Deuteronomy 24:19-22
“When you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to get it. It shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow, that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again. It shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward. It shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I command you to do this thing.”
This passage is from the book of Deuteronomy, presented as Moses' farewell address to the Israelites on the plains of Moab before they enter the promised land. It reiterates and expands upon laws given earlier, aiming to establish a just and compassionate society in their new home.
How do these ancient commands about harvesting shape our understanding of economic responsibility in any community?