Menachot 142

<br> they permitted for use the branches of carob and sycamore trees which had been dedicated to the Temple, they made breaches in their gardens and orchards so as to allow the poor to [come in and] eat the fallen fruit on Sabbaths and Festivals in years of drought, and they gave pe'ah from vegetables; and the Sages forbade them! -But according to your view, too, [this passage is difficult, for] it says 'six things' and it enumerates seven! You must therefore delete reaping from here. <br>

ONE MAY REAP THE UNRIPE CORN AND FEED CATTLE THEREWITH. We have learnt elsewhere: These are the things which divide a field [into two] with respect to pe'ah: a river, a pool, a private or a public road, a public or a private path that is in use both during the summer and the rainy season, fallow land or newly broken land, and a different kind of crop. If one reaped the unripe corn [as fodder, the part so reaped] divides the field. So R. Meir; but the Sages say, This part does not divide the field unless it was also ploughed up. Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said in the name of R. Johanan. R. Meir based his ruling on the principle enunciated by R. Simeon [in our Mishnah] who said, ONE MAY REAP IT AND FEED [CATTLE THEREWITH] EVEN AFTER IT HAS REACHED A THIRD OF ITS GROWTH. For he is of the opinion that any [cutting of] unripe corn [for fodder] is no reaping.

Rabbah was sitting and reciting this statement, when R. Aha b. Huna raised against Raba the following objection. It was taught: If locusts devoured [the crop in the middle of the field] or ants nibbled it or the wind broke it down, all agree that only if it was also ploughed up does it divide the field [in two], but if it was not ploughed up it does not divide the field. Who is meant by 'all agree'! Obviously R. Meir. Now it is intelligible if you say that the Mishnah quoted , refers to unripe corn which had not reached a third of its growth and the Baraitha which states 'that only if it was also ploughed up it divides the field and not if it was not ploughed up' refers to unripe corn which had already reached a third of its growth. But if you say that the Mishnah quoted also refers to that which had already reached a third of its growth, then [it will be asked,] If in that case, where the reaping was done by man, R. Meir holds that it is no reaping, then surely it is so in this case! - Say, rather, that R. Meir based his ruling on the principle enunciated by R. Judah [in our Mishnah] who said, WHEN IS THIS SO? ONLY IF ONE HAD BEGUN TO REAP IT BEFORE IT HAD REACHED A THIRD OF ITS GROWTH.

But perhaps you have heard R. Judah maintaining this view only when it is cut [as fodder] for cattle, but have you heard him say so with regard to that which is cut [as food] for man? For if he were to say so then we should have three Tannaim differing in this matter! -The fact is that when R. Dimi came [from Palestine] he said, R. Meir based his ruling on the principle enunciated by his teacher R. Akiba, namely that even though [it was cut as food] for man it is no reaping. For we have learnt: If a man reaped his field in separate stages. leaving [unreaped] the unripe stems, R. Akiba says. He must give pe'ah from each [portion reaped]. But the Sages say, From one for all. And Rab Judah has said that R. Akiba declares him liable [to give pe'ah from each portion] only where he reaps the field in stages for roasting. but not where he reaps it in stages for storing. But surely this is not so! For when Rabin came [from Palestine] he stated in the name of R. Johanan that R. Akiba declares him liable [to give pe'ah from each portion] even where he reaps it in stages for storing! -