2,968. Delaying the Sale of Seized Property
Hilchos Arachin Vacharamin 3:18
If the person with the debt is donkey driver or a farmer, they don't leave his animals even though he needs them to earn his living. If he was a sailor, they don’t leave his boat. In such cases, everything is sold.
Hilchos Arachin Vacharamin 3:19
Let’s say that there were animals, servants and pearls among the debtor’s property. Merchants advise that buying clothing worth 30 zuz for a particular servant will increase his value by 100 zuz, or that waiting to sell a certain cow will increase its value by ten zuz, or taking a certain pearl to a particular place will enable it to be sold for much more than in the current location. In all of these cases, we don’t take the merchants’ advice. Rather, everything is sold in its current location, as quickly as possible, “as is.” This is based on Leviticus 27:23: “You shall give your valuation on that day, sanctified to Hashem,” i.e., everything consecrated is not improved, delayed for sale or brought to another place. Rather, consecrated property is sold in its place as soon as possible.