וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אִ֕ישׁ כִּ֥י יַפְלִ֖א נֶ֑דֶר בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ נְפָשֹׁ֖ת לַֽיהוָֽה׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: If a man articulates a vow in accordance with the valuation of persons to the Lord, when one obligates himself to give to God the value of a certain person. With regard to the term erkekha, “valuation,” see commentary on 5:15.

וְהָיָ֤ה עֶרְכְּךָ֙ הַזָּכָ֔ר מִבֶּן֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְעַ֖ד בֶּן־שִׁשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וְהָיָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֗ חֲמִשִּׁ֛ים שֶׁ֥קֶל כֶּ֖סֶף בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

The valuation shall be: For the male from twenty years old until sixty years old, the valuation of such a man with regard to this form of dedication, shall be fifty shekels of silver of the sacred shekel.

וְאִם־נְקֵבָ֖ה הִ֑וא וְהָיָ֥ה עֶרְכְּךָ֖ שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָֽׁקֶל׃

And if it is for a female, in the same age range of twenty years old to sixty, the valuation shall be thirty shekels. Someone of this age is considered to be in his or her prime.

וְאִ֨ם מִבֶּן־חָמֵ֜שׁ שָׁנִ֗ים וְעַד֙ בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְהָיָ֧ה עֶרְכְּךָ֛ הַזָּכָ֖ר עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שְׁקָלִ֑ים וְלַנְּקֵבָ֖ה עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת שְׁקָלִֽים׃

And if from five years old until twenty years old, the valuation shall be: The male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

וְאִ֣ם מִבֶּן־חֹ֗דֶשׁ וְעַד֙ בֶּן־חָמֵ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים וְהָיָ֤ה עֶרְכְּךָ֙ הַזָּכָ֔ר חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה שְׁקָלִ֖ים כָּ֑סֶף וְלַנְּקֵבָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֔ שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת שְׁקָלִ֖ים כָּֽסֶף׃

And if from one month old until five years old, the valuation shall be: The male five shekels of silver, and for the female, the valuation three shekels of silver.

וְ֠אִם מִבֶּן־שִׁשִּׁ֨ים שָׁנָ֤ה וָמַ֙עְלָה֙ אִם־זָכָ֔ר וְהָיָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֔ חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר שָׁ֑קֶל וְלַנְּקֵבָ֖ה עֲשָׂרָ֥ה שְׁקָלִֽים׃

And if from sixty years old and above: If a male, the valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

וְאִם־מָ֥ךְ הוּא֙ מֵֽעֶרְכֶּ֔ךָ וְהֶֽעֱמִידוֹ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהֶעֱרִ֥יךְ אֹת֖וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֑ן עַל־פִּ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר תַּשִּׂיג֙ יַ֣ד הַנֹּדֵ֔ר יַעֲרִיכֶ֖נּוּ הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ (ס)

And if he, the one who vowed, is too poor to pay for the valuation, he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall assess him; on the basis of what the one who vowed can afford, the priest shall assess him. The priest shall grant him a deduction.

וְאִם־בְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַקְרִ֧יבוּ מִמֶּ֛נָּה קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽיהוָ֑ה כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֥ן מִמֶּ֛נּוּ לַיהוָ֖ה יִֽהְיֶה־קֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

And if it, the subject of one’s vow, is a type of animal from which one would present an offering to the Lord, an animal fit for the altar, any that one gives of it to the Lord shall be sacred. The sanctity of the vow applies to the body of the animal itself.

לֹ֣א יַחֲלִיפֶ֗נּוּ וְלֹֽא־יָמִ֥יר אֹת֛וֹ ט֥וֹב בְּרָ֖ע אוֹ־רַ֣ע בְּט֑וֹב וְאִם־הָמֵ֨ר יָמִ֤יר בְּהֵמָה֙ בִּבְהֵמָ֔ה וְהָֽיָה־ה֥וּא וּתְמוּרָת֖וֹ יִֽהְיֶה־קֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

Consequently, the animal itself must be sacrificed upon the altar. One shall not exchange it and not substitute it, replacing a good animal with a bad one, or even a bad one with a good one; if he substitutes an animal for an animal, it and its substitute shall be sacred. On the other hand, if one dedicates produce or other items, he is permitted to exchange them, to give the value of the object in its stead. Such an exchange is prohibited in the case of an animal that is fit for the altar, as the body of the animal itself is sanctified; it is not consecrated merely for its monetary value. And yet if he substitutes an animal for an animal, it and its substitute shall be sacred. Although it is prohibited to say that another animal should replace a consecrated animal, this declaration is not entirely without effect. This contrasts with most other situations, as the halakha generally does not recognize the validity of an action which constitutes a prohibition. In the formulation of the Talmud, if there is a matter about which God said: Do not do it, and one did it, his action is ineffective. In this case, however, the animal which one sought to use as a substitute is indeed consecrated, although the original animal also retains its sanctity.

