Kiddushin 40

Chapter 40

א זה הנמכר לעבודת כוכבים עצמה
1 it refers to one who sells himself to the service of the idol itself!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., to cut wood for its altar, etc., though not accepting it as a god. - Now, reverting to the original question: since he had to sell himself as a punishment for trading in seventh year produce, why should we not interpret the verse stringently, to his disadvantage?');"><sup>1</sup></span> - Said he to him: But there the Writ led him back.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To the compassion of his brethren.');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ב אמר ליה התם הא אהדריה קרא דתני דבי רבי ישמעאל הואיל והלך זה ונעשה כומר לעבודת כוכבים אימא לידחי אבן אחר הנופל תלמוד לומר (ויקרא כה, מח) אחרי נמכר גאולה תהיה לו אחד מאחיו יגאלנו
2 For the School of R'Ishmael taught: Since this man went and became an acolyte in the service of idolatry, I might have said: Let us cast a stone after the fallen, therefore it is said, after that he is sold h be redeemed,' one of his brethren shall redeem him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 48 - a lesson in tolerance.');"><sup>3</sup></span> Yet perhaps 'he shall be redeemed' so as not to be absorbed by the heathens, but in respect to redemption we should be stringent with him, in accordance with R'Jose son of R'Haninah? - Said R'Nahman B'Isaac: Two verses are written: [i] if there be yet increases in the years;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 51.');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ג ואימא גאולה תהיה לו כי היכי דלא ליטמע בין העובדי כוכבים הא לענין פדיון נחמיר עליה מדרבי יוסי ברבי חנינא
3 [ii] and if there remains but little in the years:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 52. The translations here would seem to indicate the meanings of the verses as understood by R. Nahman.');"><sup>5</sup></span> are there then increased [i.e., prolonged] years and decreased [i.e., shortened] years?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The length of years does not vary!');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ד אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק תרי קראי כתיבי כתיב (ויקרא כה, נא) אם עוד רבות בשנים וכתיב (ויקרא כה, נב) ואם מעט נשאר בשנים וכי יש שנים מרובות ויש שנים מועטות אלא נתרבה כספו מכסף מקנתו נתמעט כספו כפי שניו
4 But [the meaning is:] if his value increases, [then his redemption shall be] out of the money that he was bought for; if his value decreases, [the basis of redemption is] according unto his years [yet remaining]. But perhaps the meaning is this: If he served two [years], four remaining, he must repay him for four years 'out of the money that he was bought for'; while if he served four [years], two remaining, he must repay him for two, 'according unto his years'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The verse may not refer to a rise or fall in values, but be meant literally, as the E.V.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ה ואימא הכי קאמר היכא דעבד תרי ופש ליה ד' ניתיב ליה ד' מכסף מקנתו עבד ד' ופשו ליה תרתי ניתיב תרתי כפי שניו
5 - If so, Scripture should write, If there be yet many years [shanim]. If there remain but few years [shanim]: why 'in years' [ba-shanim]?
ו א"כ נכתוב קרא אם עוד רבות שנים אם מעט נשאר שנים מאי בשנים נתרבה כספו בשנים מכסף מקנתו נתמעט כספו בשנים כפי שניו אמר רב יוסף דרשינהו רב נחמן בר יצחק להני קראי כסיני
6 [To teach:] if his value increased in [these] years, [his redemption is] 'out of the money that he was bought for'; his value decreased in [these] years, [he is redeemed] 'according unto his years'. Said R'Joseph: R'Nahman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cur. ed.: b. Isaac, but Rashal deletes it: in this case, it must be deleted in the previous passage. (Rashal points out that b. Isaac is omitted in some editions, but apart from that, his reason for deletion is not very cogent) .');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ז (סימן עבד בית חצאי' בית עבד קרובים) בעא מיניה רב הונא בר חיננא מרב ששת עבד עברי הנמכר לעובד כוכבים נגאל לחצאין או אינו נגאל לחצאין
7 interpreted these verses as Sinai.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Very profoundly, as though he were present when they were first promulgated as Sinai.');"><sup>9</sup></span> .<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A mnemonic is a group of letters or words, each being an abbreviation or the key word of a series of subjects, to facilitate their remembering.');"><sup>10</sup></span>
