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משניות פאה

Pe'ah 4:4: Safe Harvesting by the Poor

Peah, Chapter 4, Mishnah 4. This Mishnah too deals with the competition among the poor who come to gather the gifts designated for them.

The text of the Mishnah:

"Ein kotzrin osah b'magalos, v'ein okrin osah b'kardumos, kedei shelo yakeh ish es re'eihu"

  • "Ein kotzrin osah b'magalos" - the poor may not harvest the Peah with a sickle, that curved tool ordinarily used for cutting wheat.

  • "V'ein okrin osah b'kardumos" - nor may they uproot it with axes.

"Kedei shelo yakeh ish es re'eihu":

The situation could turn dangerous: when the poor are competing with one another, pushing and shoving, and a dangerous tool is in their hands, it could lead to a terrible accident, or even worse. Therefore the poor take the Peah with their hands alone, and in this way proper safety is maintained.

In summary: in this Mishnah we learned that Peah is gathered by hand and not with tools, neither with a sickle nor with an axe, out of concern that the poor, crowding against one another as they gather, might injure each other.