Mishnah Peah 1

Mishnah Peah ("Corner"), in the order Zera'im (Seeds). The corner of the field and the other gleanings left for the poor (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19-21), and the poor tithe. The Mishnah is the first written code of Jewish oral law, compiled in the land of Israel about AD 200 under Rabbi Judah the Prince; it is rabbinic law and teaching, not scripture. English by Joshua Kulp (Mishnah Yomit), Hebrew from the Torat Emet edition.

1These are the things that have no definite quantity: The corners [of the field]. First-fruits; [The offerings brought] on appearing [at the Temple on the three pilgrimage festivals]. The performance of righteous deeds; And the study of the torah. The following are the things for which a man enjoys the fruits in this world while the principal remains for him in the world to come: Honoring one’s father and mother; The performance of righteous deeds; And the making of peace between a person and his friend; And the study of the torah is equal to them all.

אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם שִׁעוּר. הַפֵּאָה, וְהַבִּכּוּרִים, וְהָרֵאָיוֹן, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וַהֲבָאַת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם: (9525)

2They should not leave peah of less than one-sixtieth [of the field]. But even though they said, “there is no measure for peah,” everything depends upon the size of the field, the number of poor people, and the extent of the yield.

אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין לַפֵּאָה מִשִּׁשִּׁים, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ אֵין לַפֵּאָה שִׁעוּר. הַכֹּל לְפִי גֹדֶל הַשָּׂדֶה, וּלְפִי רֹב הָעֲנִיִּים, וּלְפִי רֹב הָעֲנָוָה: (4501)

3They may give peah at either at the beginning of the [reaping of the] field or at the middle of it. Rabbi Shimon says: as long as he gives at the end according to the set amount. Rabbi Judah says: if he leaves one stalk, he can rely on this as [fulfilling the law of] peah; and if he did not, then he only gives as ownerless property.

נוֹתְנִין פֵּאָה מִתְּחִלַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וּמֵאֶמְצָעָהּ. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן בַּסּוֹף כַּשִּׁעוּר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אִם שִׁיֵּר קֶלַח אֶחָד, סוֹמֵךְ לוֹ מִשּׁוּם פֵּאָה. וְאִם לָאו, אֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם הֶפְקֵר: (7854)

4They said a general principle concerning peah: whatever is food, and is looked after, and grows from the land, and is harvested all at the same time, and is brought in for storage, is subject to the law of pe'ah. Grain and beans are in this category.

כְּלָל אָמְרוּ בַּפֵּאָה. כָּל שֶׁהוּא אֹכֶל, וְנִשְׁמָר, וְגִדּוּלָיו מִן הָאָרֶץ, וּלְקִיטָתוֹ כְאַחַת, וּמַכְנִיסוֹ לְקִיּוּם, חַיָּב בַּפֵּאָה. וְהַתְּבוּאָה וְהַקִּטְנִיּוֹת בַּכְּלָל הַזֶּה: (4461)

5Among trees: the sumac, the carob, the nut, the almond, the grapevine, the pomegranate, the olive and the palm are subject to peah.

וּבָאִילָן, הָאוֹג וְהֶחָרוּבִין וְהָאֱגוֹזִים וְהַשְּׁקֵדִים וְהַגְּפָנִים וְהָרִמּוֹנִים וְהַזֵּיתִים וְהַתְּמָרִים, חַיָּבִין בַּפֵּאָה: (2842)

6He may always give peah and be exempt from giving tithes until he makes a stack. One who gives [to the poor] as ownerless [produce] and be exempt from giving tithes until he makes a stack. He may feed cattle, wild animals and birds and be exempt from giving tithes until he makes a stack. He may take from the threshing floor and use it as seed and be exempt from giving tithes until he makes a stack, the words of Rabbi Akiva. A priest or Levite who purchase [grain of] a threshing floor, the tithes are theirs unless [the owner] has already made a stack. One who dedicated [his crop] and redeems it [afterwards] is obligated to give tithes until the Temple treasurer has made a stack.

לְעוֹלָם הוּא נוֹתֵן מִשּׁוּם פֵּאָה וּפָטוּר מִן הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת, עַד שֶׁיְּמָרֵחַ. וְנוֹתֵן מִשּׁוּם הֶפְקֵר וּפָטוּר מִן הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת, עַד שֶׁיְּמָרֵחַ. וּמַאֲכִיל לַבְּהֵמָה וְלַחַיָּה וְלָעוֹפוֹת וּפָטוּר מִן הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת, עַד שֶׁיְּמָרֵחַ. וְנוֹטֵל מִן הַגֹּרֶן וְזוֹרֵעַ וּפָטוּר מִן הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת, עַד שֶׁיְּמָרֵחַ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. כֹּהֵן וְלֵוִי שֶׁלָּקְחוּ אֶת הַגֹּרֶן, הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם, עַד שֶׁיְּמָרֵחַ. הַמַּקְדִּישׁ וּפוֹדֶה, חַיָּב בְּמַעַשְׂרוֹת, עַד שֶׁיְּמָרֵחַ הַגִּזְבָּר: (18525)

English translation: Joshua Kulp, Mishnah Yomit (Conservative Yeshiva), via Sefaria, licensed CC BY; changes made (line breaks, spacing, a typo, and Kulp's study notes removed from five mishnayot). Hebrew: Torat Emet 357, public domain; Bikkurim chapter 4 from Dan Be'eri's edition of the Kaufmann manuscript, public domain.