The commandment of the appraisal of a beast, such that one give according to what the priest appraises: To rule in the case of appraisals of beasts according to that which the Torah commanded us about it — as it is stated (Leviticus 27:11-12), “and he shall place the beast in front of the priest. And the priest shall appraise it” — and to give according to the appraisal that the priest appraises, and not less. As a man should not decrease and lie about that which he opens his mouth for the Heavens; and it is even forbidden to lie with common things, as I explained above (Sefer HaChinukh 350).
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Temurah 32b) that one who consecrates an unblemished beast for the altar and a blemish develops on it and it becomes disqualified, behold it is appraised and redeemed and he brings another beast instead of it. And about this is it stated (Leviticus 27:11), “And if it is any impure animal from which shall not be sacrificed to the Lord, he shall appraise the beast, etc.” — as so did it come in the received traditional understanding, that Scripture expressed [this] with the expression of “impure.” And whether a man consecrated a pure animal for the altar and a blemish developed upon it, as we said — or an impure [one] for the [Temple] upkeep — it requires being placed in front of the priest, as it is stated, “and he shall place the beast in front of the priest,” and he appraises it. And if it died before it is appraised and redeemed, we do not appraise it and we do not redeem it after it died. But if he slaughtered two (the esophagus and the trachea) or the majority of two — even though it is like dead regarding slaughter, as it is established for us (Chullin 28a), as so was Moshe commanded about the majority of one with fowl and the majority of two with a beast — behold, it is living regrading appraisals. And [so] he brings it in front of the priest, and he appraises it. And the rest of its details are in [various] places in Temurah and Meilah. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Substitution 4.)
And this commandment is practiced by males and females at the time of the [Temple]. But at this time, the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 13a) that “We do not consecrate, and we do not appraise and we do not dedicate [...]. But if one did consecrate, or appraise or dedicate,” the law is that “a beast should be destroyed and produce, garments, or vessels should rot.” But if he wants its solution, he can do to them like that of Shmuel, who said, “Consecrated items worth a maneh (a hundred large coins) that they desanctified upon that which is worth a perutah (the smallest coin), is desanctified (it is effective)” — as I wrote. And since this is so, we should write that the law of placing [it] in front of the priest is now not practiced at all. But nonetheless the law of appraisals of a beast is practiced with regards to that which if one did transgress and appraise his beast at this time, he needs to do what the Sages commanded with the thing. And since ex post facto we need a solution for the thing even at this time, I should count it and anything that is similar to it, among the commandments that are practiced at this time.
מִצְוַת מַעֲרִיךְ בְּהֵמָה שֶׁיִּתֵּן כְּפִי שֶׁיַּעֲרִיכֶנָּה הַכֹּהֵן – לָדוּן בְּדִין עֶרְכֵי בְּהֵמָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁצִּוַּתְנוּ הַתּוֹרָה עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כז יא יב) וְהֶעֱמִיד אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֵן וְהֶעֱרִיךְ הַכֹּהֵן אֹתָהּ. וְלָתֵת כְּפִי הָעֵרֶךְ שֶׁיַּעֲרִיכֶנָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְלֹא פָּחוֹת, שֶׁאֵין לִפְחוֹת וּלְשַׁקֵּר בְּמַה שֶּׁאָדָם פּוֹתֵחַ פִּיו לַשָּׁמַיִם, וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּדִבְרֵי הֶדְיוֹט אָסוּר לְשַׁקֵּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי לְמַעְלָה (מצוה שנ).
The commandment of the appraisal of a beast, such that one give according to what the priest appraises: To rule in the case of appraisals of beasts according to that which the Torah commanded us about it — as it is stated (Leviticus 27:11-12), “and he shall place the beast in front of the priest. And the priest shall appraise it” — and to give according to the appraisal that the priest appraises, and not less. As a man should not decrease and lie about that which he opens his mouth for the Heavens; and it is even forbidden to lie with common things, as I explained above (Sefer HaChinukh 350).
וּמִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בְּדִין עֶרְכֵי אָדָם בְּרֹאשׁ הַסֵּדֶר.
