Commentary for Leviticus 23:22

ובקצרכם AND WHEN YE REAP [THE HARVEST OF YOUR LAND, THOU SHALT NOT MAKE CLEAR RIDDANCE OF THE CORNER OF THE FIELD] — Scripture repeats the prohibition here (although it has already been mentioned above, 19:9) in order to make one who transgresses this law infringe two negative commands. R. Abdima the son of R. Joseph said: What reason had Scripture to place it (the law concerning the corner of the field) amidst those regarding the festival-sacrifices — those of Passover and Pentecost on this side of it, and those of the New Year, Day of Atonement and “the Feast” (Tabernacles) following on that side of it? To teach you that he who leaves the gleanings, the forgotten sheaf and the corner of the field to the poor as it ought to be, is regarded as though he had built the Temple and offered his sacrifices therein (cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 13 11).

AND WHEN YE REAP THE HARVEST OF YOUR LAND, THOU SHALT NOT WHOLLY REAP THE CORNER OF THY FIELD, NEITHER SHALT THOU GATHER THY GLEANING OF THY HARVEST: THOU SHALT LEAVE THEM FOR THE POOR. Rashi comments: “He repeats once more these prohibitions [although they have been mentioned above, 19:9] in order to make one liable for transgressing two negative commandments [in each case].” And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the reason [for the repetition] is because the Festival of Weeks is the day on which the first-fruits of wheat harvest³¹⁶Exodus 34:22. [are brought as a meal-offering, in the form of the two leavened loaves], therefore He warned that “you should not forget what I have commanded you to do in those days.” The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the expression, And when ye reap the harvest of your Land alludes to “the harvest” mentioned at the beginning of this section,³¹⁷Above, Verse 10. thus stating that when you will come into the Land and you reap the sheaf, the first-fruits of your harvest,³¹⁷Above, Verse 10. thou shalt not wholly r,eap the corner of that field for the sake of the sheaf, neither shall you gather the gleaning, meaning to say that this commandment [of bringing the omer²⁴³Literally: “a measure.” This refers to the meal-offering of the new barley brought on the second day of Passover, which is the sixteenth day of Nisan. From that day on we count the forty-nine “days of the omer,” and on the fiftieth day is the Festival of Weeks. Thus it is clear that the time of this festival is dependent upon the omer.] does not override these negative commandments.

ובקצרכם , after giving thanks for the harvest and its successful storing of it in the barns, the Torah warns of what has to be done to ensure that the financial success which this harvest represents not be ruined. This is why the farmer is commanded to set aside, or simply not harvest, such incidentals as are referred to as לקט, שכחה, פאה, which in the words of our sages in Ketuvot 66 are viewed as מלח ממון חסר, ואמרי לה חסד. “money cannot be salted away (for safekeeping.)” Some people, in a play on words, change the word חסר for חסד, loving kindness, a kind of charity,” suggesting that the only way to ensure that one does not lose one’s own money is by engaging liberally in handing out charity to the deserving. The legislation in our verse then is this insurance for the farmer not to lose his crop even after he has already brought it into the barn.