That the worker not eat during work time: That the wageworker not eat during his work from the thing with which he is involved. Even though it is permitted to eat from it not during work — and that is when he is going from row to row — when he is working with that which is connected to the ground, it is not permitted to eat during work time. (See Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 267.) And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 23:26), “but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain.” As they, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Metzia 87b) [that the word,] “sickle” is to include all that requires the sickle, and at the time of the sickle — meaning to say at harvest time, do not harvest for yourself. And it is already known that this verse is coming [to refer] to a wageworker. And the explanation of “When you come” is meaning to say, when you come to your wage-work to be involved with the owner of the field; as Onkelos translates it, “When you are employed” (Onkelos Deuteronomy 23:26).
The matter of this commandment is also elucidated in its positive commandment in this Order (Sefer HaChinukh 576). And one who transgresses this — whether it be a man or a woman, in every place and at any time — and puts a sickle to the grain of his neighbor in the way that we have explained, has violated this negative commandment. And we do not give lashes for it for the reason mentioned in the previous commandment.
שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל הַפּוֹעֵל בִּשְׁעַת מְלָאכָה – שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל הַשָּׂכִיר בִּשְׁעַת עֲבוֹדָתוֹ מֵהַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹד בּוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא מֻתָּר לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּשְׁעַת עֲבוֹדָה, וְהוּא בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ מֵאוֹמָן לְאוֹמָן, כְּשֶׁהוּא עוֹבֵד בִּמְחֻבָּר לַקַּרְקַע לֹא הֻתַּר לֶאֱכֹל בִּשְׁעַת עֲבוֹדָה (ע"י ספהמ"צ להרמב"ם לאוין רסז), וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים כג כו) וְחֶרְמֵשׁ לֹא תָנִיף עַל קָמַת רֵעֶךָ, שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ב"מ פז, ב) חֶרְמֵשׁ, לְרַבּוֹת כָּל בַּעֲלֵי חֶרְמֵשׁ, וּבִשְׁעַת חֶרְמֵשׁ, כְּלוֹמַר עֵת הַקָּצִיר, לֹא תִּקְצֹר לְעַצְמְךָ. וּכְבָר נוֹדַע שֶׁזֶּה הַכָּתוּב בָּא בְּשָׂכִיר, וּפֵרוּשׁ כִּי תָבוֹא, כְּלוֹמַר, כִּי תָּבוֹא בִּשְׂכָרְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת עִם בַּעַל הַשָּׂדֶה, כְּדִמְתַרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס אֲרֵי תִּתָּגַר.
That the worker not eat during work time: That the wageworker not eat during his work from the thing with which he is involved. Even though it is permitted to eat from it not during work — and that is when he is going from row to row — when he is working with that which is connected to the ground, it is not permitted to eat during work time. (See Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 267.) And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 23:26), “but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain.” As they, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Metzia 87b) [that the word,] “sickle” is to include all that requires the sickle, and at the time of the sickle — meaning to say at harvest time, do not harvest for yourself. And it is already known that this verse is coming [to refer] to a wageworker. And the explanation of “When you come” is meaning to say, when you come to your wage-work to be involved with the owner of the field; as Onkelos translates it, “When you are employed” (Onkelos Deuteronomy 23:26).
עִנְיַן מִצְוָה זוֹ מִתְבָּאֵר גַּם כֵּן בְּמִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁלּוֹ שֶׁבְּסֵדֶר זֶה (מצוה תקעו). וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה בֵּין אִישׁ בֵּין אִשָּׁה, בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן, וְהֵנִיף חֶרְמֵשׁ עַל קָמַת רֵעֵהוּ כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ, עָבַר עַל לָאו זֶה. וְאֵין לוֹקִין עָלָיו מִן הַטַּעַם הַנִּזְכָּר בַּמִּצְוָה הַקּוֹדֶמֶת.
The matter of this commandment is also elucidated in its positive commandment in this Order (Sefer HaChinukh 576). And one who transgresses this — whether it be a man or a woman, in every place and at any time — and puts a sickle to the grain of his neighbor in the way that we have explained, has violated this negative commandment. And we do not give lashes for it for the reason mentioned in the previous commandment.