When Rav came to Bavel, he said, "I am like Ben Azzai in Eretz Yisrael (and I can answer any questions posed to me)". One elder came and asked him - what if there are two murdered corpses one on top of another? Rav said that they are both given the laws of Eglah Arufah (where a calf is brought by the elders of the closest city and it has its next broken). The elder contended that neither are given these laws. He explained to Rav that the lower corpse is not given these laws because it is hidden; the upper corpse is because it is 'floating'. (Both of these cases are exempted from these laws in Maseches Sotah, Perek Eglah Arufah.)

When Rav came to Eretz Yisrael, he came to Rebbi, who told him that the elder had spoken correctly, but for another reason, as the pasuk states, (Devarim 21:1), "If (a slain person) will be found" but not 'they will be found' - the laws apply only if one corpse was found.

(R. Yehuda b'Rebbi): If there were rows of sheaves on either side of a stream, do they combine? If in order to plow on either side of the stream, the plow must be lifted over it, it is not viewed as one row.

If he harvested half a row and came the next day, it is not viewed as one row. If he sat down to eat or to sleep or his friend called him (is it viewed as the same row)? (This question remains unanswered.)

If he picked up a sheaf to take it to the city and he put it on top of another sheaf and forgot both of them, the lower one is Shichechah and the upper one is not Shichechah.

(R. Shimon): Neither are Shichechah - the lower because it is covered and the upper because he already acquired it.

(R. Zeira explains): Since he remembered the top one, the bottom one is not Shichechah.

R. Zeira is like R. Yona (earlier in Perek 5 Halacha 6 - zevachim 54-1(k)) - the Mishnah there taught that if the poor covered the sheaves with straw, they are not Shichechah.) R. Yona said that it refers to when he remembered the straw and forgot the sheaf.

If the sheaves are not laid out in rows and he forgot one of them, it is not Shichechah until he took all of the sheaves around it and left that one.

(Mishnah): Two sheaves are Shichechah; three sheaves are not Shichechah.

Two bundles of olives or carobs are Shichechah; three are not Shichechah.

Two flax stalks are Shichechah; three are not Shichechah.

Two berries are Peret (gleanings of grapes for the poor); three are not Peret.

Two ears of corn are Leket; three are not Leket. These rulings follow Beis Hillel.

But concerning all of them, Beis Shammai say that three belong to the poor; four belong to the owner.

(Gemara) Question (R. Bun b'R. Chiya citing R. Yochanan): When the Mishnah taught that three sheaves are not Shichechah, is that only when they are in a straight line or even if they are in an 'L' shape? (This question remains unanswered.)

Question: (The Mishnah taught that three bundles of olives are not Shichechah.) What is the difference whether or not they are bundles?

Answer: For Shichechah to apply, the work must have been completed on the produce; and unless olives are bundled, their work is not complete.

(R. Hoshiya): I was once harvesting olives with R. Chiya the Great and he told me that any olive that you can reach out and take is not Shichechah (even if he has already passed it by).

(R. Yochanan): No - once he has passed it by and forgotten it, it is Shichechah.

(R. Eliezer citing R. Chiya the Great): Even half a cluster is Peret.

Baraisa (R. Chiya): A full cluster or half a cluster is Peret.

Question: But the Mishnah taught two berries?

Answer (R. Ami): The Mishnah refers to picking berries and placing small amounts under the vine; the Baraisa refers picking clusters (or parts of clusters). (Note: There are several explanations of this answer given in the Meforshim. This entry follows Rav Chaim Kanievski's understanding.)

(Menachem citing R. Yonasan): (When the Mishnah taught that three are not Peret/Leket, that applies) when he cut all three at the same time.

(R. Avun): Beis Shammai's source that three are Shichechah and four are not Shichechah is the pasuk (Devarim 24:19), "...they shall be for the stranger, the orphan and the widow" - alluding to leaving three for these three needy people.

Beis Hillel's source that only two are Shichechah but three are not, is the pasuk (Vayikra 19:10), "you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger" (- only two are mentioned here).

(R. Mana disagrees): They both expounded the same pasuk - (Devarim 24:19), "...they shall be for the stranger, the orphan and the widow" - Beis Shammai say that it is alluding to leaving three for these three needy people. Beis Hillel say that 'they shall be' means that this quantity (three) shall remain the property of the landowner.