וְאִם֙ כָּל־בְּהֵמָ֣ה טְמֵאָ֔ה אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹא־יַקְרִ֧יבוּ מִמֶּ֛נָּה קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽיהוָ֑ה וְהֶֽעֱמִ֥יד אֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

And if a man consecrates an animal, and it is any type of nonpure animal or an animal from which one does not present an offering to the Lord for other reasons, e.g., if it is blemished, he shall set the animal before the priest.

וְהֶעֱרִ֤יךְ הַכֹּהֵן֙ אֹתָ֔הּ בֵּ֥ין ט֖וֹב וּבֵ֣ין רָ֑ע כְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן כֵּ֥ן יִהְיֶֽה׃

The priest shall assess it, whether good or bad; as the priest’s valuation, so shall it be. The priest shall evaluate the worth of the animal standing before him, and his determination is final.

וְאִם־גָּאֹ֖ל יִגְאָלֶ֑נָּה וְיָסַ֥ף חֲמִישִׁת֖וֹ עַל־עֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃

And if, after the owner consecrates the non-pure animal, he redeems it, seeks to reacquire it from Sanctuary property, he shall add its one-fifth to the valuation of its worth.

וְאִ֗ישׁ כִּֽי־יַקְדִּ֨שׁ אֶת־בֵּית֥וֹ קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְהֶעֱרִיכוֹ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן בֵּ֥ין ט֖וֹב וּבֵ֣ין רָ֑ע כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲרִ֥יךְ אֹת֛וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן כֵּ֥ן יָקֽוּם׃

This verse presents a similar halakha: And when a man consecrates his house sacred to the Lord, then the priest shall assess it, whether good or bad; as the priest assesses it, so shall it stand.

וְאִ֨ם־הַמַּקְדִּ֔ישׁ יִגְאַ֖ל אֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ וְ֠יָסַף חֲמִישִׁ֧ית כֶּֽסֶף־עֶרְכְּךָ֛ עָלָ֖יו וְהָ֥יָה לֽוֹ׃

And if the one who consecrated it redeems his house himself, he shall add one-fifth the silver of the valuation to it, and then the house shall be his.

וְאִ֣ם ׀ מִשְּׂדֵ֣ה אֲחֻזָּת֗וֹ יַקְדִּ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה עֶרְכְּךָ֖ לְפִ֣י זַרְע֑וֹ זֶ֚רַע חֹ֣מֶר שְׂעֹרִ֔ים בַּחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים שֶׁ֥קֶל כָּֽסֶף׃

It was stated earlier (25:25–28) that one cannot transfer permanent ownership of an ancestral field, as it theoretically remains in the family’s possession forever. Yet if from the field of his ancestral portion a man consecrates to the Lord, the valuation, the value of the field, shall be according to its seed. Since the field is not sold forever, this consecration is a gift for a limited number of years. Its value, for the purposes of redemption with money, is based on the following formula: An area that is required to be sown with a ḥomer, a measure of volume of barley, shall be redeemed for fifty shekels of silver. The Sages refer to this area as a beit kor; in modern measurements it is roughly 18 dunams, about 4.5 acres.

אִם־מִשְּׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל יַקְדִּ֣ישׁ שָׂדֵ֑הוּ כְּעֶרְכְּךָ֖ יָקֽוּם׃

If he consecrates his field from, that is, immediately after, the Jubilee Year, when there is maximum time until the next Jubilee, the valuation shall stand. It shall be redeemed in accordance with the full sum.

וְאִם־אַחַ֣ר הַיֹּבֵל֮ יַקְדִּ֣ישׁ שָׂדֵהוּ֒ וְחִשַּׁב־ל֨וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֗סֶף עַל־פִּ֤י הַשָּׁנִים֙ הַנּ֣וֹתָרֹ֔ת עַ֖ד שְׁנַ֣ת הַיֹּבֵ֑ל וְנִגְרַ֖ע מֵֽעֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃

And if he consecrates his field after the Jubilee, the priest shall calculate for him the silver according to the remaining years until the Jubilee Year, and it shall be deducted from the valuation. If fifty shekels of silver is the valuation of the field for forty-nine years, these must be divided into forty-nine parts, which means that slightly more than one shekel must be deducted from the total sum for each year that has passed.

וְאִם־גָּאֹ֤ל יִגְאַל֙ אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה הַמַּקְדִּ֖ישׁ אֹת֑וֹ וְ֠יָסַף חֲמִשִׁ֧ית כֶּֽסֶף־עֶרְכְּךָ֛ עָלָ֖יו וְקָ֥ם לֽוֹ׃

And if the one who consecrated it himself redeems the field, he shall add one-fifth of the silver of the valuation to it, and it shall be his. This is a general principle with regard to the redemption of consecrated items: If a stranger, not the original owner, seeks to acquire it, he pays the amount determined by the priest, or its fixed valuation, whereas the original owner must add a fifth, a kind of compensation or surcharge to the Sanctuary.

