1) (Vayikra 19:10) "And your vineyard you shall not glean; and the fallow fruit (peret) of your vineyard you shall not gather. To the poor man and to the stranger you shall leave them; I am the L–rd your G d.") "And your vineyard you shall not glean (te'oleil)": From here they ruled: A vineyard which is all oleiloth (tendrils which have no grapes bunched together or hanging down from the end) — R. Eliezer says: It belongs to the owner; R. Akiva says: It belongs to the poor. R. Eliezer (to R. Akiva): It is written (Devarim 24:21): "When you harvest the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it" — If there is no harvest, whence the gleanings? R. Akiva: But it is written "and your harvest you shall not glean" — even if it is all gleanings. If so, what is the intent of "when you harvest you shall not glean"? I might think that since Scripture permitted the gleanings to the poor, they could come and take them whenever they wished; it is, therefore, written "When you harvest … you shall not glean." The poor have no rights to the gleanings before the harvest. 2) "and the peret of your vineyard": (The taking of) peret obtains only with harvesting — whence they ruled: If he were harvesting, and in cutting the clusters, they became entangled in the leaves and fell to the ground and became peret (single grapes), these belong to the owner. If one left a basket under the vine while harvesting (so that any single grapes fall into it), he is robbing the poor (of their due). Of this it is written (Mishlei 22:28) "Do not remove the bound of yore." 3) What are oleiloth? (Tendrils which have) neither grapes bunched together (katef) nor hanging down from the end (netef). If they had katef but not netef, or netef but not katef, they belong to the owner. If their status is doubtful, they belong to the poor. If there were oleiloth in the arkuvah (a part of the vine laid on the ground) — if it were cut together with the cluster, it belongs to the owner; if not, it belongs to the poor. A single berry — R. Yehudah says: This is regarded as (part of the) cluster. The sages say: (They are regarded as) oleiloth. 4) "to the poor man": I might think (that this applies, too,) to the poor of others (i.e., of gentiles); it is, therefore, written "to the stranger" (i.e., the proselyte, who is Jewish). If "to the stranger," I might think that the reference is to a ger toshav (a "sojourning stranger," who is not Jewish); it is, therefore, written (in this context, Devarim 26:13) "to the Levite." Just as a Levite is a son of the Covenant, so "stranger" is a son of the Covenant (and not a gentile). 5) If "to the Levite and to the stranger," I might think (that they take peah) whether or not they are in need. It is, therefore, written "to the poor man" — Just as "the poor man" is in need and is a son of the covenant, so all (to obtain peah) must meet these criteria. "you shall leave them": Lay it down before them and let them take it for themselves. Even if ninety-nine say that (you should) divide it (among them), and one says that (you should let them) take it — even if he is healthy and strong — he is to be heeded, for he says according to the halachah. I might think (that the same applies) to hanging (grapes) and to (hanging) dates, (where there is danger in allowing them to take it themselves); it is, therefore, written ("leave) them" (and not others, for taking). (In the instance of hanging fruit,) even if ninety-nine say to take them and, one says to divide them — even if he is old, even if he is sick (and is suspected to be motivated by self-interest) — he is to be heeded, for he says according to the halachah. 6) Why did you see fit to say that with hanging grapes and dates they divide and with all other fruits they take? After Scripture includes, it excludes. It is written "harvest," which is distinctive in that (in being on the ground), the weak can deal with it as well as the strong, to exclude hanging grapes and dates, where this is not the case. R. Shimon says: Slippery nut trees are in the same category as vines and date palms. 7) "shall you leave": before them. Leave grain in its stalk; fenugrec, in its spike; dates in their "broom." I might think (that the stalks are peah) even if the wind dispersed them; it is, therefore, written "them" (and not their dispersed stalks). If he set them aside (as peah, in their stalks), and then the wind dispersed them, then just as they (the poor) have acquired them, they have acquired their stalks. Whence is it derived that a possibility (safek) that something might be leket is leket, and that safek shikchah is shikchah, and safek peah is peah? From "to the poor man and to the stranger shall you leave them" (even a "possibility" of them). "I am the L–rd your G d" (elokeichem) ("elokim is a judge). I exact of you "souls" in payment, as it is written (Mishlei 22:22 and Mishlei 22:23) "Do not rob the needy one because he is needy, nor oppress the poor man in the gate. For the L–rd will take up their quarrel and He will rob their robbers of (their) soul."
Sifra Kedoshim Chapter 3
Tap any verse to see what it echoes — and start a chain or echo from it.