does not check out for the necessities of life. The
other said, even before giving clothing one does not
check out, because of the covenant of the patriarch Abraham
...”(J. Peah 8:7). As we can see, there was no discussion of the basis for these laws, but attention given to their practical execution. As new issues were raised they were discussed; here are a few examples:
If a farmer neglected to leave the corner of his field, he was required to provide an equal amount from the grain that he had harvested, but under supervision so that he did not provide inferior grain(J. Peah 4.3).
The problem of gentile ownership of land in Israel produced its own complications as the gentile was not subject to these rules, but a Jew could not purchase such grain without sinning as the“obligation rests on the land which belongs to God , not the owner.” This was contested through a contrary opinion(J. Peah 4:6; J. Demai 5:9). An additional problem was raised through the fact that all these duties ceased with the Babylonian Exile; the returning community reassumed them voluntarily through the covenant with God described in Nehemiah (10.1) but that now provided a potentially different status to the obligation.
There was the special circumstance of a gentile who converted in the midst of the harvest. Was he free from corners, gleanings, and forgotten sheaves? R. Judah made him responsible for forgotten sheaves if he converted at that stage of the harvest(J. Peah 4:4).
Those responsible for collecting the various charitable funds were also designated to raise money for the ransoming of hostages when this became a new problem. Such redemption also took precedence over any efforts for the poor. A new fund for dowries