Berakhot 9:5 - Peah 1:3
משנה ברכות ט:ה - פאה א:ג
Seder: Zeraim | Tractates: Berakhot → Peah | Time4Mishna
📖 Mishna
This day marks the transition from Masechet Berakhot to Masechet Peah. We complete Berakhot with its final mishna and begin Peah with its opening mishnayot.
Masechet Berakhot - Conclusion
Mishna 9:5
משנה ט:ה
Hebrew:
חַיָּב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו) וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ, בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר רָע. וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ. וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, בְּכָל מָמוֹנֶךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁהוּא מוֹדֵד לְךָ הֱוֵי מוֹדֶה לוֹ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד. לֹא יָקֵל אָדָם אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ כְּנֶגֶד שַׁעַר הַמִּזְרָח, שֶׁהוּא מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית קָדְשֵׁי הַקָּדָשִׁים. לֹא יִכָּנֵס לְהַר הַבַּיִת בְּמַקְלוֹ, וּבְמִנְעָלוֹ, וּבְפֻנְדָּתוֹ, וּבְאָבָק שֶׁעַל רַגְלָיו, וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂנּוּ קַפַּנְדַּרְיָא, וּרְקִיקָה מִקַּל וָחֹמֶר. כָּל חוֹתְמֵי בְרָכוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים מִן הָעוֹלָם. מִשֶּׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַמִּינִין, וְאָמְרוּ, אֵין עוֹלָם אֶלָּא אֶחָד, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹמְרִים, מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם. וְהִתְקִינוּ, שֶׁיְּהֵא אָדָם שׁוֹאֵל אֶת שְׁלוֹם חֲבֵרוֹ בַּשֵּׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (רות ב) וְהִנֵּה בֹעַז בָּא מִבֵּית לֶחֶם, וַיֹּאמֶר לַקּוֹצְרִים יְיָ עִמָּכֶם, וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ, יְבָרֶכְךָ יְיָ. וְאוֹמֵר (שופטים ו) יְיָ עִמְּךָ גִּבּוֹר הֶחָיִל. וְאוֹמֵר (משלי כג) אַל תָּבוּז כִּי זָקְנָה אִמֶּךָ. וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים קיט) עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַייָ הֵפֵרוּ תוֹרָתֶךָ. רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר, הֵפֵרוּ תוֹרָתֶךָ עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַייָ:
English:
The mishna articulates a general principle: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good that befalls him, as it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The mishna explains this verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations, with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of God. “With all your soul” means even if God takes your soul. “And with all your might” means with all your money, as money is referred to in the Bible as might. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your might” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether it is good or troublesome, thank Him. The mishna teaches several Temple-related halakhot. One may not act irreverently or conduct himself flippantly opposite the eastern gate of the Temple Mount, which is aligned opposite the Holy of Holies. In deference to the Temple, one may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, his shoes, his money belt [punda], or even the dust on his feet. One may not make the Temple a shortcut to pass through it, and through an a fortiori inference, all the more so one may not spit on the Temple Mount. The mishna relates: At the conclusion of all blessings recited in the Temple, those reciting the blessing would say: Blessed are You Lord, God of Israel, until everlasting [haolam], the world. But when the Sadducees strayed and declared that there is but one world and there is no World-to-Come, the Sages instituted that at the conclusion of the blessing one recites: From everlasting [haolam] to everlasting [haolam]. The Sages also instituted that one should greet another in the name of God, i.e., one should mention God’s name in his greeting, as it is stated: “And presently Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, The Lord is with you, and they said to him, May the Lord bless you” (Ruth 2:4). And it says: “And the angel of God appeared to him and said to him, God is with you, mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12). And it says: “And despise not your mother when she is old” (Proverbs 23:22), i.e., one must not neglect customs which he inherits. And lest you say that mentioning God’s name is prohibited, it says: “It is time to work for the Lord; they have made void Your Torah” (Psalms 119:126), i.e., it is occasionally necessary to negate biblical precepts in order to perform God’s will, and greeting another is certainly God’s will. Rabbi Natan says another interpretation of the verse: “Make void Your Torah” because “it is the time to work for the Lord,” i.e., occasionally it is necessary to negate biblical precepts in order to bolster the Torah.
קלאוד על המשנה:
The final mishna of Berakhot—and indeed a fitting conclusion to the tractate—presents sweeping principles. One must bless God for the bad just as for the good. This isn’t stoicism; it’s theology. Everything comes from the same Source, and our response should reflect that unity.
The mishna then discusses reverence for the Temple Mount: don’t enter with a staff, shoes, wallet, or dusty feet. Don’t use it as a shortcut. Don’t spit there. All blessings in the Temple concluded with ‘from the world’ (min ha’olam). After the heretics (minim) distorted this to suggest only one world exists, they changed it to ‘from the world and until the world’ (forever and ever).
