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ShareStarting on the second day of Pesach, the Torah commands us to count seven weeks in preparation for receiving the Torah at Sinai on day 50, Shavuot. Nowadays we just count each night, but in the times of the Beit Hamikdash, the omer was an actual offering of barley brought to the Temple that, in addition to signaling the start of counting the days until Shavuot, also served as a sacrifice that permitted the consumption of the new grains.
וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת. ענין ספירה היא ביען כי זה הזמן מפסח עד שבועות צריך שמירה כמ"ש שבועות חוקות קציר ישמור לנו (ירמיה יהוה,כ"ד), ואיתא (בגמ') (ויקרא רבה פרשה כ"ח,ג') ישמור לנו מרוחות רעות ומטללים רעים, כי זמן ההוא צריך שמירה מרוחות רעות ומטללים רעים
“And you shall count from the day after the Sabbath [first day of Passover] from the day you brought the omer of the wave offering ….” (Vayikra, 23:15)
We count the Omer because the seven weeks between Passover and Shevuot require a special vigilance, as it is written (Yirmiya, 5:24), “in the weeks [shevuot] the laws of the harvest are guarded for us.” It is written in the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba, 28:3), “then He will guard us from evil winds and evil dews,” for this time of the year needs special protection from the forces of nature and evil spirits.
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: לְעוֹלָם יְהֵא אָדָם זָהִיר בִּתְבוּאָה בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ, שֶׁאֵין מְרִיבָה מְצוּיָה בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם אֶלָּא עַל עִסְקֵי תְבוּאָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַשָּׂם גְּבוּלֵךְ שָׁלוֹם חֵלֶב חִטִּים יַשְׂבִּיעֵךְ״. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא, הַיְינוּ דְּאָמְרִי אִינָשֵׁי: כְּמִשְׁלַם שְׂעָרֵי מִכַּדָּא, נָקֵישׁ וְאָתֵי תִּגְרָא בְּבֵיתָא.
Apropos the topic of how a man should approach his household, Rav Yehuda says: A person must always be careful about ensuring that there is grain inside his house, as discord is found in a person’s house only over matters of grain, as it is stated: “He makes your borders peace; He gives you plenty with the finest wheat” (Psalms 147:14). If there is the finest wheat in your house, there will be peace there. Rav Pappa said: This is in accordance with the adage that people say: When the barley is emptied from the jug, quarrel knocks and enters the house.
"Master of the universe, let me seclude myself in meditation and prayer every day, going out to the fields to meditate, among the trees and grass, pouring out my heart in prayer. For all the leaves and grass, all the trees and plants, will stir themselves to greet me; they will rise to imbue my words and prayers with their energy and life force… They will combine all their spiritual power and bring my words up to their supernal Source…" Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Hirsch also gave a novel interpretation to the phrase in Genesis 1, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). The passage is puzzling, for at that stage, prior to the creation of man, God was alone. The “us,” says Hirsch, refers to the rest of creation. Because man alone would develop the capacity to change and possibly endanger the natural world, nature itself was consulted as to whether it approved of such a being. The implied condition is that man may use nature only in such a way as to enhance it, not put it at risk. Anything else is ultra vires, outside the remit of our stewardship of the planet.
וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶ֞ם אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֗ם לֹֽא־תְכַלֶּ֞ה פְּאַ֤ת שָֽׂדְךָ֙ בְּקֻצְרֶ֔ךָ וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִירְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ {פ}
And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the ETERNAL am your God.
משנה:כְּלָל אָמְרוּ בְּפֵיאָה כָּל שֶׁהוּא אוֹכֶל וְנִשְׁמָר וְגִידּוּלָיו מִן הָאָרֶץ וּלְקִיטָתוֹ כְּאַחַת וּמַכְנִיסוֹ לְקִיּוּם חַיָיב בְּפֵיאָה. וְהַתְּבוּאָה וְהַקִּטְנִית בְּכְלָל זֶה. וּבְאִילָן הָאוֹג וְהֶחָרוּבִין הָאֶגּוֹזִים וְהַשְּׁקֵידִים הַגְּפָנִים וְהָרִימּוֹנִים הַזֵּיתִים וְהַתְּמָרִים חַיָיבִין בְּפֵיאָה.
