Leviticus 23.22

“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 19.9, 10

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”

2 Thessalonians 3.10

Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians, that any who would not work should not eat, derives from the institution of gleaning. There was no such thing as a “free lunch” in ancient Israel. Those who, for whatever reason, had fallen on hard times were expected to work to provide for their needs, and it was the community’s duty to make sure that work was available for them.

Gleaning of fields provided a way for both of these requirements to be met. The community made sure that work was available, and the poor knew where to go in order to meet their needs. This early form of “workfare” meant that no one would be in a position to take advantage of his neighbor – not the poor, who might demand support as a kind of right, nor the non-poor, who might look down on the needy and refuse to come to their aid.

With the institution of gleaning, therefore, the poor could not “steal” from the non-poor, and the latter could not “steal” from the needy. Each had his own responsibility and duty to make sure that the needs of all were met.

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