[א] "ואיש כי ימכֹר בית מושב עיר חומה" – יכול אפילו הקיפוה חומה מכאן ולהבא? תלמוד לומר "בית מושב". "עיר חומה" – המוקפת חומה מימות יהושע בן נון, ולא שהקיפוה חומה מכאן ולהבא. ואלו הן בתי ערי חומה – שלש חצרות של שני בתים המוקפות חומה מימות יהושע בן נון כגון: קצרה הישנה של צפורי, וחקרה של גוש חלב, ויורפת (ס"א יודפת) הישנה, וגמלה – הרי בגליל. וגדוד – הרי בעבר הירדן. וחריד ואונו וירושלים – הרי ביהודה. אמר ר' ישמעאל בר' יוסי, לא מנו אלא אלו שקדשום כשעלו בני הגולה, אבל הראשונות בטלו כיון שבטלה הארץ. 1) (Vayikra 25:31) ("And the houses of courtyards, which have no wall roundabout; with the field of the land shall it be reckoned. Redemption shall there be for it, and on the Yovel it shall go out.") "which have no wall roundabout": What is the intent of this? Why need it be written "And the houses of courtyards"? (i.e., Let it simply be stated "And houses which have no wall roundabout.") (To teach us) that even if they have a wall, they are perceived as if they do not. And how many are they? Two courtyards of two houses each. If there were three courtyards of two houses each (surrounded by a wall), they are regarded as houses of a walled city.
[ב] "והיתה גאֻלתו" – מיד. "עד תֹם שנת ממכרו" – לא שנה למנין עולם. "ימים תהיה גאֻלתו" – רבי אומר, אומר אני "ימים" אין פחות משני ימים. 2) "with the field of the land shall it be reckoned": Just as a field of the land (i.e., a field of holing) is released by Yovel and by deducting money (towards its redemption), so, this too. (In that case) I might think that just as a field of the land may not be redeemed in less than two years, so, this. It is, therefore, written "Redemption shall there be for it" — immediately.
[ג] "ואם לא יגאל עד מלאת לו שנה תמימה" מה תלמוד לומר? מנין אתה אומר מכרה לראשון ועמד ראשון ומכרה לשני. ואיני יודע, אם שנה לראשון, אם שנה לשני… כשהוא אומר "עד מלאת לו שנה" הוי אומר – שנה לראשון, לא שנה לאחרון. 3) I might think that since they were given the advantages of both houses, (which are released immediately on Yovel) and of fields, (which are released by deduction of money) then (in certain instances) they are not released on Yovel; it is, therefore, written "and on the Yovel it shall go out."
[ד] "תמימה" – שס"ה ימים כמנין ימות החמה, דברי רבי. וחכמים אומרים "שנה תמימה" י"ב חדש מיום ליום. לפיכך אם נתעברה השנה – נתעברה לו. 4) (Vayikra 25:32) ("And the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their holding, a perpetual redemption shall there be for the Levites.") "And the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their holding": What is the intent of this? Because it is written "a perpetual redemption shall there be for the Levites," I might think (that the same applies to) bondsmen, writs, and movables; it is, therefore, written "And the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their holding." "a perpetual redemption shall there be for the Levites": What is the intent of this? Because it is written (Vayikra 25:15) (a minimum of two) "years shall you buy from your fellow," I might think (that this restriction applies) even to the Levites; it is, therefore, written "a perpetual redemption shall there be for the Levites" (i.e., they may redeem it even immediately after the sale).
[ה] "וקם הבית" – אין לי אלא הבית. מנין בתי בדים, בורות שיחין ומערות, ומרחצאות, והשובכות והמגדלות? תלמוד לומר "אשר בעיר". יכול שאני מרבה את השדות? תלמוד לומר "בית" – מה "בית" מיוחד בית דירה, יצאו שדות שאינם בית דירה, דברי ר' יהודה. 5) (another answer:) Because it is written (Vayikra 25:30) "And if it (the house) is not redeemed until its fulfillment of a complete year, etc.", I might think (that this restriction applies) even to the Levites, it is, therefore, written "a perpetual redemption shall there be for the Levites." (another answer):) Because it is written (Vayikra 27:20-21) "And if he does not redeem the field, and if he sells the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed again. And the field shall be, when it goes out on the Yovel, holy to the L–rd, as a devoted field; to the Cohanim shall be his holding" — I might think that the same applies to the Levites; it is, therefore, written "a perpetual redemption shall there be for the Levites."