ח גאולתו (ויקרא כה, כו) גאולתו משדה אחוזה גמר מה שדה אחוזה אינו נגאל לחצאין אף האי נמי אינו נגאל לחצאין או דילמא לקולא אמרינן לחומרא לא אמרינן
8 R'Huna B'Hinena asked R'Shesheth: Can a Hebrew slave sold to a heathen be half redeemed, or can he not be half redeemed?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Can he repay half his redemption money and serve only half the remainder of his term?');"><sup>11</sup></span> Do we learn the meaning of 'his redemption', from a field of possession:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An ancestral field. Here: he shall give back the price of his redemption-Lev. XXV, 52, 'field of possession': and find sufficient for his redemption - ibid. 26.');"><sup>12</sup></span>
ט א"ל לאו אמרת התם נמכר כולו ולא חציו ה"נ נגאל כולו ולא חציו
9 just as a field of possession cannot be half redeemed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And he find sufficient to redeem it, written in reference to an ancestral field, implies that the whole must be redeemed.');"><sup>13</sup></span> so he too cannot be half redeemed; or perhaps, we may interpret it in his favour,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'leniently'.');"><sup>14</sup></span>
י אמר אביי אם תימצי לומר נגאל לחצאין משכחת לה לקולא ולחומרא לקולא זבניה במאה יהב ליה חמשין פלגא דדמי ואשבח וקם על מאתן אי אמרת נגאל לחצאין יהיב ליה מאה ונפיק ואי אמרת אין נגאל לחצאין יהיב ליה מאה וחמשין ונפיק
10 but not to his disadvantage?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'stringently'.');"><sup>15</sup></span> - He answered him: Did you not say there,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 18a, q.v.');"><sup>16</sup></span>
יא והאמרת נתרבה כספו מכסף מקנתו כגון דאוקיר וזל ואוקיר
11 he shall be sold entirely, but not half; hence here too, he shall be redeemed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 48.');"><sup>17</sup></span> entirely.
יב משכחת לה לחומרא זבניה במאתן יהיב מאה פלגי דדמי ואיכסף וקם על מאה אי אמרת נגאל לחצאין יהיב ליה חמשין ונפיק ואי אמרת אין נגאל לחצאין הנך מאה פקדון נינהו גביה יהיב להו ניהליה ונפיק
12 Abaye said: Should you rule that he can be half redeemed, it will be found [both] to his advantage and disadvantage.' To his advantage': If he [the heathen] bought him for a hundred [zuz], and he [the slave] then refunded him fifty, half of his Value,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not yet having served at all.');"><sup>18</sup></span>
יג בעא מיניה רב הונא בר חיננא מרב ששת המוכר בית בבתי ערי חומה נגאל לחצאין או אינו נגאל לחצאין גאולתו גאולתו משדה אחוזה גמר מה שדה אחוזה אינה נגאלת לחצאין אף האי נמי אינו נגאל לחצאין
13 then he appreciated and stood at two hundred: if you say that he can be half redeemed, he pays him [an additional] hundred<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he owes him his servitude for only half the time.');"><sup>19</sup></span> and goes out [free]; but if you say, he cannot be half redeemed, he must pay him a hundred and fifty, and [then] go out.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he owes him his service for the whole period, the fifty paid being in the nature of a deposit.');"><sup>20</sup></span>
יד או דילמא היכא דגלי גלי היכא דלא גלי לא גלי
14 But you said: 'if his value increased, [his redemption is] out of the money that he was bought for'! - Suppose he was dear [when bought], then slumped, then rose again.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He was bought for two hundred, and then slumped to a hundred, whereupon the slave refunded fifty for half redemption, not yet having served at all, and then his value rose again to two hundred.');"><sup>21</sup></span> 'It will be found to his disadvantage': If he bought him for two hundred [zuz], he [the slave] refunded a hundred, half of his value, and then slumped to a hundred.
טו א"ל ממדרשו של ר"ש נשמע שלוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין דתניא (ויקרא כז, יט) אם גאל יגאל מלמד שלוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין
15 If you say, he can be half redeemed, he must pay him fifty and go out; but if you say that he cannot be half redeemed, then this hundred was a bailment in his [the master's] charge:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But actually belonging to the slave.');"><sup>22</sup></span> hence he [the slave] gives it to him and goes out [free].
