Erchin 9:7-8

Erchin 9:7

Houses in open areas enjoy the benefits of both houses in walled cities and fields, i.e., like houses, they can be redeemed immediately and for 12 months, and they are returned in the Jubilee; like fields, the owners pay the lesser price to redeem them (as illustrated in mishna 9:2). The following are considered houses in open areas: two courtyards with two houses each. These are considered to be in an open area even if they are surrounded by walls dating back to the time of Joshua.

Erchin 9:8

Let’s say that there’s a Yisroel (Israelite) whose maternal grandfather was a Levi, from whom he inherited a house in a walled city. He cannot redeem it the way that Levites do (i.e., at any time); the same is true of a Levi who inherited a house from a grandfather who was a Yisroel. This is because Leviticus 25:33 specifies “the houses of the cities of the Leviim” – it has to be a Levi redeeming a house in a Levite city; this is the opinion of Rebbi. The Sages say that it only has to be a Levite city (but a Yisroel owner can redeem). One may not turn a field into an open area, nor vice versa, nor may one turn an open area into a city, nor vice versa; this is the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer. This only applies to Levite cities; in Israelite cities, a field can be turned into an open area but not vice versa, and an open area may be turned into a city but not vice versa in order to prevent the cities of Israel from being razed. Kohanim and Leviim can sell and redeem their hereditary fields at any time, as is explicit in Leviticus 25:32.