וְאִם־לֹ֤א יִגְאַל֙ אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה וְאִם־מָכַ֥ר אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה לְאִ֣ישׁ אַחֵ֑ר לֹ֥א יִגָּאֵ֖ל עֽוֹד׃

And if he does not redeem the field from the Sanctuary property in all the years of the Jubilee cycle, or if, in the meantime, he, the Temple treasurer, sold the field to another man, it shall no longer be redeemed by the original owner, and his historical link to the field shall be severed.

וְהָיָ֨ה הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה בְּצֵאת֣וֹ בַיֹּבֵ֗ל קֹ֛דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָ֖ה כִּשְׂדֵ֣ה הַחֵ֑רֶם לַכֹּהֵ֖ן תִּהְיֶ֥ה אֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃

When the field goes out in the Jubilee, it shall be sacred to the Lord. Just like all fields in Israel, this field shall leave the possession of the buyer at the Jubilee Year. However, as its owner consecrated it, the field now reverts to become Temple property. It is considered like a proscribed field, as explained below (verses 28–29); his portion shall belong to the priest.

וְאִם֙ אֶת־שְׂדֵ֣ה מִקְנָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֕ר לֹ֖א מִשְּׂדֵ֣ה אֲחֻזָּת֑וֹ יַקְדִּ֖ישׁ לַֽיהוָֽה׃

And if he consecrates to the Lord a field of his acquisition, a field that he purchased from another, that is not a field of his ancestral portion. He does not have full ownership of this field, but merely the right of usage for fifty years at the most.

וְחִשַּׁב־ל֣וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֗ן אֵ֚ת מִכְסַ֣ת הָֽעֶרְכְּךָ֔ עַ֖ד שְׁנַ֣ת הַיֹּבֵ֑ל וְנָתַ֤ן אֶת־הָעֶרְכְּךָ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַיהוָֽה׃

Consequently, the priest shall calculate for him the sum of the valuation until the Jubilee Year, the valuation in accordance with the number of years remaining until the Jubilee, and he shall give the valuation as of that day on which he comes to redeem it. The field shall thereby return to the possession of the redeemer, and it , the payment, is sacred to the Lord. No payment of an additional fifth is mentioned here, as the current owner is considered like a stranger with regard to this purchased field. The Sages disagree whether an acquired field is redeemed by its actual sale value, or in accordance with the fixed value established in verse 16 for an ancestral field.

בִּשְׁנַ֤ת הַיּוֹבֵל֙ יָשׁ֣וּב הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לַאֲשֶׁ֥ר קָנָ֖הוּ מֵאִתּ֑וֹ לַאֲשֶׁר־ל֖וֹ אֲחֻזַּ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

In the Jubilee Year, the field shall return to the one from whom he acquired it, the original seller, to the one whose ancestral portion of the land it is. The person who consecrated it did not have the right to permanently dedicate a field that did not belong to him. To summarize, in all cases the fields return to their original owners in the Jubilee Year, apart from an ancestral field that was consecrated and not redeemed.

וְכָל־עֶרְכְּךָ֔ יִהְיֶ֖ה בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִ֥ים גֵּרָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֥ה הַשָּֽׁקֶל׃ (ס)

Every payment of valuation discussed above shall be in the sacred shekel; twenty gera shall be the value of the shekel. These gera are called maot in the terminology of the Sages. Although there were smaller units of weight and coins, the ma’a was the basic silver coin, ten of which were worth a regular shekel, while twenty were worth the holy shekel, which was double in size.

אַךְ־בְּכ֞וֹר אֲשֶׁר־יְבֻכַּ֤ר לַֽיהוָה֙ בִּבְהֵמָ֔ה לֹֽא־יַקְדִּ֥ישׁ אִ֖ישׁ אֹת֑וֹ אִם־שׁ֣וֹר אִם־שֶׂ֔ה לַֽיהוָ֖ה הֽוּא׃

Pursuant to the discussion of consecration and redemption, the Torah presents a related law: However, with regard to a male firstborn that is born first to the Lord, from an animal, no man shall consecrate it, since it is not anyone’s property; whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the Lord’s, and must be brought as an offering.

