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Peah Chapter 6, Mishnah 5: Shikcha, Peret and Lekket Quantities

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Pe'ah, Chapter 6, Mishnah 5. This mishnah deals with measures: how much may be forgotten and still be considered shichechah (forgotten sheaves), and what quantity is no longer considered shichechah.

The measures of shichechah:

  • "Shnei omarin - shichechah, u'sheloshah einan shichechah" - two sheaves of grain left forgotten in the field are considered shichechah; three sheaves are not shichechah.

  • "Shnei tzibburei zeisim v'charuvin - shichechah, u'sheloshah einan shichechah" - two piles of olives or of carobs are considered shichechah; three piles are not shichechah.

  • "Shnei chotznei pishtan - shichechah, u'sheloshah einan shichechah" - two stalks of flax are considered shichechah; three are not shichechah.

Some explain the reason: once there are three, the quantity is no longer called a sheaf, and the Torah wrote "v'shachachta omer ba'sadeh" - "and you forgot a sheaf in the field." Such a quantity is already considered a stack, a heap of grain, and not a sheaf.

Regarding flax, the commentators explain that the mishnah is speaking of a case where the flax was left to grow until it produced seeds, since flax seeds are fit for eating. Flax itself is not a food, and the laws of leket, shichechah and Pe'ah apply only to things that are fit for eating.

From shichechah to peret:

From here the mishnah moves from the law of shichechah to the law of peret. Peret is essentially identical to leket: leket is what falls during the harvesting of grain, while peret is what falls during the picking of grapes - the very same law, only that it is stated with regard to grapes.

  • "Shnei gargerim - peret, u'sheloshah einan peret" - two grapes that fall are peret and belong to the poor; three grapes are not peret, and the owner may pick them up and return them to his basket.

  • "Shtei shibolim - leket, v'shalosh einan leket" - two stalks of grain that fall during the harvest are leket; three are not leket.

The dispute between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel:

"Elu k'divrei Beis Shammai" - the entire distinction between two and three explained until now is the opinion of Beis Shammai. "V'al kulan Beis Hillel omrim: sheloshah la'aniyim v'arba'ah l'ba'al habayis" - in all of these cases Beis Hillel disagree and hold that three - whether stalks of grain, grapes or sheaves - belong to the poor and have already entered their possession, while four belong to the owner of the field.

In summary: the mishnah established measures in the laws of shichechah, peret and leket - according to Beis Shammai, two for the poor and three for the owner, and according to Beis Hillel, three for the poor and four for the owner.

Peah Chapter 6, Mishnah 5: Shikcha, Peret and Lekket Quantities · Mishnah Peah · Chapter 6