Talmud for Menachot 10:8

קוֹצְרִים בֵּית הַשְּׁלָחִים שֶׁבָּעֲמָקִים, אֲבָל לֹא גוֹדְשִׁין. אַנְשֵׁי יְרִיחוֹ קוֹצְרִין בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים, וְגוֹדְשִׁין שֶׁלֹּא בִרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מִחוּ בְיָדָם חֲכָמִים. קוֹצֵר לַשַּׁחַת, וּמַאֲכִיל לַבְּהֵמָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אֵימָתַי, בִּזְמַן שֶׁהִתְחִיל עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיאָה שְׁלִישׁ. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, אַף יִקְצֹר וְיַאֲכִיל אַף מִשֶּׁהֵבִיאָה שְׁלִישׁ:

They may reap in irrigated fields in the valley [before the <i>omer</i> is brought], but they may not stack it. The people of Jericho used to reap [before the <i>omer</i> was brought in accordance] with the will of the Sages, and used to stack it against the will of the Sages, but the Sages did not protest. One may reap hay to feed livestock; Rabbi Judah said: When is this so? If one had begun to reap it before it had brought forth a third [of its growth]. Rabbi Shimon says: one may even reap it and feed [his livestock with it] even after it has brought forth a third [of its growth].

Jerusalem Talmud Peah

Rebbi Zeïra in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: Both Rebbi Meïr³⁹In our Mishnah, referring to peah. and Rebbi Jehudah⁴⁰In Mishnah Menaḥot 10:8, dealing with the prohibition of using grain from the new harvest before the presentation of the ‘omer on the 16th of Nisan. We insist that they follow the same principle in both cases eventhough we have no statement of R. Jehudah on peah and no statement of R. Meïr about cutting green grain as animal fodder. said the same. Just as Rebbi Meïr said that he who cuts for fodder separates, so Rebbi Jehudah will say that he who cuts for fodder separates. Just as Rebbi Jehudah said that an obligation for peah separates⁴¹This statement is not obvious and has to be proven later., so Rebbi Meïr will say that an obligation for peah separates. But we find that Rebbi Meïr says that an obligation for peah separates⁴²From the Tosephta it will be deduced that everybody, including Rebbi Meïr, agrees that an independent obligation of peah between two fields separates the two fields into two entities from each of which one must give peah. since we have stated⁴³Tosephta Peah 1:8. A field on which grain grows but which is destroyed during growth is not subject to the obligation of peah.: “If locusts ate it, ants undermined it, or a storm or animals broke it, it is free⁴⁴Cf. Mishnah 2:7.; everybody agrees that if he ploughed⁴⁵If he ploughed under the empty stalks remaining after the disaster. “It” in this sentence refers to the ruined field. it separates, if he did not plough it does not interrupt⁴⁶If only part of the field was destroyed it is as if the entire field was sown but part of the seed grain did not germinate; it therefore remains one field..” Who is “everybody”? Does not Rebbi Meïr say, if it is free from peah⁴⁷Since it belongs to the same field and without the disaster there would not have been any separate obligation of peah, only separate ploughing will create two obligations. But if there were a separate obligation from the start, as in the example quoted next from R. Jehudah, then it seems that there are two obligations of peah created., but if it were obligated it would interrupt even if he did not plough. Parallel to what we stated there⁴⁸Mishnah Menaḥot 10:8. There is a Biblical prohibition on using new grain for human consumption before the 16th of Nisan (Lev. 23:14) and a rabbinical prohibition to harvest before that time. However, that rabbinical prohibition is waived either if it would cause monetary loss (as for fields in the region of Jericho that ripen very early) or if the grain is not used for humans. R. Simeon permits cutting for fodder anytime, R. Jehudah allows it only if the grain is less than one third ripe (since afterwards it is fit for human consumption as “green kernels”).: “Rebbi Jehudah said, when? If he started before it was one-third ripe, but if it is one-third ripe one is forbidden to cut.” If he cuts⁴⁹After the grain is one-third ripened and the grain is potential human food. (“R. Yudan” here refers to R. Jehudah bar Illaï.) he is obligated for peah. And anything that is obligated for peah separates⁵⁰If he harvested a strip of unripe grain in a field, he has to give peah from this strip. If that strip separated the remaining grain into two disjoint pieces, the two fields now are separately liable for peah..

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