וְאִ֨ם בַּבְּהֵמָ֤ה הַטְּמֵאָה֙ וּפָדָ֣ה בְעֶרְכֶּ֔ךָ וְיָסַ֥ף חֲמִשִׁת֖וֹ עָלָ֑יו וְאִם־לֹ֥א יִגָּאֵ֖ל וְנִמְכַּ֥ר בְּעֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃

And if it, the firstborn animal, is a non-pure beast, which cannot be brought as an offering, he, the owner, shall redeem it according to the valuation, by paying the animal’s worth, and he shall add one additional fifth of it to it, as one always must when redeeming consecrated items. And if it is not redeemed by the owner, it shall be sold for the valuation. Unlike pure animals, impure animals cannot be consecrated in and of themselves as offerings. Only their value is consecrated, and therefore the animal itself can be redeemed by paying its value to the Temple. In practice, among all impure animals, only the firstborn of a donkey must be redeemed. As mentioned elsewhere in the Torah, it is redeemed in exchange for a sheep, or for silver or other objects equal in value to itself.

אַךְ־כָּל־חֵ֡רֶם אֲשֶׁ֣ר יַחֲרִם֩ אִ֨ישׁ לַֽיהוָ֜ה מִכָּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֗וֹ מֵאָדָ֤ם וּבְהֵמָה֙ וּמִשְּׂדֵ֣ה אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ לֹ֥א יִמָּכֵ֖ר וְלֹ֣א יִגָּאֵ֑ל כָּל־חֵ֕רֶם קֹֽדֶשׁ־קָֽדָשִׁ֥ים ה֖וּא לַיהוָֽה׃

However, in contrast to consecrated objects, which may be redeemed or sold, anything proscribed that a man proscribes for the Lord from all that is his, whether man, e.g., one of his slaves, or animal, or the field of his ancestral portion, which is in the absolute possession of its owner, shall not be sold and shall not be redeemed; anything proscribed is a sacred sacrament to the Lord.

כָּל־חֵ֗רֶם אֲשֶׁ֧ר יָחֳרַ֛ם מִן־הָאָדָ֖ם לֹ֣א יִפָּדֶ֑ה מ֖וֹת יוּמָֽת׃

Anything proscribed with regard to people, captives of war who have been proscribed, or one who has been sentenced to death for political or halakhic reasons shall not be redeemed; he shall be put to death. This is referring to a human ḥerem, but there is also the ḥerem of an area or a city. In such cases all the objects go to Heaven, and they are prohibited for all benefit and earthly uses, and may not be redeemed or sold.

וְכָל־מַעְשַׂ֨ר הָאָ֜רֶץ מִזֶּ֤רַע הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ מִפְּרִ֣י הָעֵ֔ץ לַיהוָ֖ה ה֑וּא קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָֽה׃

All the tithe of the land, a tenth separated from the seed of the land, such as wheat or barley, or from the fruit of the tree, wine, oil, and possibly other types of fruit as well, is the Lord’s; it is sacred to the Lord. It may not be treated like other fruit, but must be eaten near the Temple in a state of ritual purity. The Sages call this the second tithe.

וְאִם־גָּאֹ֥ל יִגְאַ֛ל אִ֖ישׁ מִמַּֽעַשְׂר֑וֹ חֲמִשִׁית֖וֹ יֹסֵ֥ף עָלָֽיו׃

And if a man shall redeem from his tithe, if he wants to reacquire his tithe and be permitted to treat his produce like regular produce, he shall add one-fifth of it to it, like all who buy back their consecrated property from the Sanctuary.

וְכָל־מַעְשַׂ֤ר בָּקָר֙ וָצֹ֔אן כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲבֹ֖ר תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑בֶט הָֽעֲשִׂירִ֕י יִֽהְיֶה־קֹּ֖דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָֽה׃

In addition to the better-known tithe of produce, there is also an animal tithe: And all the tithe of cattle or the flock, any that passes under the rod, the herdsman’s staff, the tenth shall be sacred to the Lord. All herd and flock born during each year shall pass under the rod and be counted in that manner, and the herdsman shall mark every tenth animal.

לֹ֧א יְבַקֵּ֛ר בֵּֽין־ט֥וֹב לָרַ֖ע וְלֹ֣א יְמִירֶ֑נּוּ וְאִם־הָמֵ֣ר יְמִירֶ֔נּוּ וְהָֽיָה־ה֧וּא וּתְמוּרָת֛וֹ יִֽהְיֶה־קֹ֖דֶשׁ לֹ֥א יִגָּאֵֽל׃

He shall not distinguish between good and bad, nor shall he substitute it. The counting of the animals serves to establish which is the tithe. The animal that is counted as tenth is consecrated and cannot be exchanged. it must be sacrificed to God, while its meat is eaten by the owner in compliance with the halakhot of offerings. And if he substitutes it, it and its substitute shall be sacred, in accordance with the halakha of substitution stated above (verse 10); it shall not be redeemed. The tithe remains consecrated to God; one may not redeem it.

אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּהַ֖ר סִינָֽי׃

This verse concludes the book of Leviticus: These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.