MISHNAH: They established a principle for peah: Everything that is food, is treated as private property, grows from the earth, is harvested at one time, and is stored, is subject to peah. Grain and legumes are included.
And among trees sumac and carob, walnut and almond, vine and pomegranate, olive and date palm are subject to peah.
משנה: אֵין פּוֹחְתִין לְפֵיאָה מִשִּׁשִּׁים. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ אֵין לְפֵיאָה שֵׁיעוּר הַכֹּל לְפִי גוֹדֶל הַשָּׂדֶה וּלְפִי הָעֲנִיים וּלְפִי הֲעֲנָוָה.
MISHNAH: One never gives peah less than one in sixty. Even though they said that peah has no measure, everything is according to the size of the field, the poor, and the humility.
1. What constitutes the edges/corners of a field? How big do you think the corners have to be?
2. What are the logistics of leaving crops in a field for the poor? Consider how easy or hard that might be both back in biblical times versus now.
3. Why is it the edges that get left? Why not the middle?
כִּ֣י תְכַלֶּ֞ה לַ֠עְשֵׂ֠ר אֶת־כׇּל־מַעְשַׂ֧ר תְּבוּאָתְךָ֛ בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ת שְׁנַ֣ת הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֑ר וְנָתַתָּ֣ה לַלֵּוִ֗י לַגֵּר֙ לַיָּת֣וֹם וְלָֽאַלְמָנָ֔ה וְאָכְל֥וּ בִשְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ וְשָׂבֵֽעוּ׃
When you have set aside in full the tenth part of your yield—in the third year, the year of the tithe—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat their fill in your settlements,
1. Why do you think 10% is the requirement? Is that enough, too much?
2. How would you quantify 10%?
3. This tithe is given to the poor of the community but also to the workers of the Beit Hamikdash (the Levites). What does this teach us in today's world without a temple?
כִּ֣י תִקְצֹר֩ קְצִֽירְךָ֨ בְשָׂדֶ֜ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֧ עֹ֣מֶר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה לֹ֤א תָשׁוּב֙ לְקַחְתּ֔וֹ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַ֤עַן יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}
When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, do not turn back to get it; it shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow—in order that the ETERNAL your God may bless you in all your undertakings.
אֵין מְמַחִין בְּיַד עֲנִיֵּי גּוֹיִם בְּלֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה – מִפְּנֵי דַּרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם.
One does not protest against poor gentiles who come to take gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the produce in the corner of the field, which is given to the poor [pe’a], although they are meant exclusively for the Jewish poor, on account of the ways of peace.
1. When is produce considered dropped? What about forgotten?
2. How does this apply to modern commerce?
Fruit trees occupy a special place in biblical literature. Those who plant fruit trees in the land of Israel must wait a full three years before enjoying the fruit, and must mark the maturation of the tree by bringing its first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem in the fourth year. The patience demanded of the planter has long-term rewards. Trees that invest energy in growing roots rather than developing fruit will have a deeper root system – a critical requisite for the tree’s viability in the hot, dry climate of the Middle East. We can imagine the joy that those first pomegranates, grapes and figs must have brought to the ones who planted them. The act of sacrifice brings with it profound gratitude, and imbues the simple act of planting with sanctity.
כג. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָסוּר לַהֲרג אָדָם, כֵּן אָסוּר לָקץ אִילָן מַאֲכָל קדֶם זְמַנּוֹ.
Just as it is forbidden to kill a person, it is forbidden to chop down a fruit-bearing tree before its time.
1. Why does the law say you can't harvest fruit until after three years have passed? Is three years long enough? Too long?
2. Why are trees likened to people and what does that teach us about how to treat them?
1. What are the corners of our lives? What would it look like to intentionally leave something unharvested (time, money, energy) for others?
2. What might it look like to not reclaim what’s been dropped or forgotten? How do you feel about the idea that someone else may benefit from your mistakes or oversights?
3. Harvest laws require trust that there will be enough even if we don’t take everything. Where in your life are you being asked to trust in enoughness?
4. What would it look like to design our communities so people can gather charity rather than receive?
5. If you were to take on one small "harvest practice” this month, what would it be?
- JWA - Jews and Agricultural Labor
- My Jewish Learning - Seder Zeraim
- My Jewish Learning - Pe'ah
- Jewish Farmer Network
- Adamah
- Jewish Community Farming
