The commandment of appraising a field, that he give the appraisal specified in the section of the Torah: To rule in the laws of appraisal of fields — meaning to say that one who consecrates his field and wants to redeem it, that he should give the appraisal fixed in the section of the Torah — “the seed of a chomer of barley for fifty shekel-coins of silver” (Leviticus 27:16), for all of the years of the Jubilee [cycle], which are forty-nine years. And according to the exact calculation, the appraisal of the field that is fitting to plant a chomer of barley is a sela and a pundyon per year. As the shekel-coin stated in the Torah is called an undifferentiated sela in the language of the Sages; and the gerah that is stated in the Torah is the maah in the words of the Sages — and the Sages added a sixth upon the shekel-coin, that is called a sela, as we have said. And that sela is equal to four dinar, and a dinar is four maah, and a maah is two pundyon. It comes out [to] a sela and a pundyon for each year. As even though the sela is forty-eight pundyon according to this calculation of ours — nonetheless, one who wants to take a sela from a money changer, needs to give forty-nine pundyon so that the money changer will earn one pundyon. And since he has to give forty-nine pundyon [in this case], we calculate it according to the calculation of what the consecrator would pay the money changer — as the hand of (terms for) the consecrated is always upon the higher. And we appraise it the same if he consecrates a field so good that there is none like it in the land or a field so bad that there is none as bad as it. As Scripture did not want to distinguish in this matter and made [the same] appraisal for all lands (Arakhin 14a).
And since we explained the shekel-coins, it is fitting that we explain how much is a chomer: You should know that the chomer is a measure that is [also] called a kor. And a kor is two letech, and a letech is fifteen seah. It comes out that a chomer is thirty seah, which is ten eiphah — as an eiphah is three seah. It is a well-known thing and we also already knew it from our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, (Eruvin 23b) that a place that has fifty ells by fifty ells is a beit seah — meaning that it is [what contains what grows from] a seah of barley — and that is two thousand five hundred [square ells] by arithmetic (multiplication). It comes out that a place that is fitting for the seed of a chomer of barley — which is thirty seah — is seventy-five thousand ells by arithmetic.
And what is the way of the calculation with the appraisal of fields? A field of holding is distinguished in its content from a purchased field. And when we measure [a field of holding], we only measure the places in it that are fitting for planting; and its appraisal is that stipulated by the Torah — “the seed of a chomer of barley for fifty shekel-coins of silver” — as we elucidated, whether it is good or bad; and he adds a fifth to this stipulated appraisal. And let this rule be in your hand: with every fifth stated in the Torah, it is a fourth of the principal, so that the principal and the fifth that is added to it are five [portions together]. And if the entire field that he consecrated is not fitting for seeding at all, we redeem it according to its worth. And which is that which is called a field of holding? That is a field that a man inherited from his bequeathers. And a purchased field is a field that a man purchased [on] his own, or that he received the rights to it in any way that is not because of inheritance.
And the law of one who consecrates his purchased field — that we estimate its worth — is [that] we see how much it is worth until the Jubilee year. And if the consecrator redeems it, he does not add a fifth onto it. And its redemption is for the upkeep of the [Temple], like other appraisals and values (Arakhin 24a). And when the Jubilee arrives, the field goes back to its [original] owners who sold it. Whether it was redeemed from the treasurer by any man and it goes out [now] from under his hand, or whether it was not redeemed and it goes out from the hand of the consecrated — it always returns to the one for which it is a holding in the Land. And it does not go out to the priests because a man cannot consecrate something that is not his, and this land was the purchaser’s only until the Jubilee year. And this is not the case for a field of holding: As if the Jubilee arrived and the owners did not redeem it from the hand of the consecrated or from the hand of another who acquired it from the consecrated, the priests give its value — since the consecrated only goes out with redemption — and it is a holding for them forever. And those monies go to the consecrated for the upkeep of the [Temple]. And any field that we estimate for the consecrated, to sell it for its value, we announce sixty days — morning and evening, which is the time that the workers come in from their work and go out — so that all will hear about the thing. And we demarcate its borders and say, “Its quality is such and [price] x is its estimation.” And whoever wants to buy comes and buys (Arakhin 21b). And the rest of its details are elucidated in the tractate that is built on this, and that is Tractate Arakhin.
