Midrash for Gittin 5:8

וְאֵלּוּ דְבָרִים אָמְרוּ מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. כֹּהֵן קוֹרֵא רִאשׁוֹן, וְאַחֲרָיו לֵוִי וְאַחֲרָיו יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. מְעָרְבִין בְּבַיִת יָשָׁן, מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. בּוֹר שֶׁהוּא קָרוֹב לָאַמָּה, מִתְמַלֵּא רִאשׁוֹן, מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. מְצוּדוֹת חַיָּה וְעוֹפוֹת וְדָגִים יֵשׁ בָּהֶם מִשּׁוּם גָּזֵל, מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, גָּזֵל גָּמוּר. מְצִיאַת חֵרֵשׁ שׁוֹטֶה וְקָטָן, יֵשׁ בָּהֶן מִשּׁוּם גָּזֵל, מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, גָּזֵל גָּמוּר. עָנִי הַמְנַקֵּף בְּרֹאשׁ הַזַּיִת, מַה שֶּׁתַּחְתָּיו גָּזֵל, מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, גָּזֵל גָּמוּר. אֵין מְמַחִין בְּיַד עֲנִיֵּי גוֹיִם בְּלֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה, מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם:

These things were instituted to foster peace: A Cohein reads first (in the Torah); and after him, a Levite; and after him, an Israelite [when they are equal in wisdom; but if the Israelite were greater in wisdom, he takes precedence to the Cohein and the Levite (for "a mamzer who is a Torah scholar takes precedence to a high-priest who is an ignoramus.") This is the law of the gemara; but the practice today is that a Cohein, even if he is an ignoramus, takes precedence to the greatest sage in Israel.] to foster peace. [For according to the Torah, the Cohein can allow anyone he wishes to read in the Torah before him; and "to foster peace" they instituted that he read first and not allow another to do so, so that quarreling not break out, viz.: "Why did you let him read and not the other?" And it makes no difference in this regard whether it be a Sabbath or a festival, when there are many congregants, or a Monday or Thursday — at the present time a Cohein always reads first and may not permit an Israelite to read before him, so as to avoid quarrels. And if there be no Cohein there, "the bundle is scattered," and a Levite reads next only if he is of greater eminence (than the others). Others say that (in such an instance) a Levite does not read at all. And this is the halachah.] An eruv is placed in an old house [ The inhabitants of a courtyard, who are wont to place their Sabbath eruv in the same house every week, should not place it in a different house ], to foster peace. [ For those who were wont to see the eruv in that house, now, not seeing it, might come to say that they carry without an eruv, casting suspicion upon them.] The (water) pit which is closest to the duct [coming from the river] is filled up first [and afterwards, those below it], to foster peace. Theft obtains with (what is taken from) the nets "of" (i.e., which are used to trap) animals birds and fish [even though they lack an "inside" to (legally) acquire their snare], to foster peace [and is not subject to prosecution in beth-din]. R. Yossi says: It is absolute theft [by rabbinical ordinance, and it is subject to prosecution in beth-din. In any event, R. Yossi concedes that it is not theft by Torah law to make one liable for transgression of a negative commandment. (The halachah is not in accordance with R. Yossi)]. Theft obtains with what is found by a deaf-mute, a simpleton, or a minor, to foster peace. R. Yossi says: It is absolute theft. If a pauper were menakef olives (of peah or shikchah) ["menakef" = cutting, as in (Isaiah 10:34): "Venikaf (and he will cut down) the thickets of the forest"], what falls below him is subject to theft, to foster peace. R. Yossi says: It is absolute theft. We do not protest the taking of leket, shikchah, or peah by gentile paupers, to foster peace.

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