Commentary for Kiddushin 41:13
דתניא (ויקרא כה, כה) וגאל את ממכר אחיו רשות אתה אומר רשות או אינו אלא חובה ת"ל (ויקרא כה, כו) ואיש כי לא יהיה לו גואל וכי יש אדם בישראל שאין לו גואלים אלא זה שיש לו ואינו רוצה ליקח שהרשות בידו דברי רבי יהושע
that is an option.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a permitted thing'.');"><sup>19</sup></span> You say, an option: yet perhaps it is not so, but an obligation? Hence it is taught: And if a man have no kinsman.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 26.');"><sup>20</sup></span>
Daf Shevui to Kiddushin
The Talmud responds that the similarity between houses in a walled city and open fields is that relatives have an obligation to redeem both of them (as long as they have the ability to do so). This accords with R. Eliezer, who holds that whenever relatives can redeem land or houses sold by their family, they must do so. R. Joshua holds that it is an option, not an obligation.
This allows us to restore R. Sheshet’s answer—relatives may not redeem houses in walled cities.
This allows us to restore R. Sheshet’s answer—relatives may not redeem houses in walled cities.
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