And [it] is practiced by males and females at the time that the Jubilee is practiced. But at this time, the Sages, may their memory be blessed, already said (Avodah Zarah 13a) that we do not consecrate and we do not appraise, as we wrote above (Sefer HaChinukh 360). But nonetheless, if one transgressed and did consecrate land now to the [Temple] upkeep, it is possible for him to solve it — like that of Shmuel — such that he desanctifies it upon that which is worth a perutah (the smallest coin) or more and he throws it to the Dead Sea. But if he does not want this solution, it appears certain that he must appraise it according to the statute that we have written and throw its money to the Dead Sea — so that it not be a stumbling block for him or for his children. It is better that [the money] be lost and that people not stumble with it, than that he leave it in a corner for the [Temple] upkeep — as there will not be a lack of money in the future to support the House of our God.
מִצְוַת מַעֲרִיךְ שָׂדֶה שֶׁיִּתֵּן כָּעֵרֶךְ הַקָּצוּב בַּפָּרָשָׁה – לָדוּן בְּדִין עֶרְכֵי שָׂדוֹת. כְּלוֹמַר, הַמַּקְדִּישׁ שָׂדֵהוּ וְרָצָה לִפְדּוֹתָהּ שֶׁיִּתֵּן בָּעֵרֶךְ הַקָּצוּב בַּפָּרָשָׁה זֶרַע חֹמֶר שְׂעֹרִים בַּחֲמִשִּׁים שֶׁקֶל כָּסֶף לְכָל שְׁנֵי הַיּוֹבֵל שֶׁהֵם תֵּשַׁע וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, וּלְפִי הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן מְכֻוָּן יִהְיֶה עֵרֶךְ שָׂדֶה הָרָאוּי לִזְרֹעַ חֹמֶר שְׂעוֹרִים סֶלַע וּפוּנְדְיוֹן לְשָׁנָה, לְפִי שֶׁהַשֶּׁקֶל הָאָמוּר בַּתּוֹרָה הוּא נִקְרָא סֶלַע סְתָם בִּלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים, וְהַגֵּרָה הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה הִיא הַמָּעָה בְּדִבְרֵי חֲכָמִים. וְהוֹסִיפוּ חֲכָמִים עַל הַשֶּׁקֶל הַנִּקְרָא סֶלַע כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ שְׁתוּת. וְהַסֶּלַע זֶה שָׁוֶה אַרְבָּעָה דִּינָרִין, וְהַדִּינָר שֵׁשׁ מָעִין, וְהַמָּעָה שְׁנֵי פּוּנְדְיוֹנִין, נִמְצָא לְכָל שָׁנָה, סֶלַע וּפוּנְדְיוֹן, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַסֶּלַע שְׁמֹנָה וְאַרְבָּעִים פּוּנְדְיוֹנִין לְפִי חֶשְׁבּוֹנֵנוּ זֶה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הָרוֹצֶה לִקַּח סֶלַע מִן הַשֻּׁלְחָנִי, תִּשְׁעָה וְאַרְבָּעִים פּוּנְדְיוֹנִין הוּא צָרִיךְ לָתֵת כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּרְוִיחַ בּוֹ הַשֻּׁלְחָנִי פֻּנְדְּיוֹן אֶחָד, וְאַחַר שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לָתֵת תִּשְׁעָה וְאַרְבָּעִים פּוּנְדְיוֹנִין כְּפִי הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן שֶׁיִּקָּחֵם הַמַּקְדִּישׁ מִן הַשֻּׁלְחָנִי מְחַשְּׁבִין לוֹ שֶׁיַּד הַהֶקְדֵּשׁ עַל הָעֶלְיוֹנָה לְעוֹלָם. וְאֶחָד הַמַּקְדִּישׁ שָׂדֶה טוֹבָה שֶׁאֵין בְּכָל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמוֹתָהּ, אוֹ שָׂדֶה רָעָה שֶׁאֵין כְּמוֹתָהּ לָרֹעַ, כָּזֶה מַעֲרִיכִין אוֹתָהּ, שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה הַכָּתוּב לְחַלֵּק בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, וְהִשְׁוָה כָּל הַקַּרְקָעוֹת לְעֵרֶךְ אֶחָד (ערכין יד א).
The commandment of appraising a field, that he give the appraisal specified in the section of the Torah: To rule in the laws of appraisal of fields — meaning to say that one who consecrates his field and wants to redeem it, that he should give the appraisal fixed in the section of the Torah — “the seed of a chomer of barley for fifty shekel-coins of silver” (Leviticus 27:16), for all of the years of the Jubilee [cycle], which are forty-nine years. And according to the exact calculation, the appraisal of the field that is fitting to plant a chomer of barley is a sela and a pundyon per year. As the shekel-coin stated in the Torah is called an undifferentiated sela in the language of the Sages; and the gerah that is stated in the Torah is the maah in the words of the Sages — and the Sages added a sixth upon the shekel-coin, that is called a sela, as we have said. And that sela is equal to four dinar, and a dinar is four maah, and a maah is two pundyon. It comes out [to] a sela and a pundyon for each year. As even though the sela is forty-eight pundyon according to this calculation of ours — nonetheless, one who wants to take a sela from a money changer, needs to give forty-nine pundyon so that the money changer will earn one pundyon. And since he has to give forty-nine pundyon [in this case], we calculate it according to the calculation of what the consecrator would pay the money changer — as the hand of (terms for) the consecrated is always upon the higher. And we appraise it the same if he consecrates a field so good that there is none like it in the land or a field so bad that there is none as bad as it. As Scripture did not want to distinguish in this matter and made [the same] appraisal for all lands (Arakhin 14a).
וְאַחַר שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ הַשְּׁקָלִים, רָאוּי שֶׁנְּפָרֵשׁ הַחֹמֶר כַּמָּה הוּא. דַּע, שֶׁהַחֹמֶר הוּא מִדָּה אַחַת שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת כֹּר וְהַכֹּר הוּא שְׁנֵי לְתָכִים, וְהַלֶּתֶךְ חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה סְאִין נִמְצָא הַחֹמֶר שְׁלֹשִׁים סְאִין, שֶׁהֵן עֶשֶׂר אֵיפוֹת, שֶׁהָאֵיפָה שָׁלֹשׁ סְאִין. יָדוּעַ הַדָּבָר וּכְבָר יָדַעְנוּ גַּם כֵּן מִדִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עירובין כג ב), שֶׁמָּקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה עַל חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה הוּא בֵּית סְאָה, כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁהוּא מִזְרַע סְאָה שְׂעוֹרִים, וְהֵן אַלְפַּיִם וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת בְּתִשְׁבֹּרֶת. נִמְצָא שֶׁמָּקוֹם הָרָאוּי לְזֶרַע חֹמֶר שְׂעוֹרִים, שֶׁהוּא שְׁלֹשִׁים סְאִין יֵשׁ בּוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אַמָּה בְּתִשְׁבֹּרֶת.
And since we explained the shekel-coins, it is fitting that we explain how much is a chomer: You should know that the chomer is a measure that is [also] called a kor. And a kor is two letech, and a letech is fifteen seah. It comes out that a chomer is thirty seah, which is ten eiphah — as an eiphah is three seah. It is a well-known thing and we also already knew it from our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, (Eruvin 23b) that a place that has fifty ells by fifty ells is a beit seah — meaning that it is [what contains what grows from] a seah of barley — and that is two thousand five hundred [square ells] by arithmetic (multiplication). It comes out that a place that is fitting for the seed of a chomer of barley — which is thirty seah — is seventy-five thousand ells by arithmetic.
