Pe'ah Chapter 7, Mishnah 4. This mishnah presents another category of gifts to the poor - the olelos. The source of this law is the Torah's command: "u'charmecha lo se'olel" - the owner of a vineyard may not gather the olelos in his vineyard, for they belong to the poor. What remains to be clarified is what exactly an olelet is, and that is the mishnah's question: "Eizehu olelos?" - what qualifies as olelos.
The term olelos is derived from the word olel, meaning a young child, a little one - something that has not yet taken full form.
Defining olelos:
The mishnah answers: "kol she'ein lah lo katef v'lo netef" - a cluster that lacks the two features that characterize a complete cluster:
"katef" - the upper, broad part of the cluster, which is formed like a pair of shoulders and from there tapers downward.
"netef" - the grapes at the lower tip of the cluster, which look as though they are dripping downward.
Any cluster that has neither a katef nor a netef, but only scattered individual grapes, is an olelet and belongs to the poor. However, "im yesh lah katef o netef" - one of the two features is enough for it not to be considered an olelet, and it is then "shel ba'al habayis" - the property of the owner.
A case of doubt:
"Im safek - la'aniyim" - when a doubt arises as to whether what is before us is an olelet or not, it is given to the poor. This principle is based on the halachah we learned in Chapter 4, that a doubtful leket is leket; so too a doubtful olelos is olelos, and it belongs to the poor.
An olelet at the joint:
What is the ruling regarding an olelet located at the arkuvah, that is, at the joint between the cluster and the main branch? Since it stands right at the corner, it is unclear whether it is part of the cluster or whether it stands on its own and has the status of an olelet. The mishnah decides the matter according to the way it detaches:
"Im nikretzes im ha'eshkol" - when, at the moment of cutting, it breaks off together with the cluster, "harei hi shel ba'al habayis" - it belongs to the owner and is not an olelet.
"V'im lav" - when it does not break off with the cluster but remains attached to the main branch, "harei hi shel aniyim" - it belongs to the poor.
A single grape:
The mishnah continues and discusses a "gargar yechidi" - a single grape. The Rashash explains that this refers to a case where the cluster is made up of a few sparse twigs, small and few branches, and it has only isolated grapes attached to the central spine of that cluster. What is the status of such grapes?
Rabbi Yehudah says: it is a cluster - since the grape is attached to the spine that descends from the main branch, and it stands in the place where a cluster is normally found, it has the status of a cluster and belongs to the owner.
And the Sages say: it is an olelet - since there are only two or three grapes standing on their own, this is not considered a cluster, for it lacks both the katef and the netef, even though it is situated in the place where a cluster is normally found. Its status is therefore that of an olelet, and it belongs to the poor.
In summary: this mishnah defined olelos - a cluster that has neither a katef nor a netef, whereas if it has one of the two it belongs to the owner; a doubtful olelos is given to the poor, just like a doubtful leket; an olelet at the joint is judged according to the way it detaches - if it is nipped off together with the cluster it belongs to the owner, and if not, to the poor; and regarding a single grape, Rabbi Yehudah considers it a cluster while the Sages consider it an olelet belonging to the poor.