Leviticus 23:22 - You shall not wholly reap the corner of yo

[Hart60]

Shalom folks,I haven't posted a question for a while so I thought I'd break my silence with this question from this weeks Parsha.

In Leviticus 23:22 we read, "When you reap the harvest of your Land, you shall not completely remove the corner of your field during your harvesting, and you shall not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. [Rather,] you shall leave these for the poor person and for the stranger. I am the Lord, your God.."

So why is the owner of the field commanded to leave the corners and gleanings for the poor to help themselves rather than being commanded to gather the produce and give it to the poor ?
And does this method help maintain the dignity of the recipient ?

Thanks,
DH.

[David_L]

I'm not sure of the answer to your question, but I found this page from the Rambam's (Maimonides') Mishneh Torah that goes into more detail:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_c ... pter-1.htm

Maybe the explanation is in Halacha 8:
"The owners do not have the right to give these presents to the poor to the individual of their choice. Instead, the poor may come and take it against the owners' will. [These presents] are expropriated even from a poor Israelite."

[Hart60]

Thanks David,that seems the most probable answer,seems there wasn't a more collective distribution method to the poor at that time like the food banks we have now.

DH.

[Hart60]

Thinking about it, I would be embarrassed if someone gave me food thinking that I could not provide for myself and my family,so I guess the law is also to prevent embarrassment.

DH.

[David_L]

You may be right, Dan.

But my religious studies have led me to the orthodox viewpoint that the text in the Torah comes directly from G-d. So unless there's an explanation in the Torah, Talmud or other classical sources, I'm hesitant to put forth reasons for the Torah's statements.

In a sense, it's a case of "the more I learn, the less I know."

[Hart60]

I understand David.

Thanks,
DH.

[rivka]

I think there is a major difference between saying "this is why the mitzvah was given" (which I agree is problematic) and "this may be one lesson we can learn from this mitzvah (which I think is a good thing to consider).

[David_L]

Rivka, thanks for that clarification.

[Hart60]

Likewise.

DH.

[mariaw]

Why Leave The Corners?

Strange as this sounds, the Law of not cutting the corners of a Jewish beard
is sandwiched in between the Law of leaving the corners of your field for poor gleaners.

What do these three refrences have in common? Is it Love & Unity?

Lev. 19:10----Leaving corners of field for poor & weak

Lev 19.27----beard----oil on Aaron's beard represents brothers unity.
Shaving off any part of the hair stragglers disrupts the beards unity & the oil cannot cover everybody.
Psalms 133.1 Also comparable to Ruth's love for Naomi.
"Your people are my people & your G-d is my G-d."
Ruth, a proselyte, then gleans in Boaz's field. (Ruth 1.16)

Lev 23.22----field including the poor gleaning under developed twigs & fallen fruit.
What is an under developed twig? A youthful vine?
What is a fallen fruit: An elderly grape?

Numbers 11:16----Torah's judicial system

God sets a precedence for each Law presented to an already burdened people
struggling for a relationship with a loving G-d as well as UNITY among themselves!

Deu 25.17----Remember what Amalek did to you, he struck those who were hindmost
all the weaklings (poor & weak) at your rear, when you were faint & exhausted,
& he did not fear G-d.

Amalek shaved off the weaklings, the very young & the elderly, marching out of Egypt with Moses.

Torah's Law includes Israel's history & helps with understanding!