the section on prayer(Berakhah). This was a clear indication of the importance of 1zedakah.
The next tractate(Demai) which dealt with produce that may not have been tithed to support the Temple staff, also made provisions for the poor by stating that such produce could be given to the poor who were permitted to consume it(Demai 3.1)
THEOLOGICAL BASIS FOR THE BIBLE
A theology of divine ownership of the land undergirded the practical biblical legislation and its mishnaic expansion. God wished the land and its produce to be distributed fairly to all. Furthermore, God would hear the outcries of the poor and would hold those who did not follow the legislation responsible. Equally important was the elevation of the poor to the status of“brother”; the poor were not the object of occasional help, but part of the immediate family, which demanded proper attention. God took a personal interest in the poor and would not only help them, but reckon their neglect against individuals and the entire nation. The disasters that led to the conquest of Judah and Israel were attributed to this neglect. The unique status of the land of Israel represented an additional theological premise. This was interpreted to limit these biblical commandments to the land of Israel . Here we have theology narrowly interpreted.
A REVOLUTION
At the end of the tractate Peah, in chapter 8, the Mishnah was revolutionary; it turned to the urban poor. None of this had anything to do with the previous legislation about“corners” and“gleanings.” It began by specifying a minimal support of the poor with the additional statement that it must suffice for two meals if sold. Then follows a set of statements that established a system of dealing with