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Bar Metzrah: Does the Next-door Neighbor Have Priority if the Seller is a Non-Jew?

The halachah of bar metzrah grants the next-door neighbor priority to purchase a property or field that is adjacent to theirs; however, if the seller is a non-Jew, the next-door neighbor does not always have precedence. Due to the possibility that the non-Jewish neighbor might wish harm to the Jewish family—as is the case in places where anti-Semitism is rife—buying that property is considered ari avrechi lach (literal translation: I chased a lion away from you), i.e., the aspiring buyer may tell the next-door neighbor, “Listen, you should let me buy the property next door, since your non-Jewish neighbor might harm you in some way—and by buying it I am eliminating that possibility.” The same applies to a Jewish seller who is ra malalim (ruthless).

Some poskim say, though, that if the next-door neighbor is ready, willing, and able to buy the property, they should be given the option to buy it before anyone else—but only if they are able to do so without delay. The concern is that a delay in concluding the sale might result in the sale of the property to a non-Jew. There are many other aspects to the halachah of bar metzrah that are beyond the scope of today’s short halachah. In such situations, the two parties should consult a rav in order to settle the matter in an amicable. #340