Daily Talk
The Rambam now maps the full architecture of the Torah's agricultural gifts to the poor. In the laws of peah, leket, shikchah, peret, and ollelot, a radical claim emerges: the poor do not beg for these portions. They come and take them by right. The Torah has written the stranger, the orphan, and the widow into the deed of every field and vineyard, making them silent partners in every harvest.
The Theology of the Gleaning
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About This Talk
Matnot Aniyim chapters 2 through 4 detail the specific agricultural gifts. Chapter 2 continues the laws of peah -- how much must be left, which crops require it, and the owner's obligations. Chapter 3 addresses leket (fallen stalks during harvest) and shikchah (forgotten sheaves), both of which belong to the poor by Torah law. Chapter 4 extends these principles to the vineyard, establishing the laws of peret (fallen grapes) and ollelot (incompletely formed clusters), creating a comprehensive system where every form of harvest leaves something for those in need.