וְזֹאת֩ לְפָנִ֨ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל עַל־הַגְּאוּלָּ֤ה וְעַל־הַתְּמוּרָה֙ לְקַיֵּ֣ם כָּל־דָּבָ֔ר שָׁלַ֥ף אִ֛ישׁ נַעֲל֖וֹ וְנָתַ֣ן לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ וְזֹ֥את הַתְּעוּדָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Adapun dahulu kala di Israel, dalam hal penebusan dan dalam hal pertukaran, untuk mengesahkan segala perkara, seseorang menanggalkan kasutnya dan memberikannya kepada sesamanya. Demikianlah cara pengesahan di Israel.
Bamidbar Rabbah
“Take a census of the sons of Gershon as well, by their patrilineal house, by their families” (Numbers 4:22).
“Take a census of the sons of Gershon,” that is what is written: “It is more precious than pearls, and all the objects of your desire do not equal it” (Proverbs 3:15). We learned there, a Sage takes precedence over a king of Israel: If a Sage dies, we have no one like him; if a king of Israel dies, all of Israel is fit for kingship. A king takes precedence over a High Priest, as it is stated: “The king said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, [mount Solomon my son upon my mule, and take him down to Giḥon. Tzadok the priest and Natan the prophet shall anoint him there as king over Israel]” (I Kings 1:33–34).1The verse refers to the king as the lord of Tzadok, the High Priest. A High Priest takes precedence over a prophet, as it is stated: “Tzadok the priest and Natan the prophet shall anoint him there as king over Israel” (I Kings 1:34); Tzadok is before Natan.2Tosefta Horayot 2:8. Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: A prophet folds his arms and legs and sits before the priest, what is the source? It is written: “Hear now, Yehoshua the High Priest, [you and your colleagues who sit before you]” (Zechariah 3:8). Could it be that they were lay people? The verse states: “As they are men of distinction [mofet]” (Zechariah 3:8), and mofet is nothing other than prophecy, as it is stated: “And he will provide you with a sign or a wonder [mofet]” (Deuteronomy 13:2). A High Priest who was anointed with anointing oil takes precedence over one who was appointed with multiple vestments.3A High Priest could be appointed in two ways. He could be anointed with anointing oil, or he could enter his position by wearing the vestments of the High Priest. Since the High Priest has eight vestments and a regular priest has four vestments, the High Priest appointed by means of wearing the eight vestments is called "the High Priest of multiple vestments." A prophet takes precedence over the priest anointed for war. The priest anointed for war takes precedence over the deputy of the High Priest. The deputy takes precedence over the head of the priestly watch. The head of the priestly watch takes precedence over the head of the patrilineal house. The head of the patrilineal house takes precedence over the overseer. The overseer takes precedence over the treasurer. The treasurer takes precedence over the common priest. The common priest takes precedence over the Levite. The Levite takes precedence over the Israelite. The Israelite takes precedence over the mamzer, the mamzer over the Givonite, the Givonite over the proselyte, the proselyte over the liberated slave. When? It is when they are all equal. However, if the mamzer is a Torah scholar, he takes precedence over a High Priest who is an ignoramus, as it is stated: “It is more precious than pearls.”4Tosefta, Horayot 2:8. They thought to say: To redeem, to sustain, and to clothe [he takes precedence], but for seating, no. Rabbi Avin said: Even for seating. What is the source? “It is more precious than pearls [mipeninim]” – even than the one who enters the innermost sanctum [lifnai velifnim].
Another matter, “it is more precious than pearls,” it is speaking of Kehat and Gershon. Even though Gershon is the firstborn, and we have found everywhere that the verse has accorded honor to the firstborn, because Kehat bore the Ark inside, which was the Torah, the verse gave him precedence over Gershon, as first it said: “Take a census of the sons of Kehat” (Numbers 4:2) and then it says: “Take a census of the sons of Gershon…” (Numbers 4:22). That is, “it is more precious than pearls [mipeninim],” than the firstborn who emerged first. Peninim is nothing other than first, just as it says: “This was formerly [lefanim] in Israel” (Ruth 4:7).
