​ Peah

(9) And when you reap the harvest of your land, don't fully reap the corner of thy field, and don't gather the gleaning of your harvest. (10) And don't glean your vineyard, and don't gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Adonai your God.

(1) These are the things that have no measure: Peah [corner of the field which, while harvesting, must be left for the poor], Bikurim [First-fruits that must be brought to the Temple and given to the priest], the appearance-sacrifice [brought to the Temple on Pilgrimage Festivals], acts of kindness, and the study of the Torah. These are things the fruits of which a man enjoys in this world, while the principal remains for him in the World to Come: Honoring one's father and mother, acts of kindness, and bringing peace between a man and his fellow. But the study of Torah is equal to them all.

(2) One should not make the Peah less than one-sixtieth [of the entire crop]. And although they [the Sages] say that there is no definite amount given for Peah, it is all based upon the size of the field and upon the number of poor [who will be collecting it] and upon the abundance of the crop.

(3) One may give Peah from the beginning of the field or from its middle. Rabbi Shimon says: only if one gives the full measure at the end. Rabbi Yehudah says: if one has left even one stalk [at the end], he adjoins to it [what he has left to the beginning or middle, and it becomes Peah], if not, he has merely made it ownerless.

(4) They made a rule about Peah: all which is food and which is guarded and grows from the ground and collected in one crop and stored for preservation is obligated in Peah. Grain and legumes are [included] in this rule.

(5) And as for the trees: the sumac, the carobs, the nuts, the almonds, the grapevines, the pomegranates, the olives, and the dates are obligated in Peah.

(7) Rebbi Shimon said, “Because of four things the Torah said [that] a person should only give Peah (corners of the field) in the end of his field [and not in the middle or in the beginning relative to where he began to harvest from]. Because of theft from the poor, and because of wasting time of the poor, and because of suspicion, and because of cheaters. How so because of theft from the poor? That [the owner] should not see a time when there are no people there and he will say to a poor person who is his relative, ‘Come and take this Peah for yourself.’ And how so because of wasting time of the poor? That the poor will not sit and watch [the field] the whole day and say, ‘Now he is giving Peah, now he is giving Peah’, but rather since [the owner] gives it in the end [of his harvest of the field, the poor person will] go and do his work, and [then] come and take [Peah] in the end [of his work day]. And how so because of suspicion? That passersby should not say, ‘Look at so and so that he harvested his field and did not leave from it Peah, because so it says in the Torah, ‘You should not harvest the corners of your field …’ (Leviticus 19:9, Leviticus 23:22)’ And how so because of cheaters? That people should not say, ‘We already gave [Peah].’ Another explanation. That he should not leave the good [portion of the crops for himself] and give [Peah] from the bad [portion of the crops].”

(7) One must not give [Tzedakah to the poor who wander from place to place less than a loaf that is the price of a Pundion, when four Seah [of grain] cost a Sela. If he spends the night, one gives [bedding] supplies for the night. If he stays for Shabbat, one gives him food for three meals. One who has [enough] food for two meals must not take from the soup kitchen. [If he has enough] food for fourteen meals, he must not take from the charity box. And the charity box [funds] are collected by two people and distributed by three people.

(8) One who has two hundred Zuz may not take Leket, Shikhechah, Peah or Ma'aser Ani. If he has one Dinar less than two hundred, even one thousand [people] simultaneously give him [a Dinar, he may take [them all]. If [his assets] are mortgaged to his creditor or his wife’s marriage contract, he may take. He is not obligated to sell his house or his [fine] clothes [in order to take agricultural gifts].

(9) Someone who has fifty Zuz, and he uses them for business, he may not take. And anyone who does not need to take, but takes anyway, will not depart from the world until he will become dependent on others. And all who need to take, yet do not take, will not die from old age until he will [be enabled to] provide for others from his portion. Regarding this, scripture states, “Blessed is the man that relies on G-d, and G-d will be his security” (Jeremiah 17:7). [The same is true] for a judge who judges in absolute truth. And he who is neither lame, nor blind, nor crippled, yet he pretends to be one of these, he will not die of old age until he becomes like one of these, as it says, “Justice, justice shall you pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:20) And every judge who takes a bribe and subverts the law, he will not die of old age until his eyes have dimmed, as it says, “And you shall not take a bribe, because a bribe blinds those who can see and understand, etc.” (Exodus 23:8)