Jo’s Place

​ Redemption of Gifts Offered to the Lord The Lord said to Moses,  “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.  If anyone makes a special vow, to dedicate someone to the Lord, by paying the value of that person, here is the scale of values, to be used.  A man, between the ages of twenty and sixty, is valued at fifty shekels of silver, as measured by the sanctuary shekel.  A woman, of that age, is valued at thirty shekels of silver.  A boy, between the ages of five and twenty, is valued at twenty shekels of silver; a girl, of that age, is valued at ten shekels of silver.  A boy, between the ages of one month and five years, is valued at five shekels of silver; a girl, of that age, is valued at three shekels of silver.  A man, older than sixty, is valued at fifteen shekels of silver; a woman, of that age, is valued at ten shekels of silver.  If you desire, to make such a vow, but cannot afford to pay the required amount, take the perso...

​ Redemption from Foreigners “Suppose a foreigner or temporary resident becomes rich while living among you.  If any of your fellow Israelites fall into poverty and are forced to sell themselves to such a foreigner or to a member of his family, they still retain the right to be bought back, even after they have been purchased.  They may be bought back, by a brother, an uncle, or a cousin.  In fact, anyone, from the extended family, may buy them back.  They may also redeem themselves if they have prospered.  They will negotiate the price, of their freedom, with the person,    who bought them.  The price will be based, on the number of years, from the time they were sold, until the next Year of Jubilee—whatever it would cost, to hire a worker, for that period of time.  If many years still remain, until the jubilee, they will repay the proper proportion, of what they received, when they sold themselves.  If only a few years remain, until th...

Redemption of the Poor and Enslaved “If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you.  Do not charge interest or make a profit at his expense.  Instead, show your fear of God, by letting him live with you, as your relative.  Remember, do not charge interest, on money you lend him, or make a profit, on food you sell him.  I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.  “If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell himself to you, do not treat him as a slave.  Treat him instead as a hired worker or as a temporary resident, who lives with you, and he will serve you only until the Year of Jubilee.  At that time, he and his children will no longer be obligated to you, and they will return to their clans and go back, to the land originall...

​ Redemption of Property “The land must never be sold, on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to Me  (says the Lord) .  You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for Me.  “With every purchase of land, you must grant the seller the right to buy it back.  If one, of your fellow Israelites, falls into poverty and is forced to sell some family land, then …a close relative should buy it back, for him.  If there is no close relative, to buy the land, but the person, who sold it, gets enough money, to buy it back, he then has the right to redeem it, from the one who bought it.  The price, of the land, will be discounted, according to the number of years, until the next Year of Jubilee.  In this way, the original owner can then return, to the land.  But, if the original owner, cannot afford, to buy back the land, it will remain with the new owner, until the next Year of Jubilee.  In the jubilee year, the land must be returned, to the ori...