׁנִי בְּמָנֶה, אֵינוֹ מְחַשֵּׁב אֶלָּא עִם הָאַחֲרוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם), לָאִישׁ, לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹכָהּ. לֹא יִמְכֹּר בְּרָחוֹק וְיִגְאֹל בְּקָרוֹב, בְּרָע וְיִגְאֹל בְּיָפֶה. לֹא יִלְוֶה וְיִגְאַל, וְלֹא יִגְאַל לַחֲצָאִים. וּבַהֶקְדֵּשׁ מֻתָּר בְּכֻלָּן. זֶה חֹמֶר בַּהֶדְיוֹט מִבַּהֶקְדֵּשׁ:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
When the Jubilee Year is in effect, one may sell a field only until the Jubilee Year, at which point the field returns to its original owner. If the owner redeems the field before the Jubilee Year, the payment per annum is calculated by dividing the sale price by the number of years from the sale until the Jubilee Year. The owner returns the per annum payment multiplied by the number of years remaining until the Jubilee Year. If the owner of a field **sold it to the first** buyer **for one hundred** dinars **and the first** buyer then **sold** it **to the second** buyer **for two hundred** dinars, when the original owner redeems the field **he calculates** the payment **only** according to the price that he set **with the first** buyer, **as it is stated:** “And he calculates the years of its sale, and he returns the remainder to the man **to whom he sold it”** (Leviticus 25:27). If the owner of a field **sold it to the first** buyer **for two hundred** dinars **and the first** buyer then **sold** it **to the second** buyer **for one hundred** dinars, when the original owner redeems the field, **he calculates** the payment **only** according to the price that was paid **by the last** buyer, **as it is stated: “And he calculates the years of its sale, and he returns the remainder to the man to whom he sold it.”** The superfluous term “to the man” indicates that the verse is referring **to the man who is** currently **in** possession of the field. One **may not sell** his ancestral field that is located **in a distant** area **and redeem** with the proceeds a field that he sold **in a nearby** area. Likewise, he may not sell **a low-quality** field **and redeem with** the proceeds **a high-quality** field. **And he may not borrow** money **and redeem** the field, **nor may he redeem** the field incrementally, **half** now and half at a later date. **But with regard to** redeeming a field from **the Temple** treasury, it is **permitted** to redeem the field **in any of these** ways. **This is** a *halakha* where greater **stringency** applies **with regard to** redeeming a field from **an ordinary** individual **than with regard to** redeeming it from **the Temple** treasury.


###### Mishnah Arakhin 9:3
[Mishnah Arakhin 9:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Arakhin/r/9:3)

הַמּוֹכֵר בַּיִת בְּבָתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה, הֲרֵי זֶה גוֹאֵל מִיָּד, וְגוֹאֵל כָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, הֲרֵי זֶה כְּמִין רִבִּית וְאֵינָהּ רִבִּית. מֵת הַמּוֹכֵר, יִגְאַל בְּנוֹ. מֵת הַלּוֹקֵחַ, יִגְאַל מִיַּד בְּנוֹ. אֵינוֹ מוֹנֶה לוֹ שָׁנָה אֶלָּא מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁמָּכַר לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם), עַד מְלֹאת לוֹ שָׁנָה תְמִימָה. וּכְשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר תְּמִימָה, לְהָבִיא חֹדֶשׁ הָעִבּוּר. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, יִתֵּן לוֹ שָׁנָה וְעִבּוּרָהּ:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**One who sells a house** from **among the houses of walled cities may redeem** the house **immediately,** even without the consent of the buyer, **and he may redeem** the house during **the entire twelve months** following the sale, but not after that. When he redeems the house within the twelve-month period, he returns the sale price to the buyer, and **this is** ostensibly **like a form of interest,** as the buyer has effectively resided in the house for free in exchange for the fact that the buyer’s money was in the possession of the seller. **It is not** considered **interest,** because the buyer owned the house during the period in which he resided in it. If **the seller died, his son may redeem** the house from the buyer. If **the buyer died,** the seller **may redeem** it **from the possession of** the buyer’s **son.** If the buyer sold the house to another, **one calculates** the **year only from the time that** the owner **sold** the house to the first buyer, **as it is stated:** “And if it is not redeemed **until the passage of** a full **year for him,** then the house that is in the walled city shall stand in possession of the one who bought it in perpetuity” (Leviticus 25:30). The term “for him” indicates that the year is calculated from when the initial owner sold the house. **When it says: “A full** year,” this serves **to include the intercalated month** in the year calculated from the sale, if it was a leap year. **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **says:** The word “full” serves **to give** the seller **a year and its addition,** i.e., the year during which the house may be redeemed is not the 354-day lunar year, but the 365-day solar year.


