Pe'ah Chapter 8, Mishnah 9 - the final mishnah of Maseches Pe'ah. The mishnah opens with a further detail of the law we learned in the previous mishnah, that someone who has two hundred zuz does not take from the gifts to the poor.
"Mi sheyesh lo chamishim zuz... harei zeh lo yitol" - someone who has only fifty zuz, but he does business with them so that they provide him with a steady source of income, does not take from the gifts to the poor. The measure of two hundred zuz was stated regarding capital that sits idle and produces nothing; but when the money produces a profit, fifty zuz is enough to disqualify him from taking, just as with the other gifts to the poor.
Moral Instructions at the Close of the Maseches:
The mishnah closes the maseches with several moral instructions on matters connected to the gifts to the poor:
"Vechol mi she'eino tzarich litol venotel" - someone who does not truly need the gifts to the poor and takes them anyway, "eino niftar min ha'olam ad sheyitztarech labriyos" - he will end up needing the help of others and will actually come to poverty.
"Vechol mi shetzarich litol ve'eino notel" - someone who is entitled to take and does not take, but instead manages frugally and makes do with a minimal livelihood, without depriving himself and his household, "eino mes min hazikneh ad sheyefarnes acherim mishelo" - he will end up earning enough to be in a position to support others from his own property. And of him it is said: "Baruch hagever asher yivtach baHashem vehayah Hashem mivtacho" - the Holy One, blessed be He, will ultimately be his security and his guarantee, and He will take care of him.
"Vechen dayan shedan din emes la'amito":
The same applies to a judge who judges his cases truthfully and faithfully - of him too it is said: "Baruch hagever asher yivtach baHashem vehayah Hashem mivtacho".
One Who Pretends to Have a Blemish:
Someone who is not "chiger" - he does not limp and has no blemish in one leg, and is not "suma" - he is not blind, and is not "pisei'ach" - he has no blemish in both legs (this is the difference between chiger and pisei'ach: chiger is in one leg, and pisei'ach is in both legs), "ve'oseh atzmo ke'echad mehem" - he pretends to have one of these blemishes in order to arouse people's pity, "eino mes min hazikneh ad sheyihyeh ke'echad mehem" - he will end up truly becoming one of those who bear such blemishes.
"Shene'emar" - and the verse refers back to the judge who judges truthfully and rules on matters with precision: "Tzedek tzedek tirdof" - whoever comes to sit in judgment is obligated to pursue justice properly.
A Judge Who Takes a Bribe:
"Vechol dayan shelokei'ach shochad umateh es hadin" - a judge who takes a bribe and on its account changes the ruling from what it ought to be, "eino mes min hazikneh ad she'einav kehos" - he will end up with his eyes growing dim and his vision failing. As it says: "Veshochad lo sikach, ki hashochad ye'aver pik'chim" - a bribe has the power to blind the eyes of the clever and the wise.
It is worth noting that there are many different versions of the text of this mishnah, and the one we read is the standard version.
With this we conclude Maseches Pe'ah. Thank you for joining the learning, and we hope you will join us for the next maseches as well - Maseches Demai.