The Mishnah on Harvest-Time Allocations

1. At what point is everyone permitted to take leket [produce that falls on the ground during the harvest and must be left for the poor]? Once the slowest [poor] gatherers have finished. [At what point is everyone permitted to take] peret and ‘olelot [grapes that fall and underdeveloped grapes to be left for the poor]? Once the poor have gone through the vineyard and come [back again, and then left. At what point is everyone permitted to take] olives [that are designated for the poor]? From after the second major rainfall of the season. R. Judah said: But are there not [poor people] who do not collect their olives until after the second major rainfall? Rather, [those who are not poor may collect olives once there are only enough olives left] that a poor person might go out [to collect olives] but would not bring back even four isars’ worth. [ . . . ]

5. When providing [food] for the poor during the harvest, [people should] not give less than half a kav of wheat and a kav of barley. R. Meir says: Half a kav]of barley[, a kav and a half of spelt, and a kav of dried figs or a maneh of pressed fig cake. [ . . . ] And for all other types of produce, Abba Samuel said: Enough so that [the poor] can sell them and purchase enough food for two meals. [ . . . ]

7. [People] may not give less than a loaf [of bread] worth a pundion (when four se’ah are worth a sela) to a poor person who is passing through. [If the poor person] spends the night, they give him enough for the night. [If he stays] for the Sabbath, they give him food for three meals. [A poor person] who has enough food for two meals should not take [money] from the soup kitchen. [One who has enough] food for fourteen meals should not take from the charity fund. [Money for] the charity fund is collected by two [people] and distributed by three [people].

8. One who has two hundred zuz should not take leket, shikheḥah [produce forgotten by reapers in the field that must be left for the poor], pe’ah [produce from the corner of the field], or the tithe for the poor [produce separated out for the poor every three years]. If a person has even one dinar less than two hundred zuz, then if they are given one thousand [zuz] at one time, they may take it. If [his money was being used as] collateral for a debt or for his wife’s ketubah, then he may take [leket, shikheḥah, and pe’ah]. [They] do not require him to sell his house or equipment [in order to have 200 zuz in liquid assets and therefore be unable to take leket, shikheḥah, and pe’ah].

9. One who has fifty zuz that he uses for business transactions should not take [leket, shikheḥah, and pe’ah]. Whoever does not need to take [leket, shikheḥah, and pe’ah] and takes [them] will not die [of old age] until they become dependent on others. Whoever has need for [leket, shikheḥah, and pe’ah] but does not take [them] will not die of old age until they are able to provide for others themselves. Regarding this it was said: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his security (Jeremiah 17:7). [ . . . ] Whoever is not crippled, blind, or lame but makes himself so [in order to receive charity] will not die of old age until they become like one [of these].