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- Selling and redeeming a house:
- Walled city: If a man sells a house that is within a walled city, then it can be redeemed only within the first year of the sale. If it was not redeemed within the first year, it becomes the property of the buyer and remains with him forever, even after Yovel.
- Unwalled city: If, however, the city is unwalled, it may be redeemed until the Yovel. If it was not redeemed before the Yovel, then when the Yovel arrives it is to be returned to its owner.
- Selling and redeeming Levite property:
- Houses of Levites: The houses of Levites found within their cities retain eternal redemption rights by the Levites and they hence may be redeemed at any time. If they are not redeemed they are to be returned to their original Levite owner by Yovel.
- Levite fields: The open fields of the city of the Levites may never be sold, as it is an eternal heritage for them.
- The Mitzvah of Charity and lending money without interest:
- If your brother becomes impoverished, you shall support him so that he can live with you.
- Ribis: One is not to collect interest from the loan to the pauper and you shall fear G-d and allow your brother to live with you. Do not lend him money with interest. I am Hashem your G-d who took you out of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan.
📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 25:29–38
25:29 — Houses in Walled Cities
Q1. What is meant by “בֵּית־מוֹשַׁב עִיר חוֹמָה”?
A: A residential house within a city that was surrounded by a wall from the time of Joshua son of Nun.
Q2. What does “וְהָיְתָה גְּאֻלָּתוֹ” teach?
A: Unlike fields, which may not be redeemed during the first two years, a house in a walled city may be redeemed during the first year, but not afterward.
Q3. What does “יָמִים” mean here?
A: “Days” refers to a full year, as the days of a year are described as יָמִים.
25:30 — Permanent Transfer
Q4. What does “וְקָם הַבַּיִת … צְמִתֻת” mean?
A: The house becomes permanently severed from the original owner and remains with the purchaser.
Q5. How is “אֲשֶׁר־לֹא חֹמָה” to be read?
A: Though written לֹא (“not”), it is read לוֹ (“to it”), meaning a city that has a wall, even if it no longer has one now but had one previously.
Q6. Why does it say “לֹא יֵצֵא בַּיֹּבֵל”?
A: To teach that even if the Jubilee arrives during the year of sale, the house does not revert to the original owner.
25:31 — Houses in Open Cities
Q7. What are “בָּתֵּי הַחֲצֵרִים”?
A: Houses in open cities without walls, as Onkelos translates חֲצֵרִים as פַצְחִין.
Q8. What does “עַל־שְׂדֵה הָאָרֶץ יֵחָשֵׁב” mean?
A: Such houses are treated like fields, meaning they may be redeemed and revert in the Jubilee.
Q9. In what way do such houses have an advantage over fields?
A: They may be redeemed immediately, whereas fields require waiting two years.
Q10. What does “וּבַיֹּבֵל יֵצֵא” teach?
A: The house reverts for free to the original owner in the Jubilee year.
25:32 — Levite Cities
Q11. What are “עָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם”?
A: The 48 cities allotted to the Levites.
Q12. What does “גְּאֻלַּת עוֹלָם” mean?
A: Levites have perpetual redemption rights over their houses and fields—at any time, without time limits.
25:33 — Redemption among Levites
Q13. How is “וַאֲשֶׁר יִגְאַל מִן־הַלְוִיִּם” explained?
A:
- First explanation: The word גאל here means sell—a house sold by a Levite will revert in the Jubilee.
- Second explanation: It means redeem—even if a Levite redeems from another Levite, the right of redemption remains permanent.
Q14. What does “וְיֵצֵא בַיֹּבֵל” teach regarding Levite houses?
A: They always revert in the Jubilee, unlike ordinary walled‑city houses.
Q15. Why are Levite houses treated this way?
A: Because they have no inherited fields or vineyards—their cities are their inheritance.
25:34 — Fields of the Levites
Q16. What does “לֹא יִמָּכֵר” mean regarding Levite fields?
A: Such fields may not be sold permanently, even if consecrated and sold by the Temple treasury.
Q17. What law is derived from this?
A: A Levite may always redeem such a field, unlike an Israelite whose consecrated field sold by the treasurer may not be redeemed.
25:35 — Supporting the Destitute
Q18. What does “וְהֶחֱזַקְתָּ בּוֹ” mean?
A: Support him as soon as his finances begin to falter, before total collapse.
Q19. What parable does Rashi use?
A: A load slipping on a donkey—easy to support before it falls, difficult afterward.
Q20. Who is included by “גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב”?
A:
- A convert, and
- A resident alien who accepts not to worship idols but may eat non‑slaughtered carcasses.
25:36 — Prohibition of Interest
Q21. Why are both “נֶשֶׁךְ” and “תַּרְבִּית” mentioned?
A: Though equivalent, both are stated so that one who lends on interest violates two prohibitions.
Q22. Why does it say “וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹהֶיךָ”?
A:
- Lending on interest is tempting and self‑justifiable.
- Or one may pretend the money belongs to a non‑Jew.
God alone knows intentions.
25:37 — Lending Food and Money
Q23. What is prohibited by this verse?
A: Lending money or food on interest, in any form.
25:38 — Purpose of Redemption
Q24. Why does God mention taking Israel out of Egypt here?
A:
- Just as God distinguished the firstborns, He can detect deceit in interest‑lending.
- Or: Redemption from Egypt was conditional on accepting God’s commandments, even difficult ones.
Q25. What does “לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים” teach?
A: One who lives in the Land of Israel is considered to have God as his God; one who leaves is regarded as an idolater.