וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אִ֕ישׁ כִּ֥י יַפְלִ֖א נֶ֑דֶר בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ נְפָשֹׁ֖ת לַֽיהוָֽה׃

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: If a man articulates a vow in accordance with the valuation of persons to the Lord, when one obligates himself to give to God the value of a certain person. With regard to the term erkekha , “valuation,” see commentary on 5:15.

וְהָיָ֤ה עֶרְכְּךָ֙ הַזָּכָ֔ר מִבֶּן֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְעַ֖ד בֶּן־שִׁשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וְהָיָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֗ חֲמִשִּׁ֛ים שֶׁ֥קֶל כֶּ֖סֶף בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

The valuation shall be: For the male from twenty years old until sixty years old, the valuation of such a man with regard to this form of dedication, shall be fifty shekels of silver of the sacred shekel.

וְאִם־נְקֵבָ֖ה הִ֑וא וְהָיָ֥ה עֶרְכְּךָ֖ שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָֽׁקֶל׃

And if it is for a female, in the same age range of twenty years old to sixty, the valuation shall be thirty shekels. Someone of this age is considered to be in his or her prime.

וְאִ֨ם מִבֶּן־חָמֵ֜שׁ שָׁנִ֗ים וְעַד֙ בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְהָיָ֧ה עֶרְכְּךָ֛ הַזָּכָ֖ר עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שְׁקָלִ֑ים וְלַנְּקֵבָ֖ה עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת שְׁקָלִֽים׃

And if from five years old until twenty years old, the valuation shall be: The male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

וְאִ֣ם מִבֶּן־חֹ֗דֶשׁ וְעַד֙ בֶּן־חָמֵ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים וְהָיָ֤ה עֶרְכְּךָ֙ הַזָּכָ֔ר חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה שְׁקָלִ֖ים כָּ֑סֶף וְלַנְּקֵבָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֔ שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת שְׁקָלִ֖ים כָּֽסֶף׃

And if from one month old until five years old, the valuation shall be: The male five shekels of silver, and for the female, the valuation three shekels of silver.

וְ֠אִם מִבֶּן־שִׁשִּׁ֨ים שָׁנָ֤ה וָמַ֙עְלָה֙ אִם־זָכָ֔ר וְהָיָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֔ חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר שָׁ֑קֶל וְלַנְּקֵבָ֖ה עֲשָׂרָ֥ה שְׁקָלִֽים׃

And if from sixty years old and above: If a male, the valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

וְאִם־מָ֥ךְ הוּא֙ מֵֽעֶרְכֶּ֔ךָ וְהֶֽעֱמִידוֹ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהֶעֱרִ֥יךְ אֹת֖וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֑ן עַל־פִּ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר תַּשִּׂיג֙ יַ֣ד הַנֹּדֵ֔ר יַעֲרִיכֶ֖נּוּ הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ (ס)

And if he, the one who vowed, is too poor to pay for the valuation, he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall assess him; on the basis of what the one who vowed can afford, the priest shall assess him. The priest shall grant him a deduction.

וְאִם־בְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַקְרִ֧יבוּ מִמֶּ֛נָּה קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽיהוָ֑ה כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֥ן מִמֶּ֛נּוּ לַיהוָ֖ה יִֽהְיֶה־קֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

And if it, the subject of one’s vow, is a type of animal from which one would present an offering to the Lord, an animal fit for the altar, any that one gives of it to the Lord shall be sacred. The sanctity of the vow applies to the body of the animal itself.

לֹ֣א יַחֲלִיפֶ֗נּוּ וְלֹֽא־יָמִ֥יר אֹת֛וֹ ט֥וֹב בְּרָ֖ע אוֹ־רַ֣ע בְּט֑וֹב וְאִם־הָמֵ֨ר יָמִ֤יר בְּהֵמָה֙ בִּבְהֵמָ֔ה וְהָֽיָה־ה֥וּא וּתְמוּרָת֖וֹ יִֽהְיֶה־קֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

Consequently, the animal itself must be sacrificed upon the altar. One shall not exchange it and not substitute it, replacing a good animal with a bad one, or even a bad one with a good one; if he substitutes an animal for an animal, it and its substitute shall be sacred. On the other hand, if one dedicates produce or other items, he is permitted to exchange them, to give the value of the object in its stead. Such an exchange is prohibited in the case of an animal that is fit for the altar, as the body of the animal itself is sanctified; it is not consecrated merely for its monetary value. And yet if he substitutes an animal for an animal, it and its substitute shall be sacred. Although it is prohibited to say that another animal should replace a consecrated animal, this declaration is not entirely without effect. This contrasts with most other situations, as the halakha generally does not recognize the validity of an action which constitutes a prohibition. In the formulation of the Talmud, if there is a matter about which God said: Do not do it, and one did it, his action is ineffective. In this case, however, the animal which one sought to use as a substitute is indeed consecrated, although the original animal also retains its sanctity.

וְאִם֙ כָּל־בְּהֵמָ֣ה טְמֵאָ֔ה אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹא־יַקְרִ֧יבוּ מִמֶּ֛נָּה קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽיהוָ֑ה וְהֶֽעֱמִ֥יד אֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

And if a man consecrates an animal, and it is any type of nonpure animal or an animal from which one does not present an offering to the Lord for other reasons, e.g., if it is blemished, he shall set the animal before the priest.

וְהֶעֱרִ֤יךְ הַכֹּהֵן֙ אֹתָ֔הּ בֵּ֥ין ט֖וֹב וּבֵ֣ין רָ֑ע כְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן כֵּ֥ן יִהְיֶֽה׃

The priest shall assess it, whether good or bad; as the priest’s valuation, so shall it be. The priest shall evaluate the worth of the animal standing before him, and his determination is final.

וְאִם־גָּאֹ֖ל יִגְאָלֶ֑נָּה וְיָסַ֥ף חֲמִישִׁת֖וֹ עַל־עֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃

And if, after the owner consecrates the non-pure animal, he redeems it, seeks to reacquire it from Sanctuary property, he shall add its one-fifth to the valuation of its worth.

וְאִ֗ישׁ כִּֽי־יַקְדִּ֨שׁ אֶת־בֵּית֥וֹ קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְהֶעֱרִיכוֹ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן בֵּ֥ין ט֖וֹב וּבֵ֣ין רָ֑ע כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲרִ֥יךְ אֹת֛וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן כֵּ֥ן יָקֽוּם׃

This verse presents a similar halakha : And when a man consecrates his house sacred to the Lord, then the priest shall assess it, whether good or bad; as the priest assesses it, so shall it stand.

וְאִ֨ם־הַמַּקְדִּ֔ישׁ יִגְאַ֖ל אֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ וְ֠יָסַף חֲמִישִׁ֧ית כֶּֽסֶף־עֶרְכְּךָ֛ עָלָ֖יו וְהָ֥יָה לֽוֹ׃

And if the one who consecrated it redeems his house himself, he shall add one-fifth the silver of the valuation to it, and then the house shall be his.