geula

When we think of the word גְּאֻלָּה geula - we typically think of a divine redemption or salvation, perhaps with a messianic bent. It could be spiritual or it could be physical, but God is the one doing the redeeming.However, the root גאל - "to redeem" - doesn't have that meaning exclusively. In the Tanakh, we find it frequently referring to redemption by humans: redemption of land, or redemption of other humans (for example, slaves).For example, in Vayikra 25:25, if an Israelite becomes poor and sells part of his ancestral property, the Torah says:וּבָא גֹאֲלוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו וְגָאַל אֵת מִמְכַּר אָחִיו“His nearest goel shall come and redeem what his relative sold.”The goel here is the close relative who has the right, and in some cases the responsibility, to recover property that has left the family.The same chapter extends this role to a relative who has sold himself into servitude. A brother, uncle, cousin, or other close relative can redeem him.This is also the background to the…