“Take a census of the sons of Gershon,” that is what is written: “It is more precious than pearls, and all the objects of your desire do not equal it” (Proverbs 3:15). We learned there, a Sage takes precedence over a king of Israel: If a Sage dies, we have no one like him; if a king of Israel dies, all of Israel is fit for kingship. A king takes precedence over a High Priest, as it is stated: “The king said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, [mount Solomon my son upon my mule, and take him down to Giḥon. Tzadok the priest and Natan the prophet shall anoint him there as king over Israel]” (I Kings 1:33–34).1The verse refers to the king as the lord of Tzadok, the High Priest. A High Priest takes precedence over a prophet, as it is stated: “Tzadok the priest and Natan the prophet shall anoint him there as king over Israel” (I Kings 1:34); Tzadok is before Natan.2Tosefta Horayot 2:8. Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: A prophet folds his arms and legs and sits before the priest, what is the source? It is written: “Hear now, Yehoshua the High Priest, [you and your colleagues who sit before you]” (Zechariah 3:8). Could it be that they were lay people? The verse states: “As they are men of distinction [mofet]” (Zechariah 3:8), and mofet is nothing other than prophecy, as it is stated: “And he will provide you with a sign or a wonder [mofet]” (Deuteronomy 13:2). A High Priest who was anointed with anointing oil takes precedence over one who was appointed with multiple vestments.3A High Priest could be appointed in two ways. He could be anointed with anointing oil, or he could enter his position by wearing the vestments of the High Priest. Since the High Priest has eight vestments and a regular priest has four vestments, the High Priest appointed by means of wearing the eight vestments is called "the High Priest of multiple vestments." A prophet takes precedence over the priest anointed for war. The priest anointed for war takes precedence over the deputy of the High Priest. The deputy takes precedence over the head of the priestly watch. The head of the priestly watch takes precedence over the head of the patrilineal house. The head of the patrilineal house takes precedence over the overseer. The overseer takes precedence over the treasurer. The treasurer takes precedence over the common priest. The common priest takes precedence over the Levite. The Levite takes precedence over the Israelite. The Israelite takes precedence over the mamzer, the mamzer over the Givonite, the Givonite over the proselyte, the proselyte over the liberated slave. When? It is when they are all equal. However, if the mamzer is a Torah scholar, he takes precedence over a High Priest who is an ignoramus, as it is stated: “It is more precious than pearls.”4Tosefta, Horayot 2:8. They thought to say: To redeem, to sustain, and to clothe [he takes precedence], but for seating, no. Rabbi Avin said: Even for seating. What is the source? “It is more precious than pearls [mipeninim]” – even than the one who enters the innermost sanctum [lifnai velifnim].
Another matter, “it is more precious than pearls,” it is speaking of Kehat and Gershon. Even though Gershon is the firstborn, and we have found everywhere that the verse has accorded honor to the firstborn, because Kehat bore the Ark inside, which was the Torah, the verse gave him precedence over Gershon, as first it said: “Take a census of the sons of Kehat” (Numbers 4:2) and then it says: “Take a census of the sons of Gershon…” (Numbers 4:22). That is, “it is more precious than pearls [mipeninim],” than the firstborn who emerged first. Peninim is nothing other than first, just as it says: “This was formerly [lefanim] in Israel” (Ruth 4:7).
Ruth Rabbah
“This was the tradition in Israel regarding redemption and regarding exchange; to validate any matter, a man would remove his shoe and give it to another, this was the testament in Israel” (Ruth 4:7).
“This was the tradition in Israel regarding redemption and regarding exchange; to validate any matter.” Rabbi Ḥanina interpreted the verse regarding Israel, regarding the nature of Israel. In the past they would laud regarding redemption, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2), but now, regarding exchange, as it is stated: “They exchanged their glory for the form of an ox eating grass” (Psalms 106:20).237This is a reference to the sin of the Golden Calf. There is nothing more despicable, abominable, and strange than an ox when it is eating grass.238Due to the saliva that drips from its mouth.
Initially, they would acquire with a shoe and a sandal, as it is stated: “A man would remove his shoe.” They then resorted to acquiring with ketzatza. What is this ketzatza? Rabbi Yosei bar Avin said: Anyone who would sell a field to a gentile, his relatives would bring barrels filled with roasted grain and nuts and would break them before the children. The children would gather them and say: ‘So-and-so was severed [niktzatz] from his ancestral property.’ When he recovered it, they would say: ‘So-and-so returned to his ancestral property.’ Likewise, anyone who would marry a woman who was not suited for him, his relatives would bring barrels filled with roasted grain and nuts and would break them before the children. The children would gather them and say: ‘So-and-so is lost to his family.’ When he would divorce her, they would say: ‘So-and-so returned to his family.’ They then returned to acquiring with a shoe and a sandal, “a man removed his shoe and gave it to another.” They then began acquiring with money, with a document, or by taking possession. The three of them are written in one verse: “They will purchase fields for money” (Jeremiah 32:44) – this is money; “and write the deeds and seal them” (Jeremiah 32:44) – these are the witnesses on a document; “and attest witnesses” (Jeremiah 32:44) – these are the witnesses of possession.
Rabbi Yosei in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Money does not effect transaction if it is less than the equivalent of one peruta. The statement of Rabbi Ḥanina disagrees, as Rabbi Ḥanina said: All the shekels that are written in the Torah are sela’im;239A sela is 19.2 grams of silver. This is 768 times the value of a peruta. in the Prophets, litrin;240A litra is the equivalent of a maneh, twenty-five sela’im, or 480 grams of silver. and in the Writings, kanterin.241A kanter is the equivalent of a talent, one hundred sela’im, or 1.92 kilograms of silver. Rabbi Yudan ben Pazi said: With the exception of the shekels of Ephron, which were kanterin. But it is not comparable; here, money is written,242In the verse in Jeremiah it says money without specifying a coin. The reference is to the lowest denomination of money, a peruta. and what Rabbi Ḥanina said [was regarding where the first says] shekalim.
This is not like the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer,243Rabbi Eliezer disagrees with the statement that one can acquire a field by “taking possession,” which implies that one performs an action that displays ownership, such as building something or changing something about the property. as Rabbi Eliezer would say: Walking acquires, as it is taught: If one walked in the field, whether by its length or by its width, he purchased up to the place that he went, in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. But the Rabbis say: He does not acquire until he takes possession.244He performs an action that displays ownership. However, this applies only if one is acquiring ownerless property. But everyone agrees, in a case where one sells a field to another, when he walks, he acquires it.
“This was the tradition in Israel regarding redemption and regarding exchange; to validate any matter.” Rabbi Ḥanina interpreted the verse regarding Israel, regarding the nature of Israel. In the past they would laud regarding redemption, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2), but now, regarding exchange, as it is stated: “They exchanged their glory for the form of an ox eating grass” (Psalms 106:20).237This is a reference to the sin of the Golden Calf. There is nothing more despicable, abominable, and strange than an ox when it is eating grass.238Due to the saliva that drips from its mouth.
Initially, they would acquire with a shoe and a sandal, as it is stated: “A man would remove his shoe.” They then resorted to acquiring with ketzatza. What is this ketzatza? Rabbi Yosei bar Avin said: Anyone who would sell a field to a gentile, his relatives would bring barrels filled with roasted grain and nuts and would break them before the children. The children would gather them and say: ‘So-and-so was severed [niktzatz] from his ancestral property.’ When he recovered it, they would say: ‘So-and-so returned to his ancestral property.’ Likewise, anyone who would marry a woman who was not suited for him, his relatives would bring barrels filled with roasted grain and nuts and would break them before the children. The children would gather them and say: ‘So-and-so is lost to his family.’ When he would divorce her, they would say: ‘So-and-so returned to his family.’ They then returned to acquiring with a shoe and a sandal, “a man removed his shoe and gave it to another.” They then began acquiring with money, with a document, or by taking possession. The three of them are written in one verse: “They will purchase fields for money” (Jeremiah 32:44) – this is money; “and write the deeds and seal them” (Jeremiah 32:44) – these are the witnesses on a document; “and attest witnesses” (Jeremiah 32:44) – these are the witnesses of possession.
Rabbi Yosei in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Money does not effect transaction if it is less than the equivalent of one peruta. The statement of Rabbi Ḥanina disagrees, as Rabbi Ḥanina said: All the shekels that are written in the Torah are sela’im;239A sela is 19.2 grams of silver. This is 768 times the value of a peruta. in the Prophets, litrin;240A litra is the equivalent of a maneh, twenty-five sela’im, or 480 grams of silver. and in the Writings, kanterin.241A kanter is the equivalent of a talent, one hundred sela’im, or 1.92 kilograms of silver. Rabbi Yudan ben Pazi said: With the exception of the shekels of Ephron, which were kanterin. But it is not comparable; here, money is written,242In the verse in Jeremiah it says money without specifying a coin. The reference is to the lowest denomination of money, a peruta. and what Rabbi Ḥanina said [was regarding where the first says] shekalim.
This is not like the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer,243Rabbi Eliezer disagrees with the statement that one can acquire a field by “taking possession,” which implies that one performs an action that displays ownership, such as building something or changing something about the property. as Rabbi Eliezer would say: Walking acquires, as it is taught: If one walked in the field, whether by its length or by its width, he purchased up to the place that he went, in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. But the Rabbis say: He does not acquire until he takes possession.244He performs an action that displays ownership. However, this applies only if one is acquiring ownerless property. But everyone agrees, in a case where one sells a field to another, when he walks, he acquires it.