The Mitzvah of Shechicha: The Forgotten Sheaf

כִּ֤י תַחְבֹּט֙ זֵֽיתְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְפַאֵ֖ר אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃ כִּ֤י תִבְצֹר֙ כַּרְמְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְעוֹלֵ֖ל אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃

When you beat down the fruit of your olive trees, do not go over them again; that shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not pick it over again; that shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

כִּ֣י תִקְצֹר֩ קְצִֽירְךָ֨ בְשָׂדֶ֜ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֧ עֹ֣מֶר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה לֹ֤א תָשׁוּב֙ לְקַחְתּ֔וֹ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַ֤עַן יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}

When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, do not turn back to get it; it shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow—in order that the ETERNAL your God may bless you in all your undertakings.

הָעֹמֶר שֶׁשְּׁכָחוּהוּ פוֹעֲלִים וְלֹא שְׁכָחוֹ בַעַל הַבַּיִת, שְׁכָחוֹ בַעַל הַבַּיִת וְלֹא שְׁכָחוּהוּ פוֹעֲלִים, עָמְדוּ עֲנִיִּים בְּפָנָיו אוֹ שֶׁחִפּוּהוּ בְקַשׁ, הֲרֵי זֶה אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה:

A sheaf which the workers forgot but not the land owner, or which the land owner forgot but not the workers; or [a sheaf] which the poor stood in front of [and blocked its view], or they covered it up with stubble, it is not considered a forgotten sheaf.

בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, הֶבְקֵר לָעֲנִיִּים, הֶבְקֵר. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ הֶפְקֵר, עַד שֶׁיֻּפְקַר אַף לָעֲשִׁירִים, כַּשְּׁמִטָּה. כָּל עָמְרֵי הַשָּׂדֶה שֶׁל קַב קַב וְאֶחָד שֶׁל אַרְבַּעַת קַבִּין וּשְׁכָחוֹ, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, שִׁכְחָה: הָעֹמֶר שֶׁהוּא סָמוּךְ לַגָּפָה וְלַגָּדִישׁ, לַבָּקָר וְלַכֵּלִים, וּשְׁכָחוֹ, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, שִׁכְחָה: רָאשֵׁי שׁוּרוֹת, הָעֹמֶר שֶׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ מוֹכִיחַ. הָעֹמֶר שֶׁהֶחֱזִיק בּוֹ לְהוֹלִיכוֹ אֶל הָעִיר, וּשְׁכָחוֹ, מוֹדִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה: וְאֵלּוּ הֵן רָאשֵׁי שׁוּרוֹת. שְׁנַיִם שֶׁהִתְחִילוּ מֵאֶמְצַע הַשּׁוּרָה, זֶה פָּנָיו לַצָּפוֹן וְזֶה פָּנָיו לַדָּרוֹם, וְשָׁכְחוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם, אֶת שֶׁלִּפְנֵיהֶם שִׁכְחָה, וְאֶת שֶׁלְּאַחֲרֵיהֶם אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה. יָחִיד שֶׁהִתְחִיל מֵרֹאשׁ הַשּׁוּרָה, וְשָׁכַח לְפָנָיו וּלְאַחֲרָיו, שֶׁלְּפָנָיו אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה, וְשֶׁלְּאַחֲרָיו שִׁכְחָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא בְּבַל תָּשׁוּב (דברים כד). זֶה הַכְּלָל, כָּל שֶׁהוּא בְּבַל תָּשׁוּב, שִׁכְחָה. וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּבַל תָּשׁוּב, אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה: שְׁנֵי עֳמָרִים, שִׁכְחָה, וּשְׁלשָׁה אֵינָן שִׁכְחָה. שְׁנֵי צִבּוּרֵי זֵיתִים וְחָרוּבִין, שִׁכְחָה, וּשְׁלשָׁה אֵינָן שִׁכְחָה. שְׁנֵי הוּצְנֵי פִשְׁתָּן, שִׁכְחָה, וּשְׁלשָׁה אֵינָן שִׁכְחָה. שְׁנֵי גַרְגְּרִים, פֶּרֶט, וּשְׁלשָׁה אֵינָן פֶּרֶט. שְׁנֵי שִׁבֳּלִים, לֶקֶט, וּשְׁלֹשָׁה אֵינָן לֶקֶט. אֵלּוּ כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל. וְעַל כֻּלָּן בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, שְׁלשָׁה, לָעֲנִיִּים, וְאַרְבָּעָה, לְבַעַל הַבָּיִת:

