The mitzvot of Bechukotai

The commandment that one who appraises a man give the value delineated in the Torah

Positive · Leviticus 27:2

A person shares in the higher beings only through the power of speech, the most honoured part of him, which is what is called in him a living soul, as Onkelos translates it, a speaking spirit. If a person spoils this part, his body is left as if dead. Therefore a person must keep his word, and all the more so what he utters for the sake of Heaven, such as consecrations and charity.

To not exchange consecrated things

Negative · Leviticus 27:10

One who has consecrated an animal as an offering may not exchange it for another, so as to fix in our hearts reverence for what is holy. What has been sanctified remains in its holiness forever, and no one should think of removing it. And the Rambam added that the Torah understood human nature to the end - it is a person's way to spare his money, and were he allowed to exchange, he would exchange good for bad.

The commandment of the one who exchanges the beast of a sacrifice with another beast, such that both of them be consecrated

Positive · Leviticus 27:10

God wished to place awe in people's hearts toward all matters of holiness, and so what has been sanctified remains holy forever. One who comes with his words to strip it of its holiness finds his act turned against him, and the holiness spreads and takes hold of both animals. And the Rambam added that a person might regret his consecration and seek to exchange a good animal for a poor one, so the Torah closed the door before him.

The commandment of the appraisal of a beast, such that one give according to what the priest appraises

Positive · Leviticus 27:11

One who pledges the value of an animal to the Temple gives as the kohen appraises it and no less, for one must not be false in what he opens his mouth to pledge to Heaven. The power of speech is the most honoured part of a person, through which he resembles the higher beings, so a person must keep his word, and all the more so what he has uttered for the sake of Heaven.

The commandment of appraising houses, such that he give the appraisal that the priest appraises and the addition of a fifth

Positive · Leviticus 27:14

As with exchanging an offering, God wished for our good to place in people's hearts awe toward what is consecrated. In His kindness He allowed what was consecrated to be redeemed, but commanded that a fifth be added to the redemption, so that a person keeps far from lessening the value owed to the sanctuary in any way.

The commandment of appraising a field, that he give the appraisal specified in the section of the Torah

Positive · Leviticus 27:16

The Chinuch does not give a separate root here, and it seems to be like the other laws of valuations and consecrations. A person must keep what he has uttered for the sake of Heaven, and awe of the sanctuary requires redeeming it at its full value. And the Torah set one value for every field, good or poor alike, so that there is no room for cleverness and shortchanging.

To not change the consecrated from a sacrifice to a sacrifice

Negative · Leviticus 27:26

This prohibition too comes to fix in the heart awe toward what is holy. What has been consecrated for one offering stays with its purpose, and a person may not change its holiness to another offering at will, as though the holy were in his hands.

The commandment of the law of one who dedicates from his properties, that it is of the priests

Positive · Leviticus 27:28

The people of Israel were chosen for the service of God, and they stand under the direct providence of the Holy One, blessed be He, without the mediation of angel or star, so as long as they cleave to the Torah, blessing rests upon them. One who utters a word of cherem, a ban, over his property cannot take it out of the domain of blessing, for everything Israel has belongs to God. But since his intention is to remove the thing from his possession, his wish is fulfilled, and it returns to the possession of its Master and becomes holy, given to the kohanim.

That owners that dedicated land not sell it, but that it rather be given to the priests

Negative · Leviticus 27:28

The root of this mitzvah is as in the previous one. Everything Israel has is God's portion, and one who has placed a ban on his property cannot take it out of the domain of blessing. Therefore the banned property is not sold, but given to the kohanim, the servants of God, and so returns to the possession of its Master.

That a dedicated field not be redeemed

Negative · Leviticus 27:28

This root was explained in the previous mitzvah. What a person has banned from his property returns to God's possession and becomes holy for the kohanim, so the owners may not redeem it back. In this way his intention to remove the thing from his possession is fulfilled, and it remains belonging to God and His servants.

The commandment of the tithe of pure beasts every year

Positive · Leviticus 27:32

God wished all His people to be occupied with Torah, but He knew that most people are drawn after the needs of the body and do not persevere in study. Therefore He commanded that the tithe of animals be brought up to Jerusalem, the place of Torah and of the Sanhedrin, for a person is drawn to the place where his wealth is, and there the householder or one of his sons will learn. And so in every house in Israel there will be someone who knows Torah and will teach his whole household, and the land will be filled with the knowledge of God.

To not sell the tithe of beasts, but rather that it be eaten in Jerusalem

Negative · Leviticus 27:33

The root of this mitzvah is as with the tithe of animals - the tithe must go up to Jerusalem and be eaten there, so that its owners come to the place of Torah and learn from it. Therefore we were commanded not to sell it in any way, but that it should reach Jerusalem in any case.