###### Mishnah Arakhin 9:4
[Mishnah Arakhin 9:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Arakhin/r/9:4)

הִגִּיעַ יוֹם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ וְלֹא נִגְאַל, הָיָה חָלוּט לוֹ, אֶחָד הַלּוֹקֵחַ וְאֶחָד שֶׁנִּתַּן לוֹ מַתָּנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לַצְּמִיתוּת. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיָה נִטְמָן יוֹם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁיְּהֵא חָלוּט לוֹ. הִתְקִין הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן, שֶׁיְּהֵא חוֹלֵשׁ אֶת מְעוֹתָיו בַּלִּשְׁכָּה, וִיהֵא שׁוֹבֵר אֶת הַדֶּלֶת וְנִכְנָס. אֵימָתַי שֶׁיִּרְצֶה הַלָּה, יָבֹא וְיִטֹּל אֶת מְעוֹתָיו:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If the final **day of the twelve-month** period **arrived and** the house **was not redeemed,** the house has **become** the property **of** the buyer **in perpetuity.** This is the *halakha* with regard to both **one who buys** a house in a walled city **and one to whom it is given as a gift, as it is stated:** “Then the house that is in the walled city shall stand in possession of the one who bought it **in perpetuity”** (Leviticus 25:30). **At first,** the buyer **would conceal himself** on the final **day of the twelve-month** period, **in order to** ensure **that it would become his in perpetuity. Hillel instituted that** the seller **would place [*ḥolesh*] his money in the chamber** of the court **and** that **he will break the door and enter** the house, and **when the other** individual, i.e., the buyer, **will wish** to do so, **he may come** to the chamber **and take his money.**


###### Mishnah Arakhin 9:5
[Mishnah Arakhin 9:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Arakhin/r/9:5)

כֹּל שֶׁהוּא לִפְנִים מִן הַחוֹמָה, הֲרֵי הוּא כְבָתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה, חוּץ מִן הַשָּׂדוֹת. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אַף הַשָּׂדוֹת. בַּיִת הַבָּנוּי בַּחוֹמָה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֵינוֹ כְבָתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, כֹּתֶל הַחִיצוֹן הִיא חוֹמָתוֹ:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The halakhic status of **any** area **that is** located **within the** city **wall is like** that **of the houses of walled cities** in terms of its redemption, **except for the fields** located therein. **Rabbi Meir says: Even the fields** are included in this category. With regard to **a house that is built in the wall** itself, **Rabbi Yehuda says:** Its halakhic status **is not like** that **of the houses of walled cities. Rabbi Shimon says: The outer wall** of the house **is** considered the city **wall,** and therefore it has the status of a house in a walled city.


###### Mishnah Arakhin 9:6
[Mishnah Arakhin 9:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Arakhin/r/9:6)

עִיר שֶׁגַּגּוֹתֶיהָ חוֹמָתָהּ, וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ מֻקֶּפֶת חוֹמָה מִימוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן, אֵינָהּ כְּבָתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן בָּתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה, שָׁלשׁ חֲצֵרוֹת שֶׁל שְׁנֵי שְׁנֵי בָתִּים, מֻקָּפוֹת חוֹמָה מִימוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן, כְּגוֹן קַצְּרָה הַיְשָׁנָה שֶׁל צִפּוֹרִים, וְחַקְרָה שֶׁל גּוּשׁ חָלָב, וְיוֹדְפַת הַיְשָׁנָה, וְגַמְלָא, וּגְדוֹד, וְחָדִיד, וְאוֹנוֹ, וִירוּשָׁלַיִם, וְכֵן כַּיּוֹצֵא בָהֶן:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The halakhic status of a house in **a city whose** houses are attached and their **rooftops** constitute the top of **its wall, and** likewise, the status of a house in a city **that is not surrounded by a wall from the era of Joshua, son of Nun,** even if a surrounding wall was constructed during a later period, **is not like** that **of the houses of walled cities. And these are the houses of walled cities:** Any city in which there are at least **three courtyards,** each containing **two houses,** and which is **surrounded by a wall from the era of Joshua, son of Nun, e.g., the ancient fort [*katzra*] of Tzippori, and the fortress [*ḥakra*] of Gush Ḥalav, and ancient Yodfat, and Gamla, and Gedod, and Ḥadid, and Ono, and Jerusalem, and likewise** other **similar** cities.