Bet Shammai says: [That which is] made ownerless only in regard to the poor is indeed ownerless. But Bet Hillel says: it is not ownerless unless ownership is renounced even for the rich, as in the case of the sabbatical year. [If] all of the sheaves in a field are a kav each, and one is four kavs and that one is forgotten: Bet Shammai says: it is not considered forgotten. But Bet Hillel says: it is considered forgotten. A sheaf left near a stone fence, or near a stack [of grain] or near oxen, or near equipment: Bet Shammai says: it is not considered “forgotten”; Bet Hillel says: it is considered “forgotten.” [With regard to sheaves forgotten] at the end of the row, the sheaf lying across from it proves [that the first sheaf has not been forgotten.] [As for] a sheaf that [the owner] took to bring it to the city and forgot it, all agree that it is not considered a “forgotten sheaf.” These are to be considered ends of the rows:If two men begin [to gather] from the middle of the row, one facing north and the other south and they forget [some sheaves] in front of them and behind them, those left in front of them are “forgotten,” but those left behind them are not “forgotten.” If an individual begins from the end of the row and he forgets [some sheaves] in front of him and behind him, those in front of him are not “forgotten”, whereas those behind him are “forgotten,” for this comes under the category of “you shall not go back [to retrieve it].” This is the general rule: anything that can be said to fall under the law “you shall not go back” is considered “forgotten,” but that to which the principle of “you shall not go back” cannot be applied is not considered “forgotten.” Two sheaves [left lying together] are “forgotten,” but three are not “forgotten.” Two bundles of olives or carobs are “forgotten” but three are not “forgotten.” Two flax-stalks are “forgotten”, but three are not “forgotten”. Two grapes are considered “grape gleanings,” but three are not “grape gleanings.” Two ears of grain are deemed “gleanings,” but three are not gleanings.” All these [rulings] are according to Bet Hillel. And concerning them all Bet Shammai says that three [that are left] belong to the poor, and four belong to the owner.

הָעֹמֶר שֶׁשְּׁכָחוּהוּ פּוֹעֲלִים וְלֹא שְׁכָחוֹ בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה. שְׁכָחוֹ בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה וְלֹא שְׁכָחוּהוּ פּוֹעֲלִים. שְׁכָחוּהוּ אֵלּוּ וְאֵלּוּ וְהָיוּ שָׁם אֲחֵרִים עוֹבְרִין וְרוֹאִין אוֹתָן בְּעֵת שֶׁשְּׁכָחוּהוּ. אֵינָהּ שִׁכְחָה עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁכְּחוּהוּ כָּל אָדָם. וַאֲפִלּוּ עֹמֶר הַטָּמוּן אִם נִשְׁכָּח הֲרֵי זֶה שִׁכְחָה: הָיָה בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה בָּעִיר וְאָמַר יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהַפּוֹעֲלִים שָׁכְחוּ עֹמֶר שֶׁבְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וּשְׁכָחוּהוּ הֲרֵי זֶה שִׁכְחָה. וְאִם הָיָה בַּשָּׂדֶה וְאָמַר כֵּן וּשְׁכָחוּהוּ אֵינָהּ שִׁכְחָה שֶׁהַשָּׁכוּחַ מֵעִקָּרוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה הוּא הַשִּׁכְחָה. אֲבָל בָּעִיר אֲפִלּוּ זָכוּר וּלְבַסּוֹף שָׁכוּחַ הֲרֵי זוֹ שִׁכְחָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כד יט) "וְשָׁכַחְתָּ עֹמֶר בַּשָּׂדֶה" וְלֹא בָּעִיר: הַקּוֹצֵר שֶׁהִתְחִיל לִקְצֹר מֵרֹאשׁ הַשּׁוּרָה וְשָׁכַח לְפָנָיו וּלְאַחֲרָיו. שֶׁל אַחֲרָיו שִׁכְחָה וְשֶׁלְּפָנָיו אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כד יט) "לֹא תָשׁוּב לְקַחְתּוֹ" אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה עַד שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר מִמֶּנּוּ וְיַנִּיחֶנּוּ לְאַחֲרָיו. זֶה הַכְּלָל כָּל שֶׁהוּא בְּבַל תָּשׁוּב שִׁכְחָה וְכָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּבַל תָּשׁוּב אֵינוֹ שִׁכְחָה:

In none [of the following situations] is a [forgotten] sheaf [of grain] considered as shichichah. It was forgotten by workers and not forgotten by the owner of the field; it was forgotten by the owner of the field, but not the workers; or both these individuals forgot it, but there were others passing by who observed them at the time they forgot it. [To be shichichah] it must be forgotten by all people. Even a sheaf that was hidden away [purposely], if it is forgotten, it is shichichah. When the owner of the field was in the city and he said: "I know that the workers forgot a sheaf in this-and-this place," [but afterwards, the owner] forgot it, it is shichichah. If he was in the field and made such statements, but then forgot [the sheaf], it is not shichichah. [The rationale is that,] in a field, [only a sheaf] that was forgotten at the outset is shichichah. In a city, by contrast, even if one remembered it and afterwards forgot it, it is shichichah, as [indicated by Deuteronomy 24:19]: "If you forget a sheaf in the field," [i.e., in the field,] but not in a city. When a person began harvesting from the beginning of a row [of grain] and forgot grain both in front of him and behind him, [the grain] behind him is shichichah, [the grain] in front of him is not shichichah, as [implied by Deuteronomy, loc. cit.,]: "Do not go back to take it." [Grain is] not shichichah unless [the harvester] passes it and leaves it behind him. This is the general principle: Whenever the adjuration "Do not return" applies, [the laws of] shichichah apply. Whenever the adjuration "Do not return" does not apply, [the laws of] shichichah do not apply.

מתנות עניים שהם לקט שכחה ופיאה ופרט ועוללות כתב הרמב"ם שאין נוהגין מן התורה אלא בארץ ובח"ל הם מדרבנן ואם אין שם עניים א"צ להניחם והאידנא אין נוהגין בהן לפי שהרוב נכרי' אם יניחום יבואו נכרי' ויטלום לפיכך איני רוצה להאריך בהם:

לְהַנִּיחַ לָעֲנִיִּים הַשִּׁכְחָה – שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ כְּשֶׁנִּשְׁכַּח עֹמֶר בַּשָּׂדֶה לְהַנִּיחוֹ שָׁם, וְלֹא נָשׁוּב לְקַחְתּוֹ כְּשֶׁיִּוָּדַע אֵלֵינוּ הַדָּבָר, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים כד יט) וְשָׁכַחְתָּ עֹמֶר בַּשָּׂדֶה לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה יִהְיֶה, כְּלוֹמַר, הַנִּיחֵהוּ שָׁם לָהֶם. מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁהָעֲנִיִּים וְהָאֶבְיוֹנִים בְּחֶטְאָם וּבַעֲנִיּוּתָם תּוֹלִין עֵינֵיהֶם עַל הַתְּבוּאוֹת, בִּרְאוֹתָם בַּעֲלֵי הַשָּׂדוֹת מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶה כְּבִרְכַּת הַשֵּׁם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם, וְחוֹשְׁבִים בְּלִבָּם לֵאמֹר, מִי יִתֵּן וְהָיָה לִי כֵּן, לֶאֱסֹף עֳמָרִים לְבֵיתִי, וְלוּ אַחַת אוּכַל לְהָבִיא אֶשְׂמַח בָּהּ. וְעַל כֵּן הָיָה מֵחֲסָדָיו בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו, לְמַלֹּאת תְּשׁוּקָתָם זוֹ, כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִקְרֶה שֶׁיִּשְׁכָּחֶנָּה בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה. גַּם יֵשׁ בָּזֶה תּוֹעֶלֶת לְבַעַל הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁיִּקְנֶה בָּזֶה נֶפֶשׁ טוֹבָה, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת בְּמִדַּת הַנְּדִיבוּת וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּרָכָה לְבִלְתִּי תֵּת לִבּוֹ עַל הָעֹמֶר הַנִּשְׁכָּח וְיַנִּיחֵהוּ לָאֶבְיוֹנִים, וְעַל בַּעֲלֵי הַנֶּפֶשׁ טוֹבָה יָנוּחַ בִּרְכַּת הַשֵּׁם לְעוֹלָם.

To leave what is forgotten to the poor: That we were commanded when we forget a sheaf in the field to leave it there, and that we not return to take it when the thing becomes known to us. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 24:19), “and you forget a sheaf in the field [...]; it shall go to the stranger, the orphan, and the widow” — meaning to say, leave it there for them. It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since the poor and destitute — in their sin and in their poverty — suspend their eyes upon the produce, in their seeing the owners of the field sheaving their sheaves “according to the blessing of the Lord that He gave to them”; and they think in their heart, saying, “If only it will be like this for me, to gather sheaves into my house — and if only I could bring one, I would rejoice in it”; and hence it was from His kindnesses towards His creatures, may He be blessed, to fulfill this desire of theirs when it occurs that the owner of the field forgets it. There is also a benefit for the owner of the field, that he acquires through this a goodly soul; for truly through the trait of generosity and a blessed soul that does not place its heart upon the forgotten sheaf and leaves it to the destitute — on those with such a soul — does the blessing of God descend forever.