וְכֵיצַד דֶּרֶךְ הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן בְּעֶרְכֵי שָׂדוֹת? שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה חָלוּק בְּעִנְיָנוֹ מִשְּׂדֵה מִקְנָה, וּכְשֶׁמּוֹדְדִין אוֹתָהּ אֵין מוֹדְדִין בָּהּ, אֶלָּא מְקוֹמוֹת הָרְאוּיִים לִזְרִיעָה, וְעֶרְכָּהּ הוּא הַקָּצוּב בַּתּוֹרָה זֶרַע חֹמֶר שְׂעֹרִים בַּחֲמִשִּׁים שֶׁקֶל כָּסֶף, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בֵּין יָפָה בֵּין רָעָה, וּמוֹסִיף חֹמֶשׁ עַל הָעֵרֶךְ הַזֶּה הַקָּצוּב. וּכְלָל זֶה יִהְיֶה בְּיָדְךָ בְּכָל חֹמֶשׁ הָאָמוּר בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא רְבִיעַ הַקֶּרֶן, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא הַקֶּרֶן עִם הַחֹמֶשׁ הַנּוֹסָף עָלָיו הַכֹּל חֲמִשָּׁה. וְאִם כָּל הַשָּׂדֶה שֶׁהִקְדִּישׁ אֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לִזְרִיעָה כְּלָל פּוֹדִין אוֹתָהּ בְּשָׁוְיָהּ. וְאֵי זוֹ הִיא הַנִּקְרֵאת שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה? זוֹ שָׂדֶה שֶׁיְּרָשָׁהּ אָדָם מִמּוֹרִישָׁיו, וּשְׂדֵה מִקְנָהּ הוּא שָׂדֶה שֶׁלְּקָחָהּ אָדָם מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁזָּכָה בָּהּ בְּשׁוּם צַד שֶׁלֹּא מֵחֲמַת יְרֻשָּׁה.
And what is the way of the calculation with the appraisal of fields? A field of holding is distinguished in its content from a purchased field. And when we measure [a field of holding], we only measure the places in it that are fitting for planting; and its appraisal is that stipulated by the Torah — “the seed of a chomer of barley for fifty shekel-coins of silver” — as we elucidated, whether it is good or bad; and he adds a fifth to this stipulated appraisal. And let this rule be in your hand: with every fifth stated in the Torah, it is a fourth of the principal, so that the principal and the fifth that is added to it are five [portions together]. And if the entire field that he consecrated is not fitting for seeding at all, we redeem it according to its worth. And which is that which is called a field of holding? That is a field that a man inherited from his bequeathers. And a purchased field is a field that a man purchased [on] his own, or that he received the rights to it in any way that is not because of inheritance.
וְדִין הַמַּקְדִּישׁ שְׂדֵה מִקְנָתוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמִין אוֹתָהּ בְּשָׁוְיָהּ רוֹאִין כַּמָּה שָׁוָהּ עַד שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל, וְאִם פְּדָאָהּ הַמַּקְדִּישׁ אֵינוֹ מוֹסִיף בָּהּ חֹמֶשׁ, וּפִדְיוֹנָהּ לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת כִּשְׁאָר עֲרָכִין וְדָמִים (ערכין כד א), וּכְשֶׁיַּגִּיעַ הַיּוֹבֵל תַּחְזֹר הַשָּׂדֶה לַבְּעָלִים שֶׁמְּכָרוּהָ בֵּין שֶׁנִּפְדֵּית מִיַּד הַגִּזְבָּר עַל יְדֵי שׁוּם אָדָם וְיוֹצִיאָהּ מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ, בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא נִפְדֵּית וְיוֹצְאָהּ מִיַּד הֶקְדֵּשׁ חוֹזֵר לְעוֹלָם לַאֲשֶׁר לוֹ אֲחֻזַּת הָאָרֶץ וְאֵינָהּ יוֹצְאָהּ לַכֹּהֲנִים, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין אָדָם מַקְדִּישׁ דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ, וְזֶה הַקַּרְקַע לֹא הָיָה לַלּוֹקֵחַ כִּי אִם עַד שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל, וְלֹא כֵן שְׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּה, שֶׁאִם הִגִּיעַ הַיּוֹבֵל וְלֹא פְּדָאוּהָ הַבְּעָלִים מִיַּד הֶקְדֵּשׁ אוֹ מִיָּד אַחֵר שֶׁקְּנָאָהּ מִן הַהֶקְדֵּשׁ הַכֹּהֲנִים נוֹתְנִין דָּמֶיהָ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הֶקְדֵּשׁ יוֹצֵא בְּלֹא פִּדְיוֹן, וְהִיא אֲחֻזָּה לָהֶם לְעוֹלָם, וְאוֹתָן הַדָּמִים נוֹפְלִין לְהֶקְדֵּשׁ בֶּדֶק הַבַּיִת. וְכָל שָׂדֶה שֶׁשָּׁמִין אוֹתָהּ לַהֶקְדֵּשׁ לִמְכֹּר אוֹתָהּ בְּדָמֶיהָ מַכְרִיזִין עָלֶיהָ שִׁשִּׁים יוֹם בַּבֹּקֶר וּבָעֶרֶב, שֶׁהוּא שָׁעָה שֶׁהַפּוֹעֲלִים נִכְנָסִין לִמְלַאכְתָּן וְיוֹצְאִין, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ הַכֹּל בַּדָּבָר, וּמְסַמְּנִין מִצְרָנֶיהָ וְאוֹמְרִים כָּךְ הִיא יָפָה וּבְכָךְ הִיא שׁוּמָה, וְכָל הָרוֹצֶה לִקַּח יָבֹא וְיִקַּח (שם כא ב). וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ, מְבֹאָרִים בַּמַּסֶּכְתָּא הַבְּנוּיָה עַל זֶה וְהִיא מַסֶּכֶת עֲרָכִין [שם].