###### Mishnah Arakhin 9:7
[Mishnah Arakhin 9:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Arakhin/r/9:7)

בָּתֵּי הַחֲצֵרִים, נוֹתְנִים לָהֶם כֹּחַ הַיָּפֶה שֶׁבְּבָתֵּי עָרֵי חוֹמָה וְכֹחַ הַיָּפֶה שֶׁבַּשָּׂדוֹת. נִגְאָלִין מִיָּד, וְנִגְאָלִין כָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ כַּבָּתִּים, וְיוֹצְאִים בַּיּוֹבֵל וּבְגִרְעוֹן כֶּסֶף כַּשָּׂדוֹת. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן בָּתֵּי חֲצֵרִים, שְׁתֵּי חֲצֵרוֹת שֶׁל שְׁנֵי שְׁנֵי בָתִּים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֻּקָּפִין חוֹמָה מִימוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְבָתֵּי חֲצֵרִים:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to the **houses of the** unwalled **courtyards** mentioned in the Torah (see Leviticus 25:31), i.e., houses in villages that are not surrounded by walls, **one accords them the exceptional provisions that** apply **to houses of walled cities and the exceptional provisions that** apply **to fields.** Therefore, **they are redeemed immediately and** for **the entire twelve months** following the sale, **like** in **the** sale of **houses** of walled cities, and not like fields, which may be redeemed only after two years. **And they leave** the possession of the buyer **during the Jubilee** Year **or with** a per annum **deduction** from the **money** of the sale price, **like the** sale of **fields.** By contrast, houses of walled cities become the possession of the buyer in perpetuity after one year, and if they are redeemed within the year, one pays the full sale price. **And these are the houses of the** unwalled **courtyards** whose *halakha* was taught in the previous mishna: Any city in which there are **two courtyards** each containing **two houses, although it is surrounded by a wall from the era of Joshua, son of Nun, their** halakhic status **is like that of the houses of** the unwalled **courtyards.**


###### Mishnah Arakhin 9:8
[Mishnah Arakhin 9:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Arakhin/r/9:8)

יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיָּרַשׁ אֲבִי אִמּוֹ לֵוִי, אֵינוֹ גוֹאֵל כַּסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה. וְכֵן לֵוִי שֶׁיָּרַשׁ אֶת אֲבִי אִמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵינוֹ גוֹאֵל כַּסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה), כִּי בָתֵּי עָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם, עַד שֶׁיְהֵא לֵוִי וּבְעָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין הַדְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים אֶלָּא בְעָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם. אֵין עוֹשִׂים שָׂדֶה מִגְרָשׁ וְלֹא מִגְרָשׁ שָׂדֶה, וְלֹא מִגְרָשׁ עִיר וְלֹא עִיר מִגְרָשׁ. אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים. בְּעָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם. אֲבָל בְּעָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, עוֹשִׂין שָׂדֶה מִגְרָשׁ וְלֹא מִגְרָשׁ שָׂדֶה, מִגְרָשׁ עִיר וְלֹא עִיר מִגְרָשׁ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַחֲרִיבוּ אֶת עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם מוֹכְרִים לְעוֹלָם וְגוֹאֲלִים לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם), גְּאֻלַּת עוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה לַלְוִיִּם:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**An Israelite who inherited** a house in a walled city from **his mother’s father** who was **a Levite does not redeem** the house **in accordance with this procedure** delineated in the previous *mishnayot*; rather, if he sold the inherited house, he may redeem it always, like a Levite. **And likewise, a Levite who inherited** a house in a walled city from **his mother’s father** who was **an Israelite does not redeem** the house **in accordance with this procedure** delineated in the previous *mishnayot*. The mishna provides the source for these *halakhot*: **As it is stated:** “And if a man purchases from the Levites, the house that was sold in the city of his possession shall go out during the Jubilee Year; **as the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession** among the children of Israel” (Leviticus 25:33). The verse indicates that the ability to always redeem the house of a Levite does not apply **unless** the one selling the house **will be a Levite and** the house is located in **the cities of the Levites.** This is **the statement of Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi. **And the Rabbis say: These matters are stated only** with regard to a house **in the cities of the Levites,** even if the owner was not a Levite. The Levites received two thousand cubits surrounding their cities, one thousand cubits of empty lots and one thousand cubits for fields and vineyards. **One may neither render a field** an empty **lot nor** an empty **lot a field.** Similarly, one may neither incorporate an empty **lot** into **a city nor** render part of **a city** an empty **lot.** **Rabbi Elazar said: In what** case **is this statement said?** It applies **in the cities of the Levites. But in the cities of the Israelites one may render a field** an empty **lot but not** an empty **lot a field,** and one may incorporate an empty **lot** into **a city but not** render part of **a city** an empty **lot,** in order to ensure **that they will not** thereby **destroy the cities of Israel. The priests and the Levites may sell** their fields and houses **always and may redeem** them **always, as it is stated: “The Levites shall have a perpetual right of redemption”** (Leviticus 25:32). Priests are also members of the tribe of Levi.