Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 284/ספרי דברים רפ״ד
א(דברים כד כ) כִּי תַחְבֹּט זֵיתְךָ, הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ חוֹבְטִים זֵיתֵיהֶם וְהָיוּ נוֹהֲגִים בָּהֶם עַיִן יָפָה. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: הַזַּיִת שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד עַל שָׁלֹשׁ שׁוּרוֹת שֶׁל שְׁנֵי מַלְבְּנִים וּשְׁכָחוֹ – אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה.
1Pisqa’ 2844201. “When you beat your olives from their trees, do not strip the boughs of fruitas you pass by” (Dt. 24:20).The early sages would beat their olives,[instead of hand-picking them,]in order to leave generous amounts[on the trees for the poor].On this basis they taught:Were an olive tree standingbetween three rows of grainthat were two beds apart,and the harvester forgot about it—this is not considered forgotten[and remains the property of the ownerfor the tree is distinctive]. 421{An olive tree that has two se’ahs of fruit left,and [the harvester] forgot about it—this is not considered forgotten[for two seahs of olives will certainly be missed].Under what conditions?As long as they haven’t begun to pick the olives.But if they have begun to pick—even if the olives were fromNetufah422), Netofah was a village near Bethlehem. at the peak of its productivity —this is considered forgotten [and belongs to the poor].As long as the householderhas some olives beneath the tree,he retains ownership of those on the tree.R. Meir says:once the beaters pass by[he loses his ownership, and the olives belong to the poor]}.423
בזֵיתְךָ, פְּרָט לַאֲחֵרִים. זֵיתְךָ, פְּרָט לְהֶקְדֵּשׁ.
22. “Your olives” (Dt. 24:20)—this excludes [from the rule]the olives of [gentile] outsiders[for the law applies only to Israelite fields].“Your olives” (Dt. 24:20)—this excludes consecrated olives[which belong to the Holy One, not the householder].
גלֹא תְפַאֵר, לֹא תִּתְפָּאֵר לֶעָנִי בּוֹ. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ אֶת הָעֲנִיִּים לְלַקֵּט, אוֹ שֶׁמַּנִּיחַ אֶחָד וְאֶחָד אֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ, אוֹ שֶׁמְּסַיֵּעַ אֶת אֶחָד מֵהֶם, הֲרֵי זֶה גּוֹזֵל אֶת הָעֲנִיִּים, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (משלי כב כח): ״אַל תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם״.
3“Do not strip424 literally, “to go over boughs” (BDB: P. 802, s.v., p-‘-r, II) the boughs of fruit” (Dt. 24:20)—that is, do not flatter yourself 425; literally, “glorify oneself.” The midrashist is taking advantage of the root, p-‘-r, shared by the two otherwise unrelated verbs.[for being charitable] at the pauper’s expense.On this basis they taught:One who did not grant to the poor the right to glean;or if [the householder] granted rights to one but not to another;or if he shared the labor with only one of them—he is robbing the poor.And it is stated [on his account]:“Do not move a permanent boundary marker” (Prov. 22:28).426
דאַחֲרֶיךָ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שִׁכְחָה.
43. “Do not . . . strip the boughs . . . as you pass by” (Dt. 24:20)—this teaches that[fruit left on the bough after it is beaten]is considered forgotten.
האַחֲרֶיךָ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ פֵּאָה.
5“Do not . . . strip the boughs . . . as you pass by” (Dt. 24:20)—this teaches that[the remaining fruit on the bough]is considered Corner-offering.
ולַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן גֵּר וְיָתוֹם וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן גֵּר וְיָתוֹם, מַה גֵּר וְיָתוֹם הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן בְּעוֹשֶׂה סָאתַיִם אַף גֵּר וְיָתוֹם הָאָמוּר כָּאן בְּעוֹשֶׂה סָאתַיִם.
6“Let it be for the migrant, the fatherless, and the widow” (Dt. 24:20).Here is a reference tothe migrant and the fatherless,and elsewhere (Dt. 24:19) there is a reference tothe migrant and the fatherless.Just as elsewhere [being a] migrant and fatherless[entitles one to a sheaf] yielding up to two se’ahs,so, too, here [being a] migrant and fatherless[entitles one to a basket] yielding up to two se’ahs [of olives].427 285.3.