Halakhah for Megillah 3:1

בְּנֵי הָעִיר שֶׁמָּכְרוּ רְחוֹבָהּ שֶׁל עִיר, לוֹקְחִין בְּדָמָיו בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת. בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת, לוֹקְחִין תֵּבָה. תֵּבָה, לוֹקְחִין מִטְפָּחוֹת. מִטְפָּחוֹת, לוֹקְחִין סְפָרִים. סְפָרִים, לוֹקְחִין תּוֹרָה. אֲבָל אִם מָכְרוּ תוֹרָה, לֹא יִקְחוּ סְפָרִים. סְפָרִים, לֹא יִקְחוּ מִטְפָּחוֹת. מִטְפָּחוֹת, לֹא יִקְחוּ תֵבָה. תֵּבָה, לֹא יִקְחוּ בֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת. בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת, לֹא יִקְחוּ אֶת הָרְחוֹב. וְכֵן בְּמוֹתְרֵיהֶן. אֵין מוֹכְרִין אֶת שֶׁל רַבִּים לְיָחִיד, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמּוֹרִידִין אוֹתוֹ מִקְּדֻשָּׁתוֹ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אִם כֵּן, אַף לֹא מֵעִיר גְּדוֹלָה לְעִיר קְטַנָּה:

Men of a city who sold the open place of a city may buy a house of prayer with the proceeds. [The open place of a city has sanctity, for they (the city dwellers) pray there on fast days. The sages differ with this anonymous Mishnah, saying that sanctity does not inhere in the open place of a city, since they pray there only adventitiously. The halachah is in accordance with the sages.] (If they sold) a house of prayer, they may buy an ark. [It is only a village house of prayer that may be sold; but a house of prayer in a large city, from which they come from all over to pray belongs to the populace and may not be sold.] (If they sold) an ark, they may buy coverings (for the Torah scrolls). (If they sold) coverings, they may buy books [Prophets and Writings]. (If they sold) books, they may buy a Torah scroll. But if they sold a Torah scroll, they may not buy books. [For "we raise in sanctity, and do not lower."] (If they sold) books, they may not buy coverings. (If they sold) coverings, they may not buy an ark. (If they sold) an ark, they may not buy a house of prayer. (If they sold) a house of prayer, they may not buy the open place. And the same holds with what is left over. [If they sold books and bought a Torah scroll with some of the money, they may not buy something of lesser sanctity with what is left over. And all of this applies only when the sale was not made by seven city dignitaries in the presence of the people of the city, but if it was, even to buy beer for drinking, it is permitted. And this, only in a village (as opposed to a large city) as stated above.] It is not permitted to sell what is owned by many to an individual, this lowering its sanctity. These are the words of R. Yehudah. They said to him: If so, it should not be permitted to sell from a large city to a small one, [but it is!]

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