Peah 3:2-5
משנה פאה ג:ב-ה
Seder: Zeraim | Tractate: Peah | Time4Mishna
📖 Mishna
Mishna 3:2
משנה ג:ב
Hebrew:
הַמְנַמֵּר אֶת שָׂדֵהוּ וְשִׁיֵּר קְלָחִים לַחִים, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, נוֹתֵן פֵּאָה מִכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מֵאֶחָד עַל הַכֹּל. וּמוֹדִים חֲכָמִים לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא בְּזוֹרֵעַ שֶׁבֶת אוֹ חַרְדָּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת, שֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן פֵּאָה מִכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד:
English:
One who gives his field a striped appearance and leaves behind moist stalks: Rabbi Akiva says: he gives peah from each and every stripe. But the sages say: from one stripe for the whole field. The sages agree with Rabbi Akiba that one who sows dill or mustard in three places must give peah from each place.
קלאוד על המשנה:
“Striping” a field means harvesting some sections while leaving others standing (creating a striped pattern). Rabbi Akiva says each stripe is separate—give peah from each. The Sages say one peah covers all.
Why do the Sages agree with Rabbi Akiva about dill and mustard planted in three places? These are crops typically planted in small scattered plots rather than unified fields. The planting pattern itself signals separate units. But when you stripe a field of grain—originally planted as one unified crop—the Sages maintain it’s still one unit despite the harvesting pattern.
The principle: original planting intent matters. Dill scattered deliberately in three spots = three units. Grain planted as one field but harvested in stripes = still one unit.
Key Terms:
- מנמר (Menamer) = Makes spotted/striped; creates a pattern through selective harvesting
- קלחים לחים (Kelachim Lachim) = Moist stalks; young unharvested grain
- שבת (Shevet) = Dill; herb often planted in small patches
- חרדל (Chardal) = Mustard; crop typically planted in scattered locations
Mishna 3:3
משנה ג:ג
Hebrew:
הַמַּחֲלִיק בְּצָלִים לַחִים לַשּׁוּק וּמְקַיֵּם יְבֵשִׁים לַגֹּרֶן, נוֹתֵן פֵּאָה לָאֵלּוּ לְעַצְמָן וְלָאֵלּוּ לְעַצְמָן. וְכֵן בַּאֲפוּנִין, וְכֵן בַּכֶּרֶם. הַמֵּדֵל, נוֹתֵן מִן הַמְשֹׁאָר עַל מַה שֶּׁשִּׁיֵּר. וְהַמַּחֲלִיק מֵאַחַת יָד, נוֹתֵן מִן הַמְשֹׁאָר עַל הַכֹּל:
English:
One who clears [his field] of fresh onions for the market and leaves the dry ones [in the ground] for the [time of the] threshing floor, must give peah from these on their own and these on their own. The same applies to beans and to a vineyard. If he, however, he only thins it out, then he gives [peah] from the remainder according to the quantity of that which he left. But if he clears [three from one place] at one time, he gives from the remainder according to the entire quantity.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This mishna addresses crops harvested in two stages for different purposes. Fresh onions sold at market are one crop; dried onions stored for later are another. Each gets separate peah.
But “thinning” is different from “clearing for market.” Thinning means removing some plants to give others room to grow—it’s horticultural, not commercial. When you thin, you give peah only from what remains, proportional to what you left.
“Clearing from one place at once” is yet another category. If you harvest one section completely at one time (not gradually thinning), you give peah from the remainder based on the ENTIRE original quantity.
The underlying distinction: purpose-driven harvesting (market vs. storage) creates separate crops. Maintenance harvesting (thinning) doesn’t create separate obligations.
