Komentarz do Pea 1:1

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.

Introduction This is a famous mishnah because it is recited in the early part of the prayer service, after the blessing for learning Torah. The reason it is here in the beginning of tractate Peah is that it teaches that there is no maximum measure to the amount of peah (corners of one’s field I will generally use the Hebrew term) that one can leave to the poor. The following mishnah will teach that there is a minimum amount.

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.].”

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. There is no maximum amount for all of the things listed in this section. A person can give or do as much of them as he wants. A. Peah this is one of the main topics of our tractate. B. First fruits brought to the Temple and given to the priests (Deuteronomy 26:1). If a field owner should so desire he may bring his entire crop as first fruits. C. These are sacrifices brought to the Temple on the three festivals, Pesah, Shavuot and Sukkot (Deuteronomy 16:16-17). A person can bring as many of these sacrifices as he wants. D and E. The last two things listed in this section (both are also listed below) are two of the most important activities in which a person can engage, according to rabbinic thought. Righteous deeds are also termed “deeds of loving kindness (gemilut hasadim).” This would include giving money to the needy but go far beyond that to include visiting the sick, burying the dead, finding a spouse for someone and other acts of kindness that help improve the lives of others.

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.

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. The second section lists mitzvoth for which a person sees an immediate reward, meaning he “enjoys the fruits in this world” and he also receives a reward for performing a mitzvah, a reward delayed until the world to come. In other words, these are mitzvoth which are beneficial in and of themselves, regardless of any “external reward” such as the reward one might hope to get in the world to come. The four are self-explanatory. One can easily see that these four mitzvoth immediately benefit both the one who performs them and the one for whom she is doing the mitzvah. It is interesting that the sages were so perceptive as to notice that the primary beneficiary of these mitzvoth is not the person for whom the mitzvah is being performed, but the one who performs the mitzvah. We probably have all experienced the amazing feeling of helping out another person and know that when we do so, we not only help others but we help ourselves as well.

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.