The tractate concludes: One must greet others using God’s Name, citing Boaz’s greeting to his workers. The rabbis wanted to ensure that the habit of blessing and invoking God extends beyond formal prayer into daily social interaction. The entire tractate—from Shema to meals to natural phenomena—has been training us to see God everywhere and respond with blessing.
Key Terms:
- הר הבית (Har HaBayit) = The Temple Mount; sacred site requiring special conduct
- קפנדריא (Kapandria) = Shortcut; using sacred space for mundane transit
- מן העולם ועד העולם (Min Ha’Olam V’Ad Ha’Olam) = From the world to the world; forever and ever
- שאילת שלום (She’ilat Shalom) = Greeting with peace; using God’s Name in greetings
Masechet Peah - Introduction
We now begin Masechet Peah, the second tractate of Seder Zeraim. Peah deals with the agricultural gifts to the poor: the corner of the field (peah), gleanings (leket), forgotten sheaves (shikchah), and the poor tithe (maaser ani). These laws transform harvesting into an act of social justice.
Mishna 1:1
משנה א:א
Hebrew:
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:
English:
These 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.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This famous mishna—recited daily in the morning prayers—opens Peah with a profound philosophical statement. Certain mitzvot have no upper limit: peah (corners of the field for the poor), bikkurim (first-fruits), the festival pilgrimage offering, acts of kindness (gemilut chasadim), and Torah study. You can never do “too much” of these.
The second list identifies mitzvot whose rewards span both worlds. You benefit in this world AND accumulate merit for the World to Come: honoring parents, acts of kindness, making peace between people, and Torah study—which equals them all combined.
Notice the progression: we’re about to learn agricultural laws about leaving portions for the poor, but the tractate opens by reminding us that such acts of kindness have unlimited spiritual value. The practical details that follow should be understood in this light: these aren’t mere legal technicalities but expressions of unlimited divine generosity.
Key Terms:
- פאה (Peah) = Corner; the unharvested corner of a field left for the poor
- בכורים (Bikkurim) = First-fruits; brought to the Temple as an offering
- ראיון (Re’ayon) = Appearing; the festival pilgrimage offering
- גמילות חסדים (Gemilut Chasadim) = Acts of kindness; benevolence beyond legal requirement
- תלמוד תורה (Talmud Torah) = Torah study; considered equal to all other mitzvot combined
Mishna 1:2
משנה א:ב
Hebrew:
אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין לַפֵּאָה מִשִּׁשִּׁים, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ אֵין לַפֵּאָה שִׁעוּר. הַכֹּל לְפִי גֹדֶל הַשָּׂדֶה, וּלְפִי רֹב הָעֲנִיִּים, וּלְפִי רֹב הָעֲנָוָה:
English:
They 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.
קלאוד על המשנה:
Having established that peah has no upper limit, the mishna now provides a practical minimum: one-sixtieth of the field. This creates a floor, not a ceiling. The Torah commands leaving a “corner” without specifying its size—so the Sages provided this baseline while preserving the unlimited potential for generosity.
The mishna then lists three factors that should increase the amount of peah beyond the minimum: (1) the size of the field—a larger field should yield more peah; (2) the number of poor people—more need requires more generosity; (3) the extent of the yield—a bountiful harvest calls for greater sharing.
This teaches a crucial ethical principle: legal minimums are starting points, not goals. The truly righteous person considers context and responds accordingly. A wealthy landowner with a massive harvest and many poor neighbors should give far more than one-sixtieth.
Key Terms:
- שיעור (Shiur) = Measure; the legal minimum quantity
- אחד משישים (Echad MiShishim) = One-sixtieth; the minimum peah amount
- ענוה (Anavah) = Yield/humility; here referring to the field’s productivity
Mishna 1:3
משנה א:ג
Hebrew:
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:
English:
They 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.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This mishna addresses the timing and location of peah. The first opinion allows flexibility: you can designate peah at the beginning, middle, or end of the field. Rabbi Shimon adds a requirement: even if you give some earlier, you must leave peah at the actual corner at the end—at least the minimum amount. The “corner” should actually be a corner.
Rabbi Yehuda introduces a technical safeguard. If someone harvested the entire field and then wanted to give peah, what’s the status of what he gives? If he left even one stalk standing, he can designate additional produce as peah and it retains that sacred status. But if he cut everything, the produce he gives afterward is merely hefker (ownerless property)—a lower status that doesn’t carry the same protections.
This reflects the principle that peah must be “left” during harvest, not “given” afterward. The mitzvah involves restraint—stopping yourself from taking everything—not just charitable donation after the fact.
Key Terms:
- קלח (Kelach) = Stalk; a single standing plant in the field
- סומך (Somekh) = Relies upon; uses as a legal basis
- הפקר (Hefker) = Ownerless property; renounced ownership without specific recipient