Who is this Pasuk referring to?
What is the significance of a laborer picking grapes in the vineyard?
Bava Metzi'a, 87b: It is a Binyan Av (a source). In fact, any laborer who is working with produce that grows from the ground, and who is performing a final task (such as harvesting) 1 may eat from the fruit that he is working with (irrespective of whether he is working with his hands, his feet or his shoulders - Bava Metzi'a, 81b).
See Torah Temimah, note 133. Refer also to 23:25:3:1**.
What are the implications of the words "be'Kerem Re'echa"? What is it coming to preclude?
Bava Metzi'a, 87b: It precludes the vineyard of a Nochri (where a Jewish labborer is even permitted to place grapes into his basket) 1 and a vineyard belonging to Hekdesh (from which he is forbidden to eat) whilst working.
See Torah Temimah, note 136, who elaborates.
What if the laborer is working with grapes that are already detached?
Bava Metzi'a, 85b: The Torah writes "be'Kerem" - permitting him to eat even ihe has been hired to transport the picked grapes to the wine-press. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 134.
What are the implications of "Ve'achalta Anavim"?
Bava Metzi'a, 87b: It implies that he is permitted to eat the grapes, but not to suck them 1 or to eat anything else together with them.
See Torah Temimah, note 137.
Seeing as everybody knows that grapes grow in a vineyard, why does the Torah need to insert the (otherwise superfluous) word "Ve'achalta Anavim"?
Rambam, (in Hilchos S'chirus, 12:6): It confines the concession to eat them to eating the grapes - or the wheat-kernels - as they are, but not to bring his wife and children along to singe them in an oven for him to eat. 1
Yerushalmi Ma'asros, 2:4: To teach us that if he is working in a vineyard he is allowed to eat grapes, but not figs, 2 and vice-versa.
What are the implications of "ke'Nefsh'cha Sav'echa"?
Rashi #1: It means that the laborer is permitted to eat as many grapes as he wants ("ke'Nafsh'cha") - to the point of satiation ("Sav'echa") but not to gorge himself. 1
Rashi #2 (in Bava Metzi'a, 87b): "ke'Nafsh'cha" means 'as if they were yours'. You may eat without tithing (just like the owner is not obligated to tithe until he makes wine).
Oznayim la'Torah: "ke'Nefsh'cha" is referring to someone who has eaten to satisfaction and who wants to eat something sweet as a dessert - for which there is always room, 2 whereas "Sav'echa" is refrerring to a laborer who arrives hungry, who is not permitted to eat up to satiation.
Bava Metzi'a, 87b #2: It implies that, like the owner is permitted to eat without having to Ma'aser, so too, the laborer - to teach us that, if he is working on fruit that is detached, he may only eat from fruit that is not yet subject to Ma'asros. 3
Bava Metzi'a 88a: "ke'Nafsh'cha" means 'like yourself'. 4 To teach us that, just as if one would muzzle oneself, one would be Patur, so too, is one Patur from Malkos if one muzzles the laborer. 5
Yerushalmi Ma'asros, 2:4 #1: "ke'Nafsh'cha" implies that he may eat whatever he wants - even to confine his eating to the best quality grapes (And as much as he wants - even to eat a Dinar's-worth when he was only hired to work for a Ma'ah [a fraction of a Dinar - Rambam, Hilchos Sechios, 12:11).
Yerushalmi Ma'asros, 2:4 #2: "Sav'echa" teaches us that he is not permitted to vomit the grapes that he ate in order to eat more.
Yerushalmi Ma'asros, 2:4 #3: "Sav'echa" precludes peeling figs and squeezing grapes. 6
What are the connotations of "ve'el Kely'cha Lo Siten?
Rashi: It implies that the Pasuk is referring to the time of harvest, when one places the grapes that one picks into the owner's basket. 1
Yerushalmi Ma'asros, 2:4: The implication "ve'el Kely'cha Lo Siten", 'Aval Atah Nosen le'Keilav shel Chavercha' teaches us that the Pasuk is referring to a laborer who is picking grapes.
Bava Metzi'a, 92b: By the same token, the laborer is not permitted to ask the overseer to give some grapes to his wife and children (even against what he would otherwise have eaten). 2
What is the meaning of "ke'Nafsh'cha, Sav'echa"?
Rashi #1: It means that the laborer is permitted to eat as many grapes as he wants ("ke'Nafsh'cha") - to the point of satiation ("Sav'echa") but not to gorge himself. 1
Rashi #2 (in Bava Metzi'a, 87b): "ke'Nafsh'cha" means 'as if they were yours'. You may eat without tithing (just like the owner is not obligated to tithe until he makes wine). 2
Yerushalmi Ma'asros, 2:4: "ke'Nafsh'cha" implies that he may eat whatever he wants - even to confine his eating to the best quality grapes. 3
Bava Metzi'a, 87b: It implies that he is permitted to eat as much as he wishes - to the point of satisfaction, evena Dinar's-worth, even though he was only hired to work for a silver Ma'ah (a fraction of a Dinar). 4
Bava Metzi'a, 88b #1: See previous answer. It implies that the laborer is only permitted to eat from what is detached if it has not yet reached the stage of G'mar Melachah for tithing. 5
Bava Metzi'a 88a #2: "ke'Nafsh'cha" means 'like yourself'. 6 To teach us that, just as if one would muzzle oneself, one would be Patur, so too is one Patur if one muzzles the laborer. 7
Yerushalmi Ma'asros, 2:4: "Sav'echa" teaches us that he is not permitted to vomit the grapes that he ate in order to eat more. 8
See Torah Temmah, note 146, who elaborates.
Moshav Zekenim: Since we learn from the owner, it should say 'ke'Nafsho'! This is what Rashi explained. It is as if they are yours. If you were the owner, you would eat without having to tithe.
See Torah Temimah, note 144.
See Torah Temimah, note 145.
See Torah Temimah, note 142.
And the La'av of "Lo Sachsom Shor be'Disho" is confined to muzzling animals.
Riva: Rashi in 25:4, who learns this from the word "Shor" follows the opinion of the Sifri - not that of the Gemara. See also Torah Temimah, note 143.
See Torah Temimah, note 147.