And what I wrote in the law of the appraisals of a man at the beginning of the Order (Sefer HaChinukh 350) is from the roots of the commandment.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (תמורה לב, ב) שֶׁהַמַּקְדִּישׁ בְּהֵמָה תְּמִימָה לַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְנָפַל בָּהּ מוּם וְנִפְסְלָה, הֲרֵי זוֹ נֶעֱרֶכֶת וְנִפְדֵּית, וְיָבִיא בְּהֵמָה אַחֶרֶת קָרְבָּן תַּחְתֶּיהָ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר וְאִם כָּל בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא יַקְרִיבוּ מִמֶּנָּה קָרְבָּן לַיְיָ וְהֶעֱמִיד אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה וְגוֹ', שֶׁכֵּן בָּא עַל זֶה הַפֵּרוּשׁ הַמְקֻבָּל שֶׁהוֹצִיאָהּ הַכָּתוּב בִּלְשׁוֹן טֻמְאָה, וּבֵין שֶׁהִקְדִּישׁ אָדָם בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה לַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְנָפַל בָּהּ מוּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, אוֹ טְמֵאָה לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת צְרִיכָה הַעֲמָדָה לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֵן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהֶעֱמִיד אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֵן, וְהוּא מַעֲרִיךְ אוֹתָהּ. וְאִם מֵתָה קֹדֶם שֶׁתֵּעָרֵךְ וְתִפָּדֶה אֵין מַעֲרִיכִין וְלֹא פּוֹדִין אוֹתָהּ אַחַר שֶׁמֵּתָה. וְאִם שָׁחַט בָּהּ שְׁנַיִם אוֹ רֹב שְׁנַיִם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִיא כְּמֵתָה לְעִנְיַן שְׁחִיטָה כִּדְקַיְמָא לַן (חולין כח, א) שֶׁכֵּן נִצְטַוָּה מֹשֶׁה עַל רֹב אֶחָד בָּעוֹף וְרֹב שְׁנַיִם בַּבְּהֵמָה, הֲרֵי הִיא כְּחַיָּה לְעִנְיַן עֲרָכִין, וּמְבִיאָהּ לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֵן וּמַעֲרִיכָהּ. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ בִּמְקוֹמוֹת מִתְּמוּרָה וּמְעִילָה [הלכות ערכין פרק ד].
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Temurah 32b) that one who consecrates an unblemished beast for the altar and a blemish develops on it and it becomes disqualified, behold it is appraised and redeemed and he brings another beast instead of it. And about this is it stated (Leviticus 27:11), “And if it is any impure animal from which shall not be sacrificed to the Lord, he shall appraise the beast, etc.” — as so did it come in the received traditional understanding, that Scripture expressed [this] with the expression of “impure.” And whether a man consecrated a pure animal for the altar and a blemish developed upon it, as we said — or an impure [one] for the [Temple] upkeep — it requires being placed in front of the priest, as it is stated, “and he shall place the beast in front of the priest,” and he appraises it. And if it died before it is appraised and redeemed, we do not appraise it and we do not redeem it after it died. But if he slaughtered two (the esophagus and the trachea) or the majority of two — even though it is like dead regarding slaughter, as it is established for us (Chullin 28a), as so was Moshe commanded about the majority of one with fowl and the majority of two with a beast — behold, it is living regrading appraisals. And [so] he brings it in front of the priest, and he appraises it. And the rest of its details are in [various] places in Temurah and Meilah. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Substitution 4.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת. אֲבָל בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ע"ז יג, א) שֶׁאֵין מַקְדִּישִׁין וְאֵין מַעֲרִיכִין וְאֵין מַחְרִימִין, וְאִם הִקְדִּישׁ אוֹ הֶעֱרִיךְ אוֹ הֶחְרִים מִן הַדִּין הוּא שֶׁהַבְּהֵמָה תֵּעָקֵר, וּפֵרוֹת כְּסוּת וְכֵלִים יֵרָקְבוּ, אֲבָל אִם רוֹצֶה בְּתַקָּנָתָן עֲבִיד לְהוּ כְּדִשְׁמוּאֵל דַּאֲמַר הֶקְדֵּשׁ שָׁוֶה מָנֶה שֶׁחִלְּלוֹ עַל שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה מְחֻלָּל, כְּדִכְתִיבְנָא. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁכֵּן, יֵשׁ לָנוּ לִכְתֹּב, שֶׁאֵין דִּין הַעֲמָדָה לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֵן נוֹהֵג עַכְשָׁו כְּלָל, אֲבָל מִכָּל מָקוֹם דִּין עֶרְכֵי בְּהֵמָה נוֹהֵג לְעִנְיַן שֶׁמִּי שֶׁעָבַר וְהֶעֱרִיךְ בְּהֵמָה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת בַּדָּבָר מָה שֶׁצִּוּוּנוּ חֲכָמִים, וּמִכֵּיוָן דִּבְדִיעֲבַד צְרִיכִין אָנוּ תַּקָּנָה בַּדָּבָר אֲפִלּוּ בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה יֵשׁ לִי לִמְנוֹתָהּ הִיא וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהּ בִּכְלַל הַמִּצְוֹת הַנּוֹהֲגוֹת בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
And this commandment is practiced by males and females at the time of the [Temple]. But at this time, the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 13a) that “We do not consecrate, and we do not appraise and we do not dedicate [...]. But if one did consecrate, or appraise or dedicate,” the law is that “a beast should be destroyed and produce, garments, or vessels should rot.” But if he wants its solution, he can do to them like that of Shmuel, who said, “Consecrated items worth a maneh (a hundred large coins) that they desanctified upon that which is worth a perutah (the smallest coin), is desanctified (it is effective)” — as I wrote. And since this is so, we should write that the law of placing [it] in front of the priest is now not practiced at all. But nonetheless the law of appraisals of a beast is practiced with regards to that which if one did transgress and appraise his beast at this time, he needs to do what the Sages commanded with the thing. And since ex post facto we need a solution for the thing even at this time, I should count it and anything that is similar to it, among the commandments that are practiced at this time.