Key Terms:
- מחליק (Machalik) = Clears/removes; harvests selectively
- מידל (Meidel) = Thins out; removes some to benefit the rest
- אפונין (Afunin) = Beans/peas; legumes with similar harvesting patterns
- כרם (Kerem) = Vineyard; grapes also thinned for quality
Mishna 3:4
משנה ג:ד
Hebrew:
הָאִמָּהוֹת שֶׁל בְּצָלִים חַיָּבוֹת בְּפֵאָה, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי פּוֹטֵר. מַלְבְּנוֹת הַבְּצָלִים שֶׁבֵּין הַיָּרָק, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, פֵּאָה מִכָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מֵאַחַת עַל הַכֹּל:
English:
Onions grown for their seed are liable for peah. But Rabbi Yose exempts them. Plots of onions [growing] between vegetables: Rabbi Yose says: peah must be given from each [plot]. But the sages say: from one [plot] for all.
קלאוד על המשנה:
Two disputes about onions. First: onions grown for seed (not eating). The anonymous first opinion says they’re liable for peah. Rabbi Yose exempts them—perhaps because seed-onions aren’t “food” in the usual sense.
Second dispute: onion plots scattered among vegetables. Rabbi Yose says each plot requires separate peah—the vegetable beds divide them. The Sages say one peah covers all—same owner, same crop type, so it’s unified.
Interestingly, Rabbi Yose takes the stricter position on plot division but the lenient position on seed-onions. His view isn’t simply “strict” or “lenient” but follows a consistent logic: seed-onions aren’t really “food crops,” while physically separated onion plots are genuinely distinct units.
Key Terms:
- אמהות של בצלים (Imahot Shel Betzalim) = Mother onions; onions grown for seed production
- מלבנות (Malbenot) = Rectangular plots; small cultivated sections
- ירק (Yarak) = Vegetables; general garden produce
Mishna 3:5
משנה ג:ה
Hebrew:
הָאַחִין שֶׁחָלְקוּ, נוֹתְנִין שְׁתֵּי פֵאוֹת. חָזְרוּ וְנִשְׁתַּתְּפוּ, נוֹתְנִין פֵּאָה אַחַת. שְׁנַיִם שֶׁלָּקְחוּ אֶת הָאִילָן, נוֹתְנִין פֵּאָה אַחַת. לָקַח זֶה צְפוֹנוֹ וְזֶה דְרוֹמוֹ, זֶה נוֹתֵן פֵּאָה לְעַצְמוֹ, וְזֶה נוֹתֵן פֵּאָה לְעַצְמוֹ. הַמּוֹכֵר קִלְחֵי אִילָן בְּתוֹךְ שָׂדֵהוּ, נוֹתֵן פֵּאָה מִכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אֵימָתַי, בִּזְמַן שֶׁלֹּא שִׁיֵּר בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה. אֲבָל אִם שִׁיֵּר בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה, הוּא נוֹתֵן פֵּאָה לַכֹּל:
English:
[Two] brothers who divided [an inheritance] must give [two] peahs. If they afterwards again become partners they give one peah. Two who purchase a tree, they give one peah. If one buys the northern section [of the tree] and the other the southern section, each must give peah separately. One who sells young saplings in his field, [the one who purchases] must give peah from each sapling. Rabbi Judah said: When is this so? When the owner of the field left nothing [for himself]. But if he did leave something [for himself], he gives one peah for the whole.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This mishna explores how ownership changes affect peah obligations.
Brothers dividing inheritance: two separate owners = two peahs. If they re-partner: back to one peah. Ownership structure determines the obligation.
Two partners buying one tree together: one peah (unified ownership). But if they divide the tree—one takes north, one takes south—each gives separate peah. Physical division within shared purchase creates separate obligations.
Selling saplings: Each buyer gives peah from their purchased trees. But Rabbi Yehuda adds: if the original owner kept some trees, HE gives one peah covering everything. The retained ownership maintains unity.
This reflects a broader principle: fragmented ownership fragments obligations; unified ownership (even partial) can maintain unity.
Key Terms:
- אחים שחלקו (Achim SheChalku) = Brothers who divided; inherited property split
- נשתתפו (Nishtatfu) = Became partners again; reunited ownership
- קלחי אילן (Kilchei Ilan) = Tree saplings; young trees sold individually
- שייר (Shiyeir) = Left/retained; kept some for himself