Peah 4:10 - 4:11

הנושר בשעת הקצירה – ears of corn that fall at the time of harvesting.

הכהו קוץ – whenever it falls on account of an accident, it is not gleaning, as it is written (Leviticus 19:9): “or gather the gleanings of your harvest,” there is no cleaning other that on account of harvesting.

תוך היד – it refers to falling, that is, if it is within the hand and it falls [or] within the sickle and it falls, for that which falls from one’s hand and from the sickle is for the poor, but if it falls from the back of the hand [or] from the shaking of the hand,a nd from the back of the sickle from the power of the movement of the sickle, it belongs to the owner, and this not through the [act of] harvesting.

ראש היד when his hand is full and here are ears of corn between the tops of his fingers and the palm of his hand, when it falls from there, and similarly when it falls from the top of the sickle.

רבי ישמעאל אומר לעניים – it is compared to within one’s hand and within the sickle.

ורבי עקיבא אומר לבעל הבית – that it is compared to the back of he hand and the back of the sickle. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiva.

חורי הנמלים – it is the manner of ants to bring grain into their holes/cavities.

שבתוך הקמה – until he had started to reap.

של בעל הבית – and he poor have nothing from the standing corn.

שלאחר הקוצרים – after they had begun to harvest, and we suspect less the ants brought it there from the gleanings. Therefore, the upper wheat that are in the cavity or the upper ears of corn go to the poor for there is from the gleanings there, but the lower wheat belongs to the owner as it was from the standing corn. And which are the upper parts? The white ones. And which are the lower parts? The greenish ones that turn black and are recognized as being old.

ר"מ אומר הכל לעניים – for it is impossible for a granary without jaundicing/mildew, and lest those green ones from the new grain that was harvested now, there is within it a part for the poor.

שספק לקט לקט – as it is written (Leviticus 19:10): “you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger,” leave before them of your own, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Meir.