B6
(a) The gleanings and part of every harvest & vintage must be left for the poor & disadvantaged.
Category: Charity, Provision, & Generosity
Type: Positive
Form: Explicit
Source dataset: Old Testament
Uniqueness: Not unique
Classical commandment: Yes
New Covenant Literal Application
Applies to Person Categories: Everyone
Literal Application: mandated, recommended
More explanation about New Covenant Literal Application
The New Covenant Literal Application Code (NCLA) is an interpretive guide used by the authors to indicate which person categories a mitzvah applies to, and at what level of literal compliance.
It combines person categories such as Jewish, K'rov Yisrael, and Gentile, together with male/female distinctions and an application level such as mandated, recommended, optional, or prohibited.
This code reflects the authors' interpretive opinion and is provided for prayerful consideration. On this page, the technical code is summarized into plain language to help new readers understand it more easily.
Detailed codes: GFr - Gentile female, recommended | GMr - Gentile male, recommended | JFm - Jewish female, mandated | JMm - Jewish male, mandated | KFm - K'rovat Yisrael female, mandated | KMm - K'rov Yisrael male, mandated
Bible references
Key NT Scriptures
- 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Key OT Scriptures
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Deuteronomy 24:19-22
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Leviticus 19:9-10
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Leviticus 23:22
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Commentary
Rabbi Michael Rudolph
In ancient Israel, the life-sustaining commodities were foods grown in the soil, typically grains and grapes. God's commandments to leave the gleanings and reserve a part of the fields and vineyards for the poor and the foreigner were part of His larger plan to provide for those who could not otherwise live (e.g. Ruth 2:2 ). It is instructive that no such commandments were given regarding herds, flocks, manufactured goods, and artisans' services other than the left-over of certain animal offerings to be given to the Levites. My conclusion, therefore, is that these commandments were not intended to impute broad moral responsibility to the owners of all industries and commodities; their purpose was solely tz'dakah . Although the Scriptures heretofore presented have diminished applicability in today's industrial and technical world, they must be complied with literally in agricultural environments where they can be applied. There are also wider applications of the Scriptures that should be considered by those of us who produce or provide life-sustaining (or even life-enhancing) products and services of a non-agricultural nature, and are moved to comply with the spirit of what God sought to achieve in ancient Israel. In such cases, part of our production (be they goods or services) can be identified and set apart as tz'dakah (over and above our other requirements to give tz'dakah ), and the items themselves or profits therefrom can be given to the poor and disadvantaged. 1 Setting aside food and clothing in food banks and humanitarian aid centers is very much in keeping with this concept, and a goodly number of synagogues and churches participate in this kind of charitable giving. Another opportunity for applying this Mitzvah occurs when we inadvertently produce defective but usable products. When that happens, instead of discarding them or selling them at a discount for our own gain, we could donate the irregular items or the proceeds of their sale to the poor and disadvantaged. Examples of such items are blemished fruits, irregularly sewn garments, unevenly cut building materials, discolored fabrics, and dented appliances. The original agricultural commandments stand unchanged and are mandatory, whereas this broader mitzvah is optional but recommended for prayerful resolution. 1. In ancient Israel, foreigners were protected by God's Commandments because they were disadvantaged, as were widows and orphans.
Classical commentators
Maimonides, Meir, and HaChinuch interpret the Scriptures of this Mitzvah as applying only to agriculture, and Meir (not Maimonides or HaChinuck) considers them applicable only in Eretz Yisrael .
Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2
Classical sources
Maimonides
Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, 12th century) organized all 613 Torah commandments into a structured list. These linked items show where this Law of Messiah commandment overlaps with that classical framework.
Meir of Rothenburg
Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg (13th century, Germany) was a leading Talmudic authority. These reference numbers link this commandment to his halachic rulings.
ML1, ML6, ML5
Source and License
Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.
License: CC BY-ND 4.0 (Attribution required, NoDerivatives). CC BY-ND 4.0
Disclaimer: the original content is authored by Rabbi Michael Rudolph and Rabbi Daniel Juster; additional notes or implementation details on this website are not part of their original work and do not represent their views.
Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2
Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2