2,980. A Kohein Who Redeems a Field

Hilchos Arachin Vacharamin 4:22

Let’s say that a woman consecrated her ancestral field. Her husband redeemed it from the Temple treasurers and it was still in his possession when yoveil arrived. In such a case, there is a doubt as to whether the field reverts to the woman or goes to the kohanim. Accordingly, if the woman was speedy and took possession of the field after the yoveil arrived, the kohanim can’t take it from her. If the kohanim took possession of it first, she can’t take it from them.

Hilchos Arachin Vacharamin 4:23

Let’s say that someone consecrated a field and a kohein redeemed it from the Temple treasury so that it’s still in his possession when yoveil arrives. In such a case, the kohein shouldn’t be misled into thinking that since the field is confiscated and given to kohanim, and it’s already in the possession of a kohein – i.e., him – that it therefore becomes his property. Rather, it is given to all of the kohanim collectively.