[ו] ר' מאיר אומר "וקם הבית" – אין לי אלא בית. מנין לרבות בתי בדים, ובורות שיחין ומערות, ומרחצאות, והשובכות והמגדלות והשדות? תלמוד לומר "אשר בעיר". 6) (Vayikra 25:33) ("And one who redeems from the Levites, then the selling of the house or the city of his holding shall go out on the Yovel; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their holding in the midst of the children of Israel.") What is the intent of this? I might think that a Levite may redeem from an Israelite with all of the aforementioned "advantages," the former being granted advantages and the latter not. It is, therefore, written "and one who redeems from the Levites," intimating that one Levite redeems from another.
[ז] "אשר לו חומה" – פרט לבית הבנוי בחומה, דברי ר' יהודה. ר' שמעון אומר כותל החיצון היא חומתה. ר' אלעזר בר' יוסי אומר "אשר לו חומה" – אף על פי שאין לו עכשיו והיה לו לפנים מכאן. 7) "from the Levites": and not all of the Levites, to exclude (from the privilege of redemption) the son of a Levite by a Nathinite (a descendant of the Giveonites) or by a mamzereth (a bastard). "then the selling shall go out": I might think that (even) bondsmen, writs, and movables go out; it is, therefore, written "the house or the city of his holding." If so, why "selling"? His selling goes out (without indemnification) on Yovel, but what he dedicated to the Temple, does not go out thus on Yovel, but only with redemption.
[ח] "לצמיתֻת" – לחולטנית. דבר אחר: "לצמיתֻת" – לרבות את הנותן מתנה. בראשונה היה נטמן יום י"ב חדש שתהא חלוטה לו. התקין הלל הזקן שיהא חולש את מעותיו בלשכה ויהא שובר את הדלת ונכנס. אימתי שירצה הלז יבוא ויטול מעותיו. 8) "for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their holding": What is the intent of this? I might think that if an Israelite inherited his mother's father, a Levite, he redeems as the Levites do; it is, therefore, written "and one who redeems, of the Levites." If so, I might think that if a Levite inherited his mother's father, an Israelite, he redeems as the Levites do; it is, therefore, written "for the houses of the cities of the Levites." (Both factors must obtain:) He must be a Levite and (the house must be) in the cities of the Levites. These are the words of Rebbi. The sages say: The only criterion is "the cities of the Levites" (and not his being a Levite). "for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their holding in the midst of the children of Israel": wherefore the Levites were accorded these "advantages" of redemption.
[ט] "לקונה אותו" – יכול לו לבדו? תלמוד לומר "לדֹרֹתיו". אי "לדורותיו", יכול לדורותיו ולא לו? תלמוד לומר "לקונה אותו". הא עד שיאמרו שני כתובים, ואם לאו, לא שמענו. 9) (Vayikra 25:34) ("But the field of the open place of their cities shall not be sold, for it is a perpetual holding for them.") Whence is it derived that a field may not be made an open place, nor an open place a field; that an open place may not be made a city, nor a city an open place? From "the field of the open place of their cities." R. Elazar said: Whereof is this said? Of the cities of the Levites; but in the cities of the Israelites a field may be made an open space, an open space may be made a field; an open space may be made a city, but a city may not be made an open space, so that the cities of Israel not be destroyed. "shall not be sold": "shall not be sold" by the Temple treasurer, or "shall not be sold" at all (vis-à-vis returning on Yovel and being redeemable even within the first two years)?
[י] "לצמיתֻת לקונה אותו לדֹרֹתיו לא יצא ביובל" – יצא הקדש שאין לו דורות. 10) It is, therefore, written "for it is a perpetual holding for them." How, then, am I to understand "shall not be sold"? As "shall not be sold" by the Temple treasurer. "it is … for them." (See end of 8 above)