Rabbi Chaim Lobel
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH STATE
April 23, 2010
''When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not finish the corner of your field nor shall you not gather the gleanings of your harvest.'' (Leviticus 19:9)
These two laws are referred to as ''Pe'ah'' and ''Leket.'' Pe'ah and Leket were both compulsory charitable contributions which one had to leave for the poor. Pe'ah refers to the corner of your field that would not be harvested but left for the poor. Leket were gleanings of up to one or two stalks that were dropped at one time during the harvest and also left for the poor.
The Ralbag explains that the these two Torah laws were fashioned in a way to prevent the farmer from gathering the Pe'ah and Leket for the poor; the corner of the field and the fallen gleanings were left for the poor to gather for themselves and the farmer was not to touch the Pe'ah and Leket. The Torah understood that if the farmer was required to gather the produce and distribute it to the poor, the farmer would feel the produce belonged to him and have a harder time giving it away.
Even though the produce came from land the farmer planted, sowed, and cultivated, the farmer always understood that Pe'ah and Leket would never be his. However, if he gathered the produce in his arms, took physical possession of it, then he would begin to think differently. Even if the farmer would never have any reservations of withholding the Leket and Pe'ah, the action of gathering plays tricks on the mind and the farmer would think he was giving of his own.
This insight teaches us to appreciate the difficulty of giving to charity. Sometimes, people become inspired to donate to charity but falter when the time comes to give the money. Individuals realize the obligation for giving, but rationalize when they have to part with their possessions. So difficult is giving to charity that the Torah never even allowed the farmer to collect the produce on behalf of the poor, lest he thinks it's his. Yet, give we must.
Remember, the harder the task, the greater the reward.
Rabbi Chaim Lobel is the spiritual leader of Young Israel of Aberdeen, www.yiaberdeen.com.