Kiddushin, Daf Kaf Het, Part 6
Introduction
Today s section explains the mishnah.
גמ׳ ת"ר כיצד רשות הגבוה בכסף גיזבר שנתן מעות בבהמה אפי’ בהמה בסוף העולם קנה ובהדיוט לא קנה עד שימשוך
GEMARA. Our rabbis taught: How does the Sanctuary [acquire] by money? If the [Temple] treasurer pays money for an animal, even if the animal is at the end of the world, he acquires it; whereas an ordinary person does not acquire it until he performs meshikhah.
As I explained in my commentary on the Mishnah, the Temple can acquire by paying for things whereas an ordinary person needs to perform meshikhah (drawing it to him).
כיצד אמירתו לגבוה כמסירתו להדיוט האומר שור זה עולה בית זה הקדש אפי’ בסוף העולם קנה בהדיוט לא קנה עד שימשוך ויחזיק
How is dedication to the Sanctuary equal to delivery to an ordinary person? If one declares, This ox will be a burnt-offering or This house be sacred, even if they are at the end of the world it [the Temple] acquires them; whereas an ordinary person gains no title until he performs meshikhah or hazakah.
This illustrates the second half of the mishnah. The Temple acquires things when someone simply says they belong to the Temple. Ordinary people transfer objects by physically transferring them.
משכו במנה ולא הספיק לפדותו עד שעמד במאתים נותן מאתים מאי טעמא (ויקרא כז, יט) ונתן הכסף וקם לו
If one [an ordinary person] performs meshikhah with it when it is worth a maneh, but has no time to redeem it [pay the money] until it rises to two hundred [zuz,] he must pay two hundred.
What is the reason? Then he shall pay the money, and it shall be assured to him (Leviticus 27:17).
The ordinary person described here is acquiring something from the Temple. He pulls it to himself, but has not yet given the money. Then the price goes up. He must pay the higher value. This would not be true if he were acquiring something from another person. In that case, once he pulled the item to himself, it would be his.
משכו במאתים ולא הספיק לפדותו עד שעמד במנה נותן מאתים מאי טעמא לא יהא כח הדיוט חמור מהקדש
If he performs meshikhah when it is worth two hundred and has no time to redeem it until it falls to a maneh, he must pay two hundred.
What is the reason? The rights of an ordinary person should not be stronger than those of hekdesh.
This is the same case except the object falls in value. Now the Talmud rules that he must pay the higher value, which is the same as would be if he purchased it from another ordinary individual. This is to make sure that the law would not be stronger for an ordinary person (protecting the ordinary seller) than it is for the Temple (when it sells).
פדאו במאתים ולא הספיק למושכו עד שעמד במנה נותן מאתים מאי טעמא (ויקרא כז, יט) ונתן הכסף וקם לו
פדאו במנה ולא הספיק למושכו עד שעמד במאתים מה שפדה פדוי ואין נותן אלא מנה אמאי ה"נ נימא לא יהא כח הדיוט חמור מהקדש
אטו הדיוט לאו במי שפרע קאי:
If he redeems it when it is worth two hundred, and has no time to perform meshikhah before it falls to a maneh, he must pay two hundred. What is the reason? Then he shall pay the money, and it shall be assured to him.
If he redeems it at a maneh, and has no time to perform meshikah before it rises to two hundred, what he has redeemed is redeemed, and he pays only a maneh.
Why? Here too, let us say: The rights of an ordinary person should not be stronger than those of hekdesh? Is an ordinary person not subject [to the curse,] He who punished [etc.]?
The first section here is the same as above, but uses the example of redeeming holy property instead of buying it.
But the second section is different. If he redeems it for a maneh and the value goes up to 200, he need not pay the extra 100. The Talmud is perplexed by this why should the rights of an ordinary person, who would be able to claim the full 200, be greater than the Temple?
The answer is that an ordinary person (the seller) who demands the higher value would be subject to the curse of He Who exacted payment from the generation of the flood (and the generation of the dispersion will punish one who does not keep his word. In other words, if I offer to sell you something for 100, and you give me 100 and before you take possession the price goes up. I can demand the higher value. But I will be cursed by God if I do so. Thus an ordinary s persons rights are not really greater than that of the Temple.