Sechirut – Chapter 12: Feeding employees

1. Right of Workers to Eat Produce During Work

Workers engaged in activities that help finish the work on produce—whether harvested or still attached to the ground—are permitted by Torah law to eat from that produce while working. This applies only to paid workers, as derived from Deuteronomy 23:25-26.

2. Differences Between Harvested and Attached Produce

Workers may eat harvested produce until the work is completed. For produce still attached, such as grapes being harvested, workers may only eat after they finish their assigned task. Rabbinic law allows eating while in transit to prevent work neglect.

3. Prohibited Consumption and Taking Excess

Workers who eat before completing their work, or who take excess produce home or share it, violate a Torah prohibition. Such actions require financial restitution but are not punished by lashes.

4. Exclusions: Non-Produce and Incomplete Tasks

Workers handling non-produce items (like dairy products) or performing tasks that do not complete the work (such as hoeing onions without finishing) may not eat from them. Watchmen over growing crops are also excluded from this right.

5. Post-Tithing and Additional Food Processing

Workers cannot eat from dates, figs, or other crops after the tithing-related work is finished. However, those engaged in post-tithing processes (like sifting or grinding grain) may still eat, as the obligation for challah has not yet been met.

6. Broken, Opened, or Cut Produce

If produce is broken, opened, or cut and workers are hired to handle it, they may not eat, as tithing is already required. If the owner did not inform them, he must tithe and allow eating.

7. Neta Reva’i Produce

Workers hired for neta reva’i (fourth-year produce) may not eat from it unless the owner redeems it and allows them to partake, especially if he did not notify them of its status.

8. Scriptural Rights for Various Agricultural Tasks

Workers performing direct agricultural tasks (reaping, threshing, harvesting, pressing, etc.) are permitted by Torah law to eat from the produce they work on.

9. Rights of Watchmen

Watchmen over processed produce (separated from the ground but not yet tithed) may eat only by local custom, not by Torah law. Physical laborers, however, are entitled by Torah law.

10. Limitation to Produce Being Worked On

Workers may eat only the specific produce they are working with and not from other types or sources. They may not combine the produce with other foods unless the quantity is limited.

11. Moderation in Consumption

Workers are forbidden from eating excessively. They may wait for better quality produce but should avoid gluttony. When guarding multiple grain heaps, consumption should be distributed equally.

12. Timing for Consuming Grapes and Wine

Workers in grape vats may eat grapes but not drink wine until their labor extends to both grapes and wine, indicated by walking sufficiently in the vat.

13. Restriction on Sharing with Family

Workers cannot request that their portion be given to their family. The Torah’s right to partake applies only to the individual worker.

14. Waiving the Right to Eat

If workers (and their adult family) agree not to partake, they forfeit the Torah right. Children, however, cannot waive this right on their own behalf, as their entitlement is directly from God.