One who consecrates his field at a time when the Yovel is not in force, they say to him, ‘You bid first;’ for the owner gives a fifth, whereas any other person does not give a fifth. [There was] a story of a person who consecrated his field because of its poor quality. They said to him: ‘You bid first,’ [and] he said, ‘It is mine for an issar.’ R’ Yose said: This one said nothing other than, ‘for an egg;’ for consecrated property may be redeemed with money or with something worth money. He said to him, ‘It is yours!’ Thus, he was found to have lost an issar, and his field was still his.

[If] one said, ‘It is mine for ten selaim,’ and one said, ‘for twenty,’ and one said, ‘for thirty,’ and one said, ‘for forty,’ and one said, ‘for fifty’ — [if] the one who [bid] fifty retracted, they secure from his property up to ten [selaim]. [If] the one who [bid] forty retracted, they secure from his property up to ten [selaim]. [If] the one who [bid] thirty retracted, they secure from his property up to ten [selaim]. [If] the one who [bid] twenty retracted, they secure from his property up to ten [selaim]. [If] the one who [bid] ten retracted, they sell it for its worth, and collect the balance from the one who bid ten [selaim]. [If] the owner says, ‘for twenty,’ and others say, ‘for twenty,’ the owner is given preference, because he adds a fifth.

[If] one said, ‘It is mine for twenty-one’ — the owner must give twenty-six; ‘for twenty-two’ — the owner must give twenty-seven; ‘for twenty-three’ — the owner must give twenty-eight; ‘for twenty-four’ — the owner must give twenty-nine; ‘for twenty-five’ — the owner must give thirty; for we do not add a fifth to the increment from this one’s [bid]. [If] one said, ‘It is mine for twenty-six’ — if the owner wished to give thirtyone and a dinar, the owner is given preference; and if not, they say, ‘It is yours.’

A person may declare cherem part of his flock or his cattle, some of his male and female Canaanite slaves, or part of his ancestral land; but if he declared all of them to be cherem, they do not become cherem; [these are] the words of R’ Elazar. R’ Elazar ben Azaryah said: If one may not declare all his property cherem to the Most High, how much more so must a person spare his property!

[If] someone declares cherem his son or daughter, his Hebrew manservant or maidservant, and his acquired land, they do not become cherem, because a person cannot render cherem something that is not his. Kohanim and Leviim cannot declare a cherem; [these are] the words of R’ Yehudah. R’ Shimon says: Kohanim cannot declare a cherem, because the charamim belong to them; [however,] Leviim can declare a cherem, because the charamim do not belong to them. Rabbi said: The view of R’ Yehudah is indicated with respect to real property, as it says (Lev. 25:34): For it is an eternal holding for them; and the view of R’ Shimon with respect to movable property, inasmuch as the charamim do not belong to them.

The charamim dedicated to the Kohanim are not redeemable, but are given to the Kohanim. R’ Yehudah ben Beseira says: Unspecified charamim are for the repairs of the Temple, as it says (Lev. 27:28): Any cherem is most holy to HASHEM. But the Sages say: Unspecified charamim are for the Kohanim, as it says (Lev. 27:21): Like the cherem field; his ancestral holding shall go to the Kohen. If so, why does it say, Any cherem is most holy to HASHEM? [To teach] that it takes effect for kodshei kodashim and kodashim kalim.

A person can declare cherem his consecrated animals, be they kodshei kodashim or kodashim kalim. If it is a neder, he gives the worth [of the animal]; if it is a nedavah, he gives its benefit to him. [If one had said,] ‘This ox shall be an olah offering,’ we evaluate how much a person would be willing to give for this ox to offer it as an olah offering that he is not obligated [to bring]. A bechor — whether it is unblemished or blemished, one may declare it cherem. How do they redeem it? The redeemers evaluate how much a person would be willing to give for this bechor, that it be given to his daughter’s son, or his sister’s son. R’ Yishmael says: One verse states, you shall consecrate, while another verse states that one may not consecrate. It is impossible to say consecrate, for it is already stated that one may not consecrate. It is [similarly] impossible to say not to consecrate, for it has already been stated, consecrate. [Therefore,] you must now say: You may consecrate it as a consecration of assessment, but you cannot consecrate it as a consecration to the Altar.