הלכות מתנות עניים ד׳Gifts to the Poor 4

Halacha 1א׳

אֵיזֶהוּ לֶקֶט זֶה הַנּוֹפֵל מִתּוֹךְ הַמַּגָּל בִּשְׁעַת קְצִירָה אוֹ הַנּוֹפֵל מִתּוֹךְ יָדוֹ כְּשֶׁמְּקַבֵּץ הַשִּׁבֳּלִים וְיִקְצֹר. וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַנּוֹפֵל שִׁבּלֶת אַחַת אוֹ שְׁתַּיִם. אֲבָל אִם נָפְלוּ שָׁלֹשׁ כְּאֶחָד הֲרֵי שְׁלָשְׁתָּן לְבַעַל הַשָּׂדֶה. וְהַנּוֹפֵל מֵאַחַר הַמַּגָּל אוֹ מֵאַחַר הַיָּד אֲפִלּוּ שִׁבּלֶת אַחַת אֵינָהּ לֶקֶט:

What is considered leket? That which falls from within the scythe at the time of harvesting or that which falls from within one's hand while gathering sheaves that one is about to harvest. And this means one or two stalks that fall, but if three have fallen as one bunch, they belong to the owner of the field. And that which falls after the scythe or from behind the hand, even if it is only one stalk, [is also the owner of the field's] and is not considered to be leket.63See Mishnah Péah 4:10. In other words, any stray stalks that are missed through the normal motion of using a scythe, so long as they do not fall in bunches of three or more and therefore would normally be picked up by the harvester belong to the poor.

Halacha 2ב׳

הָיָה קוֹצֵר בַּיָּד בְּלֹא מַגָּל הַנּוֹפֵל מִתּוֹךְ יָדוֹ אֵינוֹ לֶקֶט. אֲבָל הַתּוֹלֵשׁ דְּבָרִים הַתּוֹלְשִׁים אוֹתָם הַנּוֹפֵל מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ לֶקֶט. הָיָה קוֹצֵר אוֹ תּוֹלֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁדַּרְכּוֹ לְהִתָּלֵשׁ וְאַחַר שֶׁקָּצַר מְלֹא זְרוֹעוֹ אוֹ תָּלַשׁ מְלֹא קֻמְצוֹ הִכָּהוּ קוֹץ וְנָפַל מִיָּדוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ הֲרֵי זֶה שֶׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת:

If one is harvesting by hand without a scythe [and it is usual to use a scythe to harvest], that which falls from within the hand is not leket, but as for one who picks things [and this is the normal manner to gather them], when they pluck them and something falls from under the hand, then this is leket. If one was harvesting or picking something for which it is usual to be plucked by hand and had harvested an armful or had picked a handful and then a thorn stuck him and it fell from his hand to the ground, then this [remains] the household owner's [and does not count as leket].64See Mishnah Péah 4:10.

Halacha 3ג׳

הָיָה קוֹצֵר וְנִשְׁאֲרָה שִׁבּלֶת אַחַת שֶׁלֹּא נִקְצְרָה וְנִקְצַר כָּל שֶׁסְּבִיבוֹתֶיהָ. אִם הָיָה רֹאשָׁהּ מַגִּיעַ לַקָּמָה שֶׁבְּצִדָּהּ וִיכוֹלָה לְהִקָּצֵר עִם הַקָּמָה הֲרֵי הִיא שֶׁל בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה וְאִם לָאו הֲרֵי הִיא שֶׁל עֲנִיִּים:

If one harvested and there remained one stalk that was not harvested but all around it was harvested, if its end was even with the standing grain that was on the side and it is possible that it will be harvested with the standing grain, then this is the owner of the field's, and if not [that is, it is not close enough to the standing grain to be harvested with it when the reapers come through again,] then this belongs to the poor.65See Mishnah Péah 5:2. These will be harvested in the normal course of things.