To estimate the value of consecrated fields

Faith – אֱמוּנָה

• Rambam (Hilchot Arachin 4:16) explains that field valuations follow precise Torah guidelines, not market fluctuations. Faith is demonstrated by trusting Hashem’s fixed standard, even when it differs from human logic or local economics.

Justice – צֶדֶק

• Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 378) teaches that the valuation system ensures fairness by removing subjective bias. Justice is served when all consecrated fields are valued equally by seed capacity, not by wealth or beauty.

Holiness – קְדֻשָּׁה

• Rashi (Leviticus 27:16) notes that valuation is tied to Torah’s objective measure, sanctifying the act of consecration. Holiness here means lifting a person’s most valuable asset — land — into the service of Hashem through a consistent system.

Agriculture – חַקְלָאוּת

• Talmud (Arachin 25a) details that fields are valued according to how much barley seed they can produce. This agricultural measure ties the mitzvah directly to the land’s potential for growth, connecting farming with sanctity.

Speech – דָּבָר

• The consecration begins with a verbal declaration. Words of sanctification obligate the field’s valuation, showing again that speech creates binding holiness and financial duty.

Vows / Oaths – נְדָרִים / שְׁבוּעוֹת

• Rambam emphasizes that a vow to consecrate land is fulfilled not by market estimation but by Torah’s valuation. This protects the sanctity of vows and ensures they are carried out concretely.

Community – קְהִלָּה

• Sefer HaChinuch points out that valuations supported the Temple treasury, tying private property to the welfare of the entire nation. The system unified individuals with the community’s collective sanctity.

Eretz Yisrael – אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל

• Field consecrations apply specifically to ancestral land in Israel, linking the mitzvah to the holiness of the land. This highlights that even agricultural property is bound up with Divine service.

Bein Adam L’Makom – בֵּין אָדָם לְמָקוֹם

• Ultimately, consecrating a field is a pledge to Hashem. The mitzvah demonstrates loyalty and devotion to G-d by turning personal property into a sacred obligation defined by Torah law.