Mishnayos Eruchin Perek 8 Mishnah 1

המקדיש. בשעה שאינה יובל – at the time when the Jubilee [year] is not in force/being observed.

פתח אתה ראשון – with how much [money] do you want to redeem it. And because of ample provision/ gain [for redemption of the field when Jubilee is not in force] for something dedicated/sanctified to the Temple, they ask him first and the owners add an additional fifth. And for this reason, it (i.e., the Mishnah) took the language of: “when the Jubilee is not in force,” for at the time when the Jubilee is in force, there is no need to ask him for how much he will redeem it, for its monetary values are determined: a Bet Kor (i.e., an area requiring a Kor of seed) for fifty shekel. But at the time when the Jubilee is not in force, such as after the tribe(s) of Reuven and Gad were exiled, they eliminated the Jubilee years as it is written (Leviticus 25:10): “you shall proclaim release throughout the land for all of its inhabitants,” at a time when all of its inhabitants are upon it (i.e., the land), but not at a time when they were exiled from its midst, for then it is redeemed at its worth.

שהבעלים נותנים את החומש – all the monies of its worth and one-fourth more. And Similarly, every “added fifth” that is mentioned in the Torah, it would be the principal and its added fifth part. But because of three things, we state to the owners: “You open/declare first,” one of them is that the owners add the fifth, as is taught in our Mishnah. And the second is that the commandment of redemption is with the master, as it is written (Leviticus 27:27): “if it is not redeemed, [it shall be sold at its assessment],” so we see that the commandment of redemption precedes that of selling (see Tractate Arakhin 27a). And the third is that he adds and gives for its redemption more than other people, for a person desires his measure of capacity, one sixth of a Se’ah.

איסר – eight pennies.

לא אמר זה אלא כביצה – that is to say, this was not what actually happened, for he didn’t say, “for an Issar,” but rather, “with an egg.” And the treasurer said to him: “It’s yours; it is yours for an egg.” But there is a dispute of the first Tanna/teacher and Rabbi Yossi, as the Rabbis hold that we don’t redeem something dedicated [to the Temple] for less than four pennies, in order that the added fifth will [also] be a penny. But Rabbi Yossi holds, we redeem something dedicated [to the Temple] for anything, and even though its added fifth is not worth the equivalent of a penny. But the Halakha is according to the first Tanna/teacher.