טז אמר ר"ש מה טעם לפי שמצינו במוכר שדה אחוזה שיפה כחו שאם הגיע יובל ולא נגאלה חוזרת לבעליה ביובל הורע כחו שאינו לוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין
16 R'Huna B'Hinena asked R'Shesheth: If a man sells a house in a walled city,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. XXV, 29-33.');"><sup>23</sup></span> can he half redeem it or not?
יז מקדיש שהורע כחו שאם הגיע יובל ולא נגאלה יוצאה לכהנים ביובל יפה כחו שלוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין
17 Do we learn the meaning of 'his redemption' from a 'field of possession':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An inherited field: v. p. 95, n. 5; a house in a walled city, ibid. 29: for a full year shall be his redemption (E.V. shall he have the right of redemption) .');"><sup>24</sup></span> just as 'a field of possession cannot be half redeemed, so this too cannot be half redeemed; or perhaps, where [Scripture] revealed it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the whole must be redeemed.');"><sup>25</sup></span>
יח האי מוכר בית בבתי ערי חומה נמי הואיל והורע כחו שאם מלאה לו שנה תמימה ולא נגאלה נחלט יפה כחו שלוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין
18 it revealed it; where not, it did not? - He answered him: From the exegesis of R'Simeon we learn that he can borrow and redeem, and redeem half. For it was taught: [And if a man shall sanctify unto the Lord part of the field of his possession.] And if he [that sanctified the field] will indeed redeem it:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXVII, 16, 19. 'Indeed' is expressed by the doubling of the verb.');"><sup>26</sup></span>
יט איתיביה (ויקרא כז, יט) אם גאל יגאל מלמד שלוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין
19 this teaches that he can borrow and redeem, and redeem half.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Intimated by the emphasis on 'redeem'.');"><sup>27</sup></span> Said R'Simeon: What is the reason?
כ שיכול והלא דין הוא ומה מוכר שדה אחוזה שיפה כחו שאם הגיע יובל ולא נגאלה חוזרת לבעליה ביובל הורע כחו שאין לוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין מקדיש שהורע כחו שאם הגיע יובל ולא נגאלה יוצאה לכהנים ביובל אינו דין שהורע כחו שאין לוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין
20 Because we find in the case of him who sells 'a field of possession', that [since] he has a great privilege, in that if jubilee comes and it not been redeemed, it reverts to its owners, his rights are weakened in [so far] that he cannot borrow and redeem, and redeem half; hence he who sanctifies ['a field of possession'] whose rights are impaired in that if jubilee comes and it has not been redeemed, it goes out to the priests at jubilee, [therefore] his privilege strengthened in [so far] that he may borrow and redeem, and redeem half. Hence this one too, who sells a house in a walled city, since his rights are impaired so that if a complete year elapsed and it is not redeemed, it is absolutely [sold], therefore his privilege is strengthened in that he can borrow and redeem, and redeem half.
כא מה למוכר שדה אחוזה שכן הורע כחו ליגאל מיד תאמר במקדיש שיפה כחו ליגאל מיד
21 He raised an objection: 'And if he will indeed redeem it': this teaches that he may borrow and redeem, and redeem half. For I might have thought, does it [the reverse] not follow a minori: if he who sells 'a field of possession', whose privilege is great in that if jubilee comes and it has not been redeemed it reverts to its original owner, yet his power is impaired in that he cannot borrow and redeem, and redeem half; then he who sanctifies, whose rights are impaired in that if jubilee comes and it has not been redeemed it goes out to the priests at jubilee, it surely follows that his rights are [also] impaired so that he cannot borrow and redeem, and redeem half.
כב מוכר בית בבתי ערי חומה יוכיח שיפה כחו ליגאל מיד ואין לוה וגואל וגואל לחצאין לא קשיא
22 As for one who sells 'a field of possession', that is because his privilege is weak in that he [cannot] redeem it immediately;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But must leave it at least two years with the vendees.');"><sup>28</sup></span> will you say [the same] of one who sanctifies, whose privilege is strong, that he can redeem it immediately? Let one who sells a house in a walled city prove it, whose privilege is strong to redeem it immediately, and yet he cannot borrow and redeem, and redeem half!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This last sentence contradicts R. Shesheth.');"><sup>29</sup></span> - There is no difficulty:
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