And the law of one who consecrates his purchased field — that we estimate its worth — is [that] we see how much it is worth until the Jubilee year. And if the consecrator redeems it, he does not add a fifth onto it. And its redemption is for the upkeep of the [Temple], like other appraisals and values (Arakhin 24a). And when the Jubilee arrives, the field goes back to its [original] owners who sold it. Whether it was redeemed from the treasurer by any man and it goes out [now] from under his hand, or whether it was not redeemed and it goes out from the hand of the consecrated — it always returns to the one for which it is a holding in the Land. And it does not go out to the priests because a man cannot consecrate something that is not his, and this land was the purchaser’s only until the Jubilee year. And this is not the case for a field of holding: As if the Jubilee arrived and the owners did not redeem it from the hand of the consecrated or from the hand of another who acquired it from the consecrated, the priests give its value — since the consecrated only goes out with redemption — and it is a holding for them forever. And those monies go to the consecrated for the upkeep of the [Temple]. And any field that we estimate for the consecrated, to sell it for its value, we announce sixty days — morning and evening, which is the time that the workers come in from their work and go out — so that all will hear about the thing. And we demarcate its borders and say, “Its quality is such and [price] x is its estimation.” And whoever wants to buy comes and buys (Arakhin 21b). And the rest of its details are elucidated in the tractate that is built on this, and that is Tractate Arakhin.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַיּוֹבֵל נוֹהֵג, אֲבָל בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה כְּבָר אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים, שֶׁאֵין מַקְדִּישִׁין וְלֹא מַחְרִימִין וְלֹא מַעֲרִיכִין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְמַעְלָה (מצוה של). וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אִם עָבַר וְהִקְדִּישׁ קַרְקַע עַכְשָׁו לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת אֶפְשָׁר לֵיהּ בְּתַקָּנָה כְּדִשְׁמוּאֵל, שֶׁמְּחַלְּלוֹ עַל שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה אוֹ יוֹתֵר וּמַשְׁלִיכָם לְיָם הַמֶּלַח, וְאִם אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה בְּתַקָּנָה זוֹ נִרְאֶה וַדַּאי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ לְהַעֲרִיכוֹ כַּמִּשְׁפָּט שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ וּמַשְׁלִיךְ הַדָּמִים לְיָם הַמֶּלַח, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹא לְמִכְשׁוֹל לוֹ אוֹ לְבָנָיו, מוּטָב יֹאבְדוּ וְאַל יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָּהֶם בְּנֵי אָדָם, מִשֶּׁיַּנִּיחֵם בְּקֶרֶן זָוִית לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת, כִּי לֶעָתִיד לֹא נֶחְסַר מָמוֹן לְחַזֵּק אֶת בֵּית אֱלֹהֵינוּ.
And [it] is practiced by males and females at the time that the Jubilee is practiced. But at this time, the Sages, may their memory be blessed, already said (Avodah Zarah 13a) that we do not consecrate and we do not appraise, as we wrote above (Sefer HaChinukh 360). But nonetheless, if one transgressed and did consecrate land now to the [Temple] upkeep, it is possible for him to solve it — like that of Shmuel — such that he desanctifies it upon that which is worth a perutah (the smallest coin) or more and he throws it to the Dead Sea. But if he does not want this solution, it appears certain that he must appraise it according to the statute that we have written and throw its money to the Dead Sea — so that it not be a stumbling block for him or for his children. It is better that [the money] be lost and that people not stumble with it, than that he leave it in a corner for the [Temple] upkeep — as there will not be a lack of money in the future to support the House of our God.