166 SUPPLEMENT TO 



dency of Eillel, and winch lias at least the merit of 

 serving as a record of a multitude of very ancient 

 customs and observances which, but for it, would pro- 

 bably have long ago been forgotten. 



Now it so happens that the very first section of 

 the Misna is called Zcraiin, and has to do w^ith «eeds 

 and crops, and I was thus enabled, without any very 

 prolonged search, to light upon one of the passages 

 in question.* It occurs in a chapter entitled De 

 Aiigido in the Latin version, treating of the corner of 

 the fields bearing crops w^hich should be set aside for 

 the poor, and of the rights of the gleaners, and may 

 be freely rendered as follows : " The granaries of ants 

 [Formicarum cavernulce), which may be found in tlie 

 midst of a growing crop of corn, shall belong to the 

 owner of the crop ; but, if these granaries are found 

 after the reapers have passed, the upper part (of each 

 heap contained in these granaries) shall go to the 

 poor and the lower to the proprietor." And then is 

 added : " The Eabbi Meir is of opinion that the 

 whole should go to the poor, because whenever any 

 doubt arises about a question of gleaning the doubt 

 is to be given in favour of the gleaner." 



The intention of this very quaint bit of legislation, 

 or rather of the ancient custom which gave rise to it, 

 appears to have been the following ; it was to settle 

 once and for all a nice point of conscience with refe- 



* " Formicarum cavernulre in media segete propiietarii censentur ; pone 

 messores superiore parte pauperum, inferiore proprietarii. E. Meir totura 

 pauperum esse censet, quia quod dubium est in spicelegio, spicilegium est." 

 And to this the following explanatoiy note is appended: "Formicarum 

 cavernulae, Frumentum inibi repertura." Misna, Sect. I. Zeraim. Cap. IV. p. 

 25. Latiue vertit et comnientario illustravit Gulielmus Guisius. Accedit 

 Mosis Maimonidis Prcefatio in Misram, Edo. Pocockio Jnterprete, Oxoniae 

 A.D. 1600. 



