(כב) וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶ֞ם אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֗ם לֹֽא־תְכַלֶּ֞ה פְּאַ֤ת שָֽׂדְךָ֙ בְּקֻצְרֶ֔ךָ וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִירְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (ס)
(22) And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the LORD am your God.
מתני׳ ראה את המציאה ונפל עליה ובא אחר והחזיק בה זה שהחזיק בה זכה בה:
MISHNA: If one saw a found item and fell upon it, intending to thereby acquire it, but did not employ one of the formal modes of acquisition, and then another came and seized it, the one who seized it acquired it because he employed one of the formal modes of acquisition.
רבין חסידא אזיל לקדושי ליה איתתא לבריה קידשה לנפשיה והתניא מה שעשה עשוי אלא שנהג בו מנהג רמאות לא יהבוה ניהליה איבעי ליה לאודועי סבר אדהכי והכי אתא איניש אחרינא מקדש לה רבה בר בר חנה יהיב ליה זוזי לרב אמר זבנה ניהלי להאי ארעא אזל זבנה לנפשיה והתניא מה שעשה עשוי אלא שנהג בו מנהג רמאות באגא דאלימי הוה ליה לרב נהגי ביה כבוד לרבה בר בר חנה לא נהגי ביה כבוד איבעי ליה לאודועי סבר אדהכי והכי אתא איניש אחרינא זבין לה רב גידל הוה מהפיך בההיא ארעא אזל רבי אבא זבנה אזל רב גידל קבליה לרבי זירא אזל רבי זירא וקבליה לרב יצחק נפחא אמר ליה המתן עד שיעלה אצלנו לרגל כי סליק אשכחיה אמר ליה עני מהפך בחררה ובא אחר ונטלה הימנו מאי אמר ליה נקרא רשע ואלא מר מאי טעמא עבד הכי א"ל לא הוה ידענא השתא נמי ניתבה ניהליה מר א"ל זבוני לא מזבנינא לה דארעא קמייתא היא ולא מסמנא מילתא אי בעי במתנה נישקליה רב גידל לא נחית לה דכתיב (משלי טו, כז) ושונא מתנות יחיה רבי אבא לא נחית לה משום דהפיך בה רב גידל לא מר נחית לה ולא מר נחית לה ומיתקריא ארעא דרבנן
The Gemara relates: Ravin the Pious was appointed an agent and went to betroth a woman to his son, but in the end he betrothed her to himself. The Gemara raises a difficulty: But isn’t it taught in the aforementioned baraita: What he did is done, but he has treated him in a deceitful manner? How could a pious individual act in this fashion? The Gemara answers: The woman’s family would not give her to the son, and agreed only to let her marry the father. The Gemara further asks: Even so, before betrothing her he should have first informed his son that they refuse to let her marry him. The Gemara explains that Ravin thought: In the meantime, while I am busy reporting back to my son, someone else will come and betroth her. The Gemara relates a similar story: Rabba bar bar Ḥana gave money to Rav and said: Purchase this land for me. Rav went and purchased it for himself. The Gemara asks: But isn’t it taught in the baraita with regard to an agent who acts in this manner: What he did is done, but he has treated him in a deceitful manner? The Gemara answers: The land was located in a valley inhabited by violent men, who treated Rav with respect and were prepared to sell the land to him, but who did not treat Rabba bar bar Ḥana with respect. As in the case of Ravin, the Gemara questions this behavior: Nevertheless, Rav should have informed him. The Gemara responds that Rav thought: In the meantime someone else will come and purchase the land. The Gemara further relates: Rav Giddel was engaging in the acquisition of a certain plot of land. In the meantime Rabbi Abba went and purchased it. Rav Giddel went and complained about Rabbi Abba to Rabbi Zeira. Rabbi Zeira went and complained about Rabbi Abba to Rav Yitzḥak Nappaḥa. Rav Yitzḥak Nappaḥa said to him: Wait until Rabbi Abba ascends to visit us for the pilgrimage Festival, when all come to hear the Festival sermon, on which occasion we can discuss this matter with him. When Rabbi Abba ascended Rav Yitzḥak Nappaḥa found him and said to him: If a pauper is engaging in the acquisition of a loaf of bread that he found, and another came and took it from him, what is the halakha? Rabbi Abba said to him: The one who took it away is called wicked. Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa replied: But if so, what is the reason that the Master acted this way? Rav Giddel was negotiating the purchase of this land and you purchased it. Rabbi Abba said to him: I did not know that Rav Giddel was trying to acquire the land. Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa retorted: Now too, the Master should give it to him, since you have been made aware that he submitted the first offer. Rabbi Abba said to him: As for selling, I will not sell it, as it is the first land I have ever purchased, and this matter of selling one’s first acquisition is not a good omen. If he wants to accept it as a gift, let him take it. Rav Giddel did not descend to claim this plot of land, as it is written: “But he who hates gifts shall live” (Proverbs 15:27), and therefore he did not wish to accept the land as a gift. Rabbi Abba also did not descend to it, because Rav Giddel was already engaging in the acquisition of it when he acquired the land. In this manner, this Sage did not descend to take the plot of land, and that Sage did not descend to take care of it, and it was called the land of the Sages.
If a poor person is attempting to acquire a loaf of bread, one who interjects and takes it first is a wicked person. According to Rashi, this is referring to a poor person trying to acquire an ownerless loaf or a gift. Tosfos disagrees, citing Bava Metziah 10 which implies that one may preempt another person trying to acquire an ownerless item. Therefore, they conclude that the poor person attempting to acquire is limited to buying or renting, because the intruder is expected to look elsewhere. Whereas for an ownerless object one may preempt another because he cannot be expected to find it elsewhere.
1. At what point is it considered attempting?
2. If it is a great deal but not free, is it considered that it cannot be found?
3. What if the buyer invested significant effort to try and get the deal?
4. If one did transgress this should they let the other have it? What if they did so unintentionally?
2. If it is a great deal but not free, is it considered that it cannot be found?
3. What if the buyer invested significant effort to try and get the deal?
4. If one did transgress this should they let the other have it? What if they did so unintentionally?