Commentary for Bava Metzia 235:20
אמר רבא לא דכ"ע הבטה בהפקר קני והכא חיישינן שמא לא ימסרם יפה יפה קמיפלגי דרבנן סברי יהבינן ליה אגרא ואי לא חיישינן שמא לא ימסרם יפה יפה
R. Jose said: He who wishes can donate [his work] and be an unpaid watcher. Said they [the Sages] to him: You say so, [but then] they are not provided by the public.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A sheaf of the earliest barley crop was brought as a heave offering in the Temple; likewise two loaves made of the first wheat to ripen (Lev. XXIII. 10f. 17). These had to be public property, and not that of any individual, and men were engaged and paid out of public funds to watch over a field of corn to see which sheaves ripened the earliest. As there was no sowing in the seventh year, there could only be a crop spontaneously grown from seed that had fallen the previous year. This crop was hefker, as all seventh year crops were, and the Tannaim dispute whether the watchman had to accept payment or not. ');"><sup>16</sup></span>
Explore commentary for Bava Metzia 235:20. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.