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Mishnayos Peah Perek 1 Mishnah 1

פאה פרק א׳ משנה א׳

1

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.

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:

א׳
Bartenura

אלו דברים שאין להם שיעור – From the Torah [itself, it (the corner of the field) has no fixed measure], but from [the perspective of] the Rabbis, it has (another) measure, for it is taught at the end of the Mishnah (actually in Mishnah 2), “we don’t [bring any] less than one-sixtieth.

הפאה – that an individual is obligated to leave at the edge of his field for the poor, as it is written (Leviticus 23:22), “[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 LORD am your God.].”

והביכורים – As it is written (Exodus 23:19), “The choice first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God…”(see also the exact same formulation in Exodus 34:26, which is the chapter source for the next Biblical quote), and the Torah did not provide for them a [fixed] measure.

והראיון – That a person is obligated to appear in the Temple court on the three Pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot), as it is written (Exodus 34:23), “Three times a year all your males shall appear [before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel,”(see also, Exodus 23:20 and Deuteronomy 16:16) for virtually identical language)” and this appearance in the Temple has no fixed measure, for whenever that he (i.e., that person) wishes to, he goes up and appears and then leaves. Another interpretation: The burnt offerings of “appearing” and the peace offerings [brought] as the festive offering of the visitors of the Temple on the festivals which [a person] is obligated to bring as it is written (Exodus 34:20) “…None shall appear before Me empty-handed” (see also Deuteronomy 16:16 for an identical command)., have no [fixed] measure from the Torah, as it is written (Deuteronomy 16:17), “but each with his own gift, [according to the blessing that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you],” but the Sages gave them a measure (see Mishnah Hagigah 1:2 in a dispute between the School of Shammai and the School of Hillel), the burnt offering is one m’ah silver and the festival offering is two silver pieces.

וגמילות חסדים – [and deeds of lovingkindness] of one’s body, such as visiting the sick and burying the dead and others like them, but deeds of lovingkindness [performed] with one’s money , such as the redemption of captives, the clothing of the naked and the feeding of the hungry and others like them, there is a [fixed] measure that one should give every time such a Mitzvah should come to his hand [to perform which is], one fifth of the profit of one’s possessions, and beyond that, one is not obligated [to give], as we say, a person who wants to be liberal (in his giving of tzedakah on a large scale), should not give more than twenty percent (see Ketubot 50a). Therefore, it is necessary for a person to separate out one fifth of his profit at all times so that it would be [readily] found whenever [an opportunity] to perform an act of lovingkindness comes to his hand, in order that he can sustain him (i.e. the less fortunate), and in that way, he fulfills his obligation.

ותלמוד תורה – [The Study of Torah] has no fixed measure, as it is written (Joshua 1:8), “[Let not this Book of the Teaching cease from your lips,] but recite it day and night, [so that you may faithfully observe all that is written in it…].”

ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם – it (Torah study) is of equal importance to them all.

אלו דברים שאין להם שיעור. מדאורייתא, אבל מדרבנן יש להם שיעור, דהא תנן בסיפא אין פוחתין לפאה מששים:

הפאה. שאדם חייב להניח בסוף שדהו לעניים, כדכתיב (ויקרא כ״ג:כ״ב) לא תכלה פאת שדך בקצרך:

והבכורים. דכתיב (שמות כ״ג:י״ט) ראשית בכורי אדמתך תביא בית ה׳ אלהיך, ולא נתנה תורה בהם שיעור:

והראיון. שחייב אדם להראות בעזרה בשלש רגלים, דכתיב (שם) שלש פעמים בשנה יראה כל זכורך, וזאת הראיה אין לה שיעור דכל אימת דבעי עייל ומתחזי ונפיק. פירוש אחר עולת ראיה ושלמי חגיגה שחייב להביא כדכתיב (שם) ולא יראו פני ריקם, אין לה שיעור מדאורייתא דכתיב (דברים ט״ז:י״ז) איש כמתנת ידו, אלא שחכמים נתנו בה שיעור, העולה מעה כסף וחגיגה שתי כסף:

וגמילות חסדים. דבגופו, כגון ביקור חולים ולקבור מתים וכיוצא בהן, אבל גמילות חסדים דבממונו, כגון פדיון שבוים ולהלביש ערומים ולהאכיל את הרעבים וכיוצא בהן יש להן שיעור, שיתן בכל פעם שתבא מצוה כזו לידו חמישית מן הריוח שבנכסיו, ותו לא מחייב, דהכי אמרינן המבזבז אל יבזבז יותר מחומש. הלכך מבעי ליה לאינש לאפרושי חמישית הריוח בכל עת כדי שיהא מצוי כל זמן שיבא גמילות חסד לידו שיקיימנו, ובהכי נפיק ידי חובתו:

ותלמוד תורה. אין לה שיעור דכתיב (יהושע א׳:ח׳) והגית בו יומם ולילה:

ות״ת כנגד כולם. שקול כנגד כולם: