1. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 15.11 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152| 15.11. "כִּי לֹא־יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ עַל־כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּאַרְצֶךָ׃", | 15.11. "For the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command thee, saying: ‘Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy poor and needy brother, in thy land.’", |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Proverbs, 31.2 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152| 31.2. "מַה־בְּרִי וּמַה־בַּר־בִּטְנִי וּמֶה בַּר־נְדָרָי׃", 31.2. "כַּפָּהּ פָּרְשָׂה לֶעָנִי וְיָדֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָה לָאֶבְיוֹן׃", | 31.2. "What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?", |
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3. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 7.32 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152 | 7.32. Stretch forth your hand to the poor,so that your blessing may be complete. |
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| 4. Anon., Testament of Job, 9.8-10.4 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152 |
5. Tosefta, Peah, 4.18 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 151| 4.18. "מעשה במונבז המלך שעמד ובזבז את כל אוצרותיו בשני בצורת אמרו לו אחיו אבותיך גנזו אוצרות והוסיפו על [של] אבותם ואתה עמדת ובזבזת את כל אוצרותיך שלך ושל אבותיך אמר להם אבותי גנזו אוצרות למטה ואני גנזתי למעלה שנא' (תהילים פ״ה:י״ב) אמת מארץ תצמח וגו' אבותי גנזו [אוצרות] במקום שהיד שולטת בו ואני גנזתי אוצרות במקום שאין היד שולטת בו שנאמר (תהילים פ״ט:ט״ו) צדק ומשפט מכון כסאך וגו' אבותי גנזו אוצרות שאין עושין פירות ואני גנזתי אוצרות שעושין פירות שנאמר (ישעיהו ג׳:י׳) אמרו צדיק כי טוב [וגו'] אבותי גנזו אוצרות של ממון ואני גנזתי אוצרות של נפשות שנא' (משלי י״א:ל׳) פרי צדיק עץ חיים ולוקח נפשות חכם אבותי גנזו אוצרות לאחרים ואני גנזתי לעצמי שנא' (דברים כ״ד:י״ג) ולך תהיה צדקה לפני ה' אלהיך אבותי גנזו אוצרות בעוה\"ז ואני גנזתי לעוה\"ב שנא' (ישעיהו נ״ח:ח׳) והלך לפניך צדקך צדקה וגמילת חסדים שקולין כנגד כל מצות שבתורה אלא שהצדקה בחיים וגמ\"ח בחיים ובמתים צדקה בעניים גמילות חסדים בעניים ובעשירים צדקה בממונו גמילות חסדים בממונו ובגופו.", | |
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6. Tosefta, Shekalim, 2.16 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152, 153| 2.16. "ד' חותמות היו במקדש חוטא היה מביא לוגו עמו חוטא דל כדברי בן עזאי היה מביא לוגו עמו. כשם שהיה לשכת חשאין במקדש כך היתה בכל עיר ועיר מפני שעניים בני טובים מתפרנסין מתוכה בחשאי.", | |
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7. Mishnah, Tamid, 3.4 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152| 3.4. "נִכְנְסוּ לְלִשְׁכַּת הַכֵּלִים, וְהוֹצִיאוּ מִשָּׁם תִּשְׁעִים וּשְׁלשָׁה כְלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב. הִשְׁקוּ אֶת הַתָּמִיד בְּכוֹס שֶׁל זָהָב. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא מְבֻקָּר מִבָּעֶרֶב, מְבַקְּרִין אוֹתוֹ לְאוֹר הָאֲבוּקוֹת: \n", | 3.4. "They went into the chamber of the vessels and they took out ninety-three vessels of silver and gold. They gave the animal for the daily sacrifice a drink from a cup of gold. Although it had been examined on the previous evening it was now examined again by torchlight.", |
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8. Mishnah, Shekalim, 5.6 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152, 153| 5.6. "שְׁתֵּי לְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, אַחַת לִשְׁכַּת חֲשָׁאִים, וְאַחַת לִשְׁכַּת הַכֵּלִים, לִשְׁכַּת חֲשָׁאִים יִרְאֵי חֵטְא נוֹתְנִים לְתוֹכָה בַּחֲשַׁאי, וַעֲנִיִּים בְּנֵי טוֹבִים מִתְפַּרְנְסִים מִתוֹכָהּ בַּחֲשַׁאי. לִשְׁכַּת הַכֵּלִים, כָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא מִתְנַדֵּב כֶּלִי, זוֹרְקוֹ לְתוֹכָהּ. וְאַחַת לִשְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, גִּזְבָּרִין פּוֹתְחִין אוֹתָהּ. וְכָל כְּלִי שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין בּוֹ צֹרֶךְ לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת, מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ. וְהַשְּׁאָר נִמְכָּרִין בִּדְמֵיהֶן וְנוֹפְלִין לְלִשְׁכַּת בֶּדֶק הַבַּיִת: \n", | 5.6. "There were two chambers in the Temple, one the chamber of secret gifts and the other the chamber of the vessels. The chamber of secret gifts: sin-fearing persons used to put their gifts there in secret, and the poor who were descended of the virtuous were secretly supported from them. The chamber of the vessels: whoever offered a vessel as a gift would throw it in, and once in thirty days the treasurers opened it; and any vessel they found in it that was of use for the repair of the temple they left there, but the others were sold and their price went to the chamber of the repair of the temple.", |
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9. New Testament, Apocalypse, 13.16 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152| 13.16. καὶ ποιεῖ πάντας, τοὺς μικροὺς καὶ τοὺς μεγάλους, καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους καὶ τοὺς πτω χούς, καὶ τοὺς ἐλευθέρους καὶ τοὺς δούλους, ἵνα δῶσιν αὐτοῖς χάραγμα ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν τῆς δεξιᾶς ἢ ἐπὶ τὸ μέτωπον αὐτῶν, | 13.16. He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, so that they should give them marks on their right hand, or on their forehead; |
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10. New Testament, Matthew, 6.1-6.4 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 151, 152| 6.1. Προσέχετε [δὲ] τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὑμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς· εἰ δὲ μήγε, μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχετε παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν τῷ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. 6.2. Ὅταν οὖν ποιῇς ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ σαλπίσῃς ἔμπροσθέν σου, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις, ὅπως δοξασθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν. 6.3. σοῦ δὲ ποιοῦντος ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ γνώτω ἡ ἀριστερά σου τί ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιά σου, 6.4. ὅπως ᾖ σου ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ· καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει σοι. | 6.1. "Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 6.2. Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don't sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most assuredly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6.3. But when you do merciful deeds, don't let your left hand know what your right hand does, 6.4. so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. |
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| 11. Anon., Qohelet Rabba, 9.25 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 153 |
| 12. Anon., Sifre Deuteronomy, 117 (2nd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 152 |
13. Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 153| 9b. משגש ארחתיה דאימיה משמיה דר' אלעזר מאי דכתיב (ישעיהו נט, יז) וילבש צדקה כשריון לומר לך מה שריון זה כל קליפה וקליפה מצטרפת לשריון גדול אף צדקה כל פרוטה ופרוטה מצטרפת לחשבון גדול רבי חנינא אמר מהכא (ישעיהו סד, ה) וכבגד עדים כל צדקותינו מה בגד זה כל נימא ונימא מצטרפת לבגד גדול אף צדקה כל פרוטה ופרוטה מצטרפת לחשבון גדול,אמאי קרו ליה עולא משגש ארחתיה דאימיה דבעא מיניה רב אחדבוי בר אמי מרב ששת מנין למצורע בימי ספורו שמטמא אדם אמר לו הואיל ומטמא בגדים מטמא אדם,אמר ליה דילמא טומאה בחבורים שאני דהא הסיט נבילה דמטמא בגדים ואינו מטמא אדם,אמר ליה ואלא שרץ דמטמא אדם מנלן לאו משום דמטמא בגדים אמר ליה שרץ בהדיא כתיב ביה (ויקרא כב, ה) או איש אשר יגע בכל שרץ אלא שכבת זרע דמטמא אדם מנלן לאו משום דהואיל ומטמא בגדים מטמא אדם אמר ליה שכבת זרע נמי בהדיא כתיב ביה (ויקרא כב, ד) או איש לרבות את הנוגע,אהדר ליה בבדיחותא חלש דעתיה דרב ששת אישתיק רב אחדבוי בר אמי ואתיקר תלמודיה אתיא אימיה וקא בכיא קמיה צווחה צווחה ולא אשגח בה אמרה ליה חזי להני חדיי דמצית מינייהו בעא רחמי עליה ואיתסי,ודאתאן עלה מנא לן כדתניא ר"ש בן יוחי אומר נאמר כבוס בגדים בימי ספורו ונאמר כבוס בגדים בימי חלוטו מה להלן מטמא אדם אף כאן מטמא אדם,אמר רבי אלעזר גדול העושה צדקה בסתר יותר ממשה רבינו דאילו במשה רבינו כתיב (דברים ט, יט) כי יגורתי מפני האף והחמה ואילו בעושה צדקה כתיב (משלי כא, יד) מתן בסתר יכפה אף [ושחד בחיק חמה עזה] ופליגא דרבי יצחק דאמר ר' יצחק אף כופה חמה אינו כופה שנאמר ושחד בחיק חמה עזה אע"פ ששוחד בחיק חמה עזה איכא דאמרי א"ר יצחק כל דיין שנוטל שחד מביא חמה עזה לעולם [שנאמר ושחד בחיק וגו'],ואמר רבי יצחק כל הנותן פרוטה לעני מתברך בשש ברכות והמפייסו בדברים מתברך בי"א ברכות הנותן פרוטה לעני מתברך בשש ברכות דכתיב (ישעיהו נח, ז) הלא פרוש וגו' ועניים מרודים תביא בית וגו' כי תראה ערום וגו',והמפייסו בדברים מתברך באחת עשרה ברכות שנאמר (ישעיהו נח, י) ותפק לרעב נפשך ונפש נענה תשביע וזרח בחשך אורך ואפלתך כצהרים ונחך ה' תמיד והשביע בצחצחות נפשך וגו' ובנו ממך חרבות עולם מוסדי דור ודור תקומם וגו',ואמר רבי יצחק מאי דכתיב (משלי כא, כא) רודף צדקה וחסד ימצא חיים צדקה וכבוד משום דרודף צדקה ימצא צדקה אלא לומר לך כל הרודף אחר צדקה הקדוש ברוך הוא ממציא לו מעות ועושה בהן צדקה,רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא ממציא לו בני אדם המהוגנים לעשות להן צדקה כדי לקבל עליהם שכרו לאפוקי מאי לאפוקי מדדרש רבה דדרש רבה מאי דכתיב (ירמיהו יח, כג) ויהיו מוכשלים לפניך בעת אפך עשה בהם אמר ירמיה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא רבונו של עולם [אפילו] בשעה שכופין את יצרן ומבקשין לעשות צדקה לפניך הכשילם בבני אדם שאינן מהוגנין כדי שלא יקבלו עליהן שכר,רבי יהושע בן לוי אמר כל הרגיל לעשות צדקה זוכה הויין לו בנים בעלי חכמה בעלי עושר בעלי אגדה בעלי חכמה דכתיב | 9b. b who perverted the ways of his mother. /b He said b in the name of Rabbi Elazar: What /b is the meaning of that b which is written: “And He donned charity like a coat of mail” /b (Isaiah 59:17)? This verse serves b to tell you /b that b just as /b with regard to b this coat of mail, each and every scale /b of which it is fashioned b combines to /b form b one large coat of mail, so too /b with regard to b charity, each and every i peruta /i /b that one gives b combines to /b form b a great sum. Rabbi Ḥanina says: /b The same idea is derived b from here, /b as it is stated: b “And all our charity is as a polluted garment” /b (Isaiah 64:5). b Just as /b with regard to b this garment, each and every thread /b in it b combines to /b form b one large garment, so too /b with regard to b charity, each and every i peruta /i combines to /b form b a great sum. /b ,The Gemara comments: b Why was /b this Sage b called the infant who perverted the ways of his mother? /b It was because of the following incident: b Rav Aḥadvoi bar Ami asked Rav Sheshet: From where /b is it derived b that a leper renders a person impure /b through contact b during his days of counting, /b i.e., during the seven days that the leper must count from the start of his purification process, when he brings his birds, until he completes that process with the bringing of his sacrifices? Rav Sheshet b said to him: Since he renders /b his b garments impure, /b as it states that on the seventh day of his purification he must wash his clothes (see Leviticus 14:9), b he /b also b renders people impure. /b ,Rav Aḥadvoi b said to him: Perhaps connected impurity is different, /b meaning perhaps he renders his garments impure because they are connected to the source of the impurity, but this does not mean that he renders impure a person whom he touches. A proof for this distinction may be brought from the fact b that /b if b one moves an animal carcass, /b an action that renders him impure even if there was no actual contact with the carcass, b he renders /b the b garments /b that he is wearing b impure but does not render /b another b person impure. /b ,Rav Sheshet b said to him: But from where do we /b derive that the carcass of b a creeping animal renders a person impure? Is it not because /b we know b that it renders /b his b garments impure? /b Rav Aḥadvoi b said to him: It is written explicitly /b with regard to the carcass of b a creeping animal: “Or a man who touches any creeping animal, /b whereby he may be made unclean” (Leviticus 22:5). Rav Sheshet said to him: b But from where do we /b derive that b semen renders a person impure? Is it not because /b we say that b since it renders /b his b garments impure /b (see Leviticus 15:17) b it /b also b renders a person impure? /b Rav Aḥadvoi b said to him: It is also written explicitly /b with regard to b semen: “Or a man /b from whom semen is expelled” (Leviticus 22:4), and the Sages expound the superfluous word “or” as serving b to include /b as impure b one who touches /b semen.,The Gemara relates that with each of his answers Rav Aḥadvoi b responded to /b Rav Sheshet b in a mocking tone, /b intimating that he doubted Rav Sheshet’s grasp of Torah verses. b Rav Sheshet was /b deeply b offended, /b and as punishment, b Rav Aḥadvoi bar Ami became mute and forgot his learning. /b Rav Aḥadvoi’s b mother came and wept before /b Rav Sheshet. b She cried and cried but he ignored her. /b As she had once been Rav Sheshet’s nursemaid, b she said to him: Look at these breasts of mine from which you suckled. /b Upon hearing that, Rav Sheshet b prayed for mercy for /b Rav Aḥadvoi, b and he was healed. /b And since it was Rav Aḥadvoi whose behavior led to his mother’s acting in this manner, he was referred to as the infant who perverted his mother’s ways.,The Gemara comments: With regard to b that which we arrived at, /b i.e., this particular subject, let us clarify the matter: b From where do we /b derive that a leper renders impure a person with whom he comes into contact during his days of counting? b As it is taught /b in a i baraita /i : b Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai says: Washing garments is stated with respect to his days of counting, and washing garments is stated with respect to his days of confirmed /b leprosy, after he has been declared conclusively impure by a priest. b Just as there, /b when he is a confirmed leper b he renders a person impure, /b as is explicitly stated in the Torah, b so too here, /b during his days of counting b he renders a person impure. /b ,§ The Gemara resumes its discussion of the virtues of giving charity. b Rabbi Elazar said: One who performs /b acts of b charity in secret is greater than Moses, our teacher. Whereas with regard to Moses, our teacher, it is written: “For I was afraid of the anger and the wrath” /b (Deuteronomy 9:19), b with regard to one who performs /b acts of b charity it is written: “A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a present in the bosom fierce wrath” /b (Proverbs 21:14). The Gemara comments: b And this /b statement b disagrees with /b a statement b of Rabbi Yitzḥak, as Rabbi Yitzḥak says: /b A secret gift b pacifies anger, /b but it b does not pacify wrath, as it is stated: “And a present in the bosom fierce wrath,” /b meaning that b although a present is in the bosom, /b i.e., even if one gives charity in secret, nevertheless b fierce wrath /b can still harm him. b There are /b those b who say /b that b Rabbi Yitzḥak says /b as follows: b Any judge who accepts a bribe brings fierce wrath upon the world, as it is stated: “And a present in the bosom /b fierce wrath.”, b And Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Anyone who gives a i peruta /i to a poor person receives six blessings, and whoever consoles him with words /b of comfort and encouragement b receives eleven blessings. /b The Gemara explains: b One who gives a i peruta /i to a poor person receives six blessings, as it is written: “Is it not to share /b your bread with the hungry, b and that you shall bring the poor that are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, /b that you cover him” (Isaiah 58:7). And the next verses list six blessings: “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your health shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then, shall you call, and the Lord shall answer; you shall cry, and He shall say: Here I am” (Isaiah 58:8–9)., b And whoever consoles /b a poor person b with words /b of comfort and encouragement b receives eleven blessings, as it is stated: “And if you draw out your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall your light shine in darkness, and your gloom shall be as the noonday. And the Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your thirst in drought… And they that shall be of you shall build the old waste places, you shall raise up the foundations of many generations” /b (Isaiah 58:10–12)., b And Rabbi Yitzḥak says: What /b is the meaning of that b which is written: “He who pursues charity and mercy finds life, charity, and honor” /b (Proverbs 21:21)? Is this to say that b because one has pursued charity, he /b himself b shall find charity? /b That is, shall the reward of one who has always given charity be that he will eventually become poor and other people will act charitably toward him? b Rather, /b the verse serves b to tell you /b that with regard to b anyone who pursues charity, /b giving to the poor and leading others to do so, b the Holy One, Blessed be He, furnishes him with money with which to perform /b his acts of b charity. /b , b Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, sends him people who are deserving of charity, so that he will reap /b his just b reward for /b helping b them. /b The Gemara comments: b What /b does this statement serve b to exclude? /b It serves b to exclude Rabba’s homiletical interpretation /b of a different verse, b as Rabba taught: What /b is the meaning of that b which is written: “Let them be made to stumble before You; deal thus with them in the time of Your anger” /b (Jeremiah 18:23)? The prophet b Jeremiah said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, even when /b those wicked men who pursued me b subdue their inclinations and seek to perform /b acts of b charity before You, cause them to stumble upon /b dishonest b people who are not deserving /b of charity, b so that they will not receive reward /b for coming to their assistance., b Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Anyone who is accustomed to performing /b acts of b charity merits /b blessing; b he will have sons who are masters of wisdom, masters of wealth, and masters of i aggada /i . /b The Gemara explains: b Masters of wisdom, as it is written: /b |
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14. Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 153| 5a. ומחריא תנורא שקלתא ואנחתא אגבה דכרעה קדחא ואיתרע מזלה ואייתיתה,א"ל רב ביבי בר אביי אית לכו רשותא למיעבד הכי אמר ליה ולא כתיב ויש נספה בלא משפט א"ל והכתיב (קהלת א, ד) דור הולך ודור בא,אמר דרעינא להו אנא עד דמלו להו לדרא והדר משלימנא ליה לדומה א"ל סוף סוף שניה מאי עבדת אמר אי איכא צורבא מרבנן דמעביר במיליה מוסיפנא להו ליה והויא חלופיה,רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (איוב ב, ג) ותסיתני בו לבלעו חנם עבד שרבו מסיתין לו וניסת תקנה יש לו רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (איוב טו, טו) הן בקדושיו לא יאמין אי בקדושיו לא יאמין במאן יאמין,יומא חד הוה קא אזיל באורחא חזייה לההוא גברא דהוה מנקיט תאני שביק הנך דמטו ושקיל הנך דלא מטו א"ל לאו הני מעלן טפי א"ל הני לאורחא בעינן להו הני נטרן והני לא נטרן אמר היינו דכתיב הן בקדושיו לא יאמין,איני והא ההוא תלמידא דהוה בשיבבותיה דרבי אלכסנדרי ושכיב אדזוטר ואמר אי בעי האי מרבנן הוה חיי ואם איתא דלמא מהן בקדושיו לא יאמין הוה ההוא מבעט ברבותיו הוה,רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (מלאכי ג, ה) וקרבתי אליכם למשפט והייתי עד ממהר במכשפים ובמנאפים ובנשבעים לשקר ובעושקי שכר שכיר עבד שרבו מקרבו לדונו וממהר להעידו תקנה יש לו,אמר רבי יוחנן בן זכאי אוי לנו ששקל עלינו הכתוב קלות כחמורות,אמר ריש לקיש כל המטה דינו של גר כאילו מטה דינו של מעלה שנאמר (מלאכי ג, ה) ומטי גר ומטי כתיב א"ר חנינא בר פפא כל העושה דבר ומתחרט בו מוחלין לו מיד שנאמר (מלאכי ג, ה) ולא יראוני הא יראוני מוחלין להם מיד,רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (קהלת יב, יד) כי את כל מעשה האלהים יביא במשפט על כל נעלם עבד שרבו שוקל לו שגגות כזדונות תקנה יש לו,מאי על כל נעלם אמר רב זה ההורג כינה בפני חברו ונמאס בה ושמואל אמר זה הרק בפני חבירו ונמאס,מאי אם טוב ואם רע אמרי דבי ר' ינאי זה הנותן צדקה לעני בפרהסיא כי הא דרבי ינאי חזייה לההוא גברא דקא יהיב זוזא לעני בפרהסיא אמר ליה מוטב דלא יהבת ליה מהשתא דיהבת ליה וכספתיה,דבי ר' שילא אמרי זה הנותן צדקה לאשה בסתר דקא מייתי לה לידי חשדא רבא אמר זה המשגר לאשתו בשר שאינו מחותך בערבי שבתות,והא רבא משגר שאני בת רב חסדא דקים ליה בגווה דבקיאה,רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (דברים לא, כא) והיה כי תמצאן אותו רעות רבות וצרות עבד שרבו ממציא לו רעות וצרות תקנה יש לו,מאי רעות וצרות אמר רב רעות שנעשות צרות זו לזו כגון זיבורא ועקרבא,ושמואל אמר זה הממציא לו מעות לעני בשעת דוחקו אמר רבא היינו דאמרי אינשי זוזא לעללא לא שכיחא לתליתא שכיח,(דברים לא, יז) וחרה אפי בו ביום ההוא ועזבתים והסתרתי פני מהם אמר רב ברדלא בר טביומי אמר רב כל שאינו בהסתר פנים אינו מהם כל שאינו בוהיה לאכול | 5a. b and sweeping the oven. She took /b the fire b and set it on her foot; she was scalded and her luck suffered, /b which gave me the opportunity, b and I brought her. /b , b Rav Beivai bar Abaye said to /b the Angel of Death: Do b you have the right to act in this /b manner, to take someone before his time? The Angel of Death b said to him: And /b is it b not written: “But there are those swept away without justice” /b (Proverbs 13:23)? Rav Beivai b said to him: And isn’t it written: “One generation passes away, and another generation comes” /b (Ecclesiastes 1:4), which indicates that there is a predetermined amount of time for the life of every generation., b He said /b to him: b I shepherd them, /b not releasing them b until /b the years of b the generation are completed, and then I pass them on to /b the angel b Duma /b who oversees the souls of the dead. Rav Beivai b said to him: Ultimately, what do you do /b with b his /b extra b years, /b those taken away from this individual? The Angel of Death b said /b to him: b If there is a Torah scholar who disregards his /b personal b matters, /b i.e., who overlooks the insults of those who wrong him, b I add those /b years b to him and he becomes /b the deceased’s b replacement /b for that time.,§ The Gemara returns to the previous topic. b When Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried, /b as God said to the Satan about Job: b “Although you did incite Me against him, to destroy him without cause” /b (Job 2:3). Rabbi Yoḥa said: With regard to b a slave whose master /b is one whom others b incite /b to act harshly against the slave b and /b the master b is incited /b to do so, b is there a remedy for /b the slave? Additionally, b when Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried: “Behold He puts no trust in His sacred ones” /b (Job 15:15), saying: b If He does not place trust in His sacred ones, in whom /b does b He place trust? /b ,The Gemara relates: b One day /b Rabbi Yoḥa b was walking along the road, /b and b he saw a certain man who was picking figs /b in an unusual manner: b He left the ones that had reached /b the stage of ripeness b and took those that had not /b yet b reached /b that state. Rabbi Yoḥa b said to him: Aren’t these /b ripe ones b much better? He said to him: I need these /b dates b for the road; these /b that are not yet ripe b will be preserved, and these /b that are already ripe b will not be preserved. /b Rabbi Yoḥa b said: This is /b the same b as is written: “Behold He puts no trust in His sacred ones”; /b there are righteous people whom God takes from this world before their time, as He knows that in the future they will stumble.,The Gemara asks: b Is that so? But there was a certain student in the neighborhood of Rabbi Alexandri, and he died while /b he was still b young. And /b Rabbi Alexandri b said: If this /b young b Sage had wanted, he would have lived, /b i.e., his actions caused him to die young. b And if it is so, /b as Rabbi Yoḥa suggested, b perhaps /b this student was b from /b those concerning whom it is written: b “Behold he puts no trust in his sacred ones,” /b and it was not his sins that caused his death. The Gemara answers: b That /b student b was /b one who acted b irreverently toward his teachers, /b and Rabbi Alexandri knew of his improper behavior., b When Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried: “And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false witnesses, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, /b the widow, and the fatherless, and who turn aside the convert from his right, and do not fear Me, says the Lord” (Malachi 3:5). He said: With regard to b a slave whose master comes near to him to judge him and is swift to testify /b against b him, /b is b there a remedy for him? /b ,With regard to that same verse, b Rabbi Yoḥa ben Zakkai said: Woe to us, as the verse weighs lenient /b mitzvot b for us like /b more b stringent /b mitzvot, as it lists both those who violate sins punishable by death, e.g., sorcerers and adulterers, with those who violate apparently less severe sins, e.g., those who withhold payment from a hired worker., b Reish Lakish said: Anyone who distorts the judgment of a convert, it is /b considered b as if he distorted the judgment of /b the One b above, as it is stated: “And who turn aside [ i umattei /i ] the convert” /b (Malachi 3:5). This term b is written /b as: b i Umatti /i , /b turn Me aside, i.e., one who distorts the judgment of a convert it considered as though he distorts the judgment of God, as it were. b Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: Anyone who does something /b sinful b and regrets it, he is forgiven immediately, as it is stated: “And do not fear Me” /b (Malachi 3:5), which indicates that if b they /b do b fear Me /b and are embarrassed to sin before God, b they are forgiven immediately. /b ,Additionally, b when Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried: “For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing” /b (Ecclesiastes 12:14). He said: With regard to b a slave whose master weighs his unwitting /b sins b like intentional /b ones, i.e., God punishes him even for an action that was hidden from him, b is there a remedy for him? /b ,The Gemara asks: b What /b sin is the verse referring to when it states: b “Concerning every hidden thing”? Rav said: This /b is referring to b one who kills a louse in the presence of another and /b his friend b is disgusted by it. /b God judges him for the unintentional discomfort he caused. b And /b similarly, b Shmuel said: This /b is referring to b one who spits in the presence of another /b and his friend b is disgusted /b by his action.,The Gemara asks: b What /b is the meaning of the end of that verse: b “Whether it be good, or whether it be evil” /b (Ecclesiastes 12:14)? This verse indicates that God judges man harshly even for the good deeds he performs. The Sages b from the school of Rabbi Yannai say: This /b verse is referring to b one who gives charity to a poor person in public. /b Although he performed a good deed, he embarrassed the pauper, b as in this /b case b of Rabbi Yannai, /b who b saw a certain man who was giving a dinar to a poor person in public. He said to him: /b It would have been b better had you not given /b it b to him than /b what you did, as b now you gave /b it to b him and embarrassed him. /b ,The Sages from b the school of Rabbi Sheila say: This /b verse is referring to b one who gives charity to a woman in private, as he subjects her to suspicion, /b for people might think that he is engaging her services as a prostitute. b Rava said: This /b is referring to b one who sends his wife meat that is not sliced, /b i.e., that has not yet had the prohibited sciatic nerve removed, b on Shabbat eve. /b Since she is in a hurry she might not notice and will perhaps cook the prohibited meat.,The Gemara asks: b But /b yet b Rava /b himself would b send /b this type of meat to his wife on Shabbat eve. The Gemara answers: b The daughter of Rav Ḥisda, /b Rava’s wife, b is different, as he was certain about her that she was an expert /b in this matter. Rava trusted that his wife would realize the sciatic nerve had not been removed even when she was in a hurry on Shabbat eve.,Additionally, b when Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried: “Then it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them” /b (Deuteronomy 31:21). He said: With regard to b a slave whose master brings upon him evils and troubles, is there a remedy for him? /b ,The Gemara asks: b What /b is the verse referring to when it states: b “Evils and troubles”? Rav said: Evils that become troubles for one another, /b i.e., the remedy for one problem has a deleterious effect on the other. b For example, /b one who is stung by a b hornet and a scorpion. /b The sting of a hornet must be treated only with a cold ointment, while that of a scorpion must be treated with a hot ointment. As these medicaments are mutually exclusive, one cannot treat both stings at the same time., b And Shmuel said: This /b verse is referring to b one who provides money to a poor person /b as a loan b during his exigent /b ficial b circumstances, /b but immediately after the borrower is released from the initial pressure by receiving the loan, the lender begins to demand repayment, subjecting the recipient to further pressure. b Rava said /b that b this /b explains the folk saying b that people say: A dinar for produce is not found; for hanging /b it can be b found. /b A poor person cannot find money to buy basic necessities; however, when the lenders hang on and pressure him he must come up with the money somehow.,On the same topic the Gemara states: b “Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, /b and they shall be devoured” (Deuteronomy 31:17). b Rav Bardela bar Tavyumei said /b that b Rav said: Anyone who is not subject to /b His b hiding of the face, /b i.e., whose prayers are invariably answered, b is not from /b the Jewish people, as the verse states about the Jewish people that God will hide His face from them as a result of their sins. Similarly, b anyone /b who b is not subject to: “And they shall be devoured,” /b i.e., gentiles do not steal his money, |
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15. Babylonian Talmud, Ketuvot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •charity, anonymous Found in books: Gardner (2015), The Origins of Organized Charity in Rabbinic Judaism, 153| 67b. שבאו לינשא משיאין את היתומה ואחר כך משיאין את היתום מפני שבושתה של אשה מרובה משל איש:,ת"ר יתום שבא לישא שוכרין לו בית ומציעין לו מטה וכל כלי תשמישו ואחר כך משיאין לו אשה שנאמר (דברים טו, ח) די מחסורו אשר יחסר לו די מחסורו זה הבית אשר יחסר זה מטה ושלחן לו זו אשה וכן הוא אומר (בראשית ב, יח) אעשה לו עזר כנגדו:,תנו רבנן די מחסורו אתה מצווה עליו לפרנסו ואי אתה מצווה עליו לעשרו אשר יחסר לו אפילו סוס לרכוב עליו ועבד לרוץ לפניו אמרו עליו על הלל הזקן שלקח לעני בן טובים אחד סוס לרכוב עליו ועבד לרוץ לפניו פעם אחת לא מצא עבד לרוץ לפניו ורץ לפניו שלשה מילין:,תנו רבנן מעשה באנשי גליל העליון שלקחו לעני בן טובים אחד מציפורי ליטרא בשר בכל יום ליטרא בשר מאי רבותא אמר רב הונא ליטרא בשר משל עופות ואיבעית אימא בליטרא בשר ממש רב אשי אמר התם כפר קטן היה בכל יומא הוה מפסדי חיותא אמטולתיה:,ההוא דאתא לקמיה דרבי נחמיה אמר ליה במה אתה סועד א"ל בבשר שמן ויין ישן רצונך שתגלגל עמי בעדשים גלגל עמו בעדשים ומת אמר אוי לו לזה שהרגו נחמיה אדרבה אוי לו לנחמיה שהרגו לזה מיבעי ליה אלא איהו הוא דלא איבעי ליה לפנוקי נפשיה כולי האי,ההוא דאתא לקמיה דרבא אמר לו במה אתה סועד אמר לו בתרנגולת פטומה ויין ישן אמר ליה ולא חיישת לדוחקא דציבורא א"ל אטו מדידהו קאכילנא מדרחמנא קאכילנא דתנינא (תהלים קמה, טו) עיני כל אליך ישברו ואתה נותן להם את אכלם בעתו בעתם לא נאמר אלא בעתו מלמד שכל אחד ואחד נותן הקב"ה פרנסתו בעתו,אדהכי אתאי אחתיה דרבא דלא חזיא ליה תליסרי שני ואתיא ליה תרנגולת פטומה ויין ישן אמר מאי דקמא א"ל נענתי לך קום אכול,תנו רבנן אין לו ואינו רוצה להתפרנס נותנין לו לשום הלואה וחוזרין ונותנין לו לשום מתנה דברי רבי מאיר וחכמים אומרים נותנין לו לשום מתנה וחוזרין ונותנין לו לשום הלואה לשום מתנה הא לא שקיל אמר רבא לפתוח לו לשום מתנה,יש לו ואינו רוצה להתפרנס נותנין לו לשום מתנה וחוזרין ונפרעין ממנו חוזרין ונפרעין הימנו תו לא שקיל אמר רב פפא לאחר מיתה ר"ש אומר יש לו ואינו רוצה להתפרנס אין נזקקין לו אין לו ואינו רוצה להתפרנס אומרים לו הבא משכון וטול כדי שתזוח דעתו עליו,ת"ר (דברים טו, ח) העבט זה שאין לו ואינו רוצה להתפרנס שנותנים לו לשום הלואה וחוזרין ונותנין לו לשום מתנה תעביטנו זה שיש לו ואינו רוצה להתפרנס שנותנין לו לשום מתנה וחוזרין ונפרעין הימנו לאחר מיתה דברי ר' יהודה,וחכ"א יש לו ואינו רוצה להתפרנס אין נזקקין לו ואלא מה אני מקיים תעביטנו דברה תורה כלשון בני אדם,מר עוקבא הוה עניא בשיבבותיה דהוה רגיל כל יומא דשדי ליה ארבעה זוזי בצינורא דדשא יום אחד אמר איזיל איחזי מאן קעביד בי ההוא טיבותא ההוא יומא נגהא ליה למר עוקבא לבי מדרשא אתיא דביתהו בהדיה,כיון דחזיוה דקא מצלי ליה לדשא נפק בתרייהו רהוט מקמיה עיילי לההוא אתונא דהוה גרופה נורא הוה קא מיקליין כרעיה דמר עוקבא אמרה ליה דביתהו שקול כרעיך אותיב אכרעאי חלש דעתיה אמרה ליה אנא שכיחנא בגויה דביתא ומקרבא אהנייתי,ומאי כולי האי דאמר מר זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב ואמרי לה אמר רב הונא בר ביזנא אמר ר"ש חסידא ואמרי לה א"ר יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי נוח לו לאדם שימסור עצמו לתוך כבשן האש ואל ילבין פני חברו ברבים מנא לן מתמר דכתיב (בראשית לח, כה) היא מוצאת,מר עוקבא הוה עניא בשיבבותיה דהוה רגיל לשדורי ליה ארבע מאה זוזי כל מעלי יומא דכיפורא יומא חד שדרינהו ניהליה ביד בריה אתא אמר ליה לא צריך אמר מאי חזית חזאי דקא מזלפי ליה יין ישן אמר מפנק כולי האי עייפינהו ושדרינהו ניהליה,כי קא ניחא נפשיה אמר אייתו לי חושבנאי דצדקה אשכח דהוה כתיב ביה שבעת אלפי דינרי סיאנקי אמר זוודאי קלילי ואורחא רחיקתא קם בזבזיה לפלגיה ממוניה היכי עביד הכי והאמר ר' אילעאי באושא התקינו המבזבז אל יבזבז יותר מחומש הני מילי מחיים שמא ירד מנכסיו אבל לאחר מיתה לית לן בה:,רבי אבא הוה צייר זוזי בסודריה ושדי ליה לאחוריה וממצי נפשיה לבי עניי ומצלי עיניה מרמאי,רבי חנינא הוה ההוא עניא דהוה רגיל לשדורי ליה ארבעה זוזי כל מעלי שבתא יומא חד שדרינהו ניהליה ביד דביתהו אתאי אמרה ליה לא צריך מאי חזית שמעי דהוה קאמרי ליה במה אתה סועד | 67b. b who have come /b to appeal to the charity fund b to be married /b off, the administrators b marry /b off b the orphan girl /b first b and afterward /b they b marry /b off b the orphan boy, because the humiliation of a woman /b who is not married b is greater than that of /b an unmarried b man. /b , b The Sages taught: /b Concerning b an orphan /b boy b who has come to marry, /b the community tries its utmost to provide for all of his needs. The charities b rent a house for him, arrange for him a bed and all his utensils, and thereafter /b they b marry him a wife, as it is stated: /b “But you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him b sufficient for his deficiency in that which is deficient for him” /b (Deuteronomy 15:8). With regard to the phrase b “sufficient for his deficiency,” this /b is referring to b the house. “Which is deficient”; this /b is referring to a b bed and table. “For him [ i lo /i ]”; this /b is referring to b a wife. And similarly /b the verse b states: “I will make him [ i lo /i ] a helpmate for him” /b (Genesis 2:18), when God created a wife for Adam.,Concerning this issue, b the Sages taught: “Sufficient for his deficiency”; /b this teaches that b you are commanded with respect to /b the pauper b to support him, but you are not commanded with respect to him to make him wealthy, /b as the obligation encompasses only that which he lacks, as indicated by the word deficient. However, the verse also states: b “Which is deficient for him”; /b this includes b even a horse upon which to ride and a servant to run in front of him /b for the sake of his stature, if necessary. For someone accustomed to these advantages, their absences constitute a true deficiency, not an extravagant indulgence. The Gemara relates: b They said about Hillel the Elder that he obtained for a poor person of noble descent a horse upon which to ride and a servant to run in front of him. One time he did not find a servant to run in front of him, and /b Hillel himself b ran in front of him /b for b three i mil /i , /b to fulfill the dictate “which is deficient for him.”, b The Sages taught: /b There was b an incident involving the people of the Upper Galilee, who bought for a poor person of noble descent from /b the city of b Tzippori a i litra /i of meat every day. /b The Gemara asks: If they provided him with the reasonable ration of b a i litra /i of meat, what is the novelty /b in this incident? Why does it bear repeating? b Rav Huna said: /b It was b a i litra /i of meat of poultry, /b which is very expensive. b And if you wish, say /b instead that b for /b the weight of b a i litra /i /b of coins, they bought him b actual /b red b meat. /b The price of ordinary meat was so expensive that they had to pay the exorbitant price of a i litra /i of coins. b Rav Ashi said /b they did not spend a i litra /i of coins for him. Rather, b there, /b in the Galilee, b it was a small village, /b and b every day they would lose /b an entire b animal /b just b for him. /b They would slaughter an animal daily, simply to provide him with fresh meat, although there was otherwise no market for such a plentiful supply of meat in the village.,The Gemara relates another incident concerning charity. b A certain /b person b came before Rabbi Neḥemya /b to request charity. b He said to him: On what do you /b normally b dine? He said to him: /b I usually dine b on fatty meat and aged wine. /b Rabbi Neḥemya asked him: b Is it your wish to belittle yourself /b and partake together b with me in /b a meal of b lentils, /b which is my regular food? b He partook with him of lentils, and he died, /b since he was not accustomed to this food. Rabbi Neḥemya b said: Woe to this one who was killed /b by b Neḥemya. /b The Gemara wonders: b On the contrary, /b Rabbi Neḥemya b should have said: Woe to Neḥemya who killed this one. /b The Gemara responds: b Rather, /b Rabbi Neḥemya meant that it was b he, /b the pauper, b who should not have pampered himself so /b much. The poor man was to blame for his own death. His excessive indulgence rendered him incapable of digesting simple foods such as lentils.,The Gemara relates another story. b A certain person came before Rava /b to request charity. b He said to him: On what do you /b normally b dine? He said to him: On a fattened hen and aged wine. He said to him: And were you not concerned for /b causing b a burden to the community /b by expecting such opulent foods? b He said to him: Is that to say /b that it is b from their /b funds that b I eat? I eat from /b the support of b the Merciful One. /b This would seem to be a reasonable argument, b as we /b already b learned /b that in the verse b “the eyes of all wait for You, and You give them their food in its time” /b (Psalms 145:15), the phrase: b At their time, is /b not b stated, rather “in its time.” /b This b teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, gives each and every one his /b personally appropriate b sustece at its proper time, /b and the community is merely His agent in discharging His will. Therefore, the man is justified in maintaining his standard., b In the meantime, /b while they were talking, b Rava’s sister, who had not seen him for thirteen years, came. And /b as a gift, b she brought him a fattened hen and aged wine. Rava said /b to himself: b What is this that /b happened b in front of me /b that suddenly I am brought food that I do not usually eat? He then understood that this was a providential response to what he had earlier said to the man. Rava b said to him: I have responded [ i na’aneti /i ] to your /b contention. b Arise /b and b eat. /b ,§ b The Sages taught: /b If an individual b does not have /b sufficient means of support b and does not want to be supported /b from charity funds, the charities b provide him /b funds b as a loan /b in a dignified manner, b and /b then they b go back and give /b the funds b to him as a gift; /b this is b the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: /b They b give him /b funds b as a gift, and /b then they b go back and give /b the funds b to him as a loan. /b The Gemara wonders about the Rabbis’ ruling: How can we give it b as a gift? /b After all, b he does not /b want to b take it /b as a gift. The Gemara answers that b Rava said: /b The Rabbis’ instruction is b to begin /b discussions b with him /b by offering the assistance b as a gift. /b If he refuses, the charities give it to him as a loan, but they treat it as a gift and refrain from attempting to collect a debt.,If b he has /b sufficient funds of his own b but does not want to support himself /b by his own funds without the assistance of charity, the charities b give him /b aid b as a gift, and then /b they b go back and collect /b the debt b from him. /b The Gemara asks: How can the administrators of the fund b go back and collect from him? /b Would their efforts not be in vain, as b subsequently he would not take /b their support, knowing that he would still have to pay for it? b Rav Pappa said: /b The charities collect the accrued debt from his estate only b after /b his b death. /b The i baraita /i continues: b Rabbi Shimon says, /b disputing the opinion of the Rabbis: If b he has /b sufficient funds b and does not want to be supported /b by his own means, they b do not get involved with him, /b as the community is not obligated to support him. If b he does not have and does not want to be supported /b from charity, the charities b say to him: Bring collateral and take /b a loan, b so that his mindset should be raised for him, /b with the false impression that he is not receiving a handout.,The Gemara cites a dispute related to the previous discussions. b The Sages taught /b in a i baraita /i with regard to the double expression in the Torah: “You shall open your hand to him [ i ha’avet ta’avitenu /i ]” (Deuteronomy 15:8). b “ i Ha’avet /i ”; this /b is referring to one b who does not have /b funds b and does not want to be supported /b by charity. The policy is b that /b the charities b provide him /b funds b as a loan and go back and give /b the funds b to him as a gift. “ i Ta’avitenu /i ”; this /b is referring to one b who has /b means b and does not want to support /b himself. The policy is b that /b the charities b provide /b money b as a gift, and then /b they b go back and collect from /b his estate b after /b his b death. /b This is b the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. /b ,The i baraita /i continues: b And the Rabbis say: /b If b he has /b money b and does not want to support /b himself, they b do not get involved with him. /b The i baraita /i asks: b How then do I uphold /b the double expression b “ i ha’avet ta’avitenu /i ”? /b The i baraita /i answers: b The Torah spoke in the language of men, /b and the double form does not have halakhic significance.,The Gemara recounts another incident related to charity. b Mar Ukva /b had b a pauper in his neighborhood, /b and Mar Ukva b was accustomed every day to toss four dinars for him into the /b slot adjacent to the b hinge of the door. One day /b the poor person b said: I will go /b and b see who is doing this service for me. That day Mar Ukva was delayed in the study hall, /b and b his wife came with him /b to distribute the charity., b When /b the people in the poor man’s house b saw that /b someone b was turning the door, /b the pauper b went out after them /b to see who it was. Mar Ukva and his wife b ran /b away b from before him /b so that he would not determine their identity, and b they entered a certain furnace whose fire was /b already b raked /b over and tempered but was still burning. b Mar Ukva’s legs were being singed, /b and b his wife said to him: Raise your legs and set them on my legs, /b which are not burned. Understanding that only his wife was spared from burns, because she was more worthy, Mar Ukva b became distraught. /b By way of explanation, b she said to him: I am /b normally b found inside the house, and /b when I give charity, b my assistance is ready /b and immediate, insofar as I distribute actual food items. Since you distribute money, which is not as readily helpful, my aid is greater than yours.,The Gemara asks: b And what /b is b all this? /b Why did they go to such extreme lengths to avoid being discovered? The Gemara answers: It is b as Mar Zutra bar Toviya said /b that b Rav said, and some say /b that b Rav Huna bar Bizna said /b that b Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said, and some say /b that b Rabbi Yoḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: It is preferable for a person to deliver himself into a fiery furnace so that /b he b not whiten /b the b face /b of, i.e., embarrass, b his friend in public. From where do we /b derive this? b From the /b conduct of b Tamar, as it is written: /b “And Judah said: Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. When b she was brought forth, /b she sent to her father-in-law, saying: By the man, whose these are, am I with child” (Genesis 38:24–25). Although Tamar was taken to be executed by burning, she privately and directly appealed to Judah, rather than publicly identifying him as the father of her unborn children and causing him embarrassment.,The Gemara relates another incident involving Mar Ukva. b Mar Ukva /b had another b pauper in his neighborhood, /b and Mar Ukva b was accustomed to send to him four hundred dinars every /b year on the b eve of Yom Kippur. One day he sent /b the money b to him by the hand of his son. /b The son b returned /b and b said to him: /b The poor individual b does not need /b the charity. Mar Ukva b said: What did you see /b that prompted you to say this? He said to him: b I saw them spilling old wine /b on the ground b for him, /b to give the room a pleasant smell. Mar Ukva b said: /b If he is b pampered this much /b and requires even this luxury, then he needs even more money. b He doubled /b the funds b and sent them to him. /b , b When /b Mar Ukva b was dying, he said: Bring me my charity records. He found that it was written there /b that he had given b seven thousand /b fine, b i siankei /i , /b i.e., gold, b dinars, /b to charity. b He said: My provisions are light, and the way is far. /b This meager sum is insufficient for me to merit the World-to-Come. b He got up /b and b spent half /b of b his /b remaining b money /b on charity. The Gemara asks: b How did he do this? But didn’t Rabbi Ilai say: In Usha they instituted: One who spends /b money on charity, b he should not spend more than one-fifth /b of his money for this purpose. The Gemara answers: b This /b restriction on giving too much charity b applies /b only b while he is alive, /b because b perhaps he will descend from his holdings /b and become destitute. Therefore, for his own ficial security, he should never distribute more than one-fifth. b But after death, we have no /b problem b with it. /b One need not save money in his estate anymore.,The Gemara recounts more stories related to charity. b Rabbi Abba would wrap coins in his scarf and toss /b the money b behind him /b over his shoulder. b And /b he b would place himself at the homes of the poor /b without being seen, so the poor could receive the aid without being embarrassed. b And he would incline his eyes /b just enough so he could safeguard the handouts b from swindlers /b who might take the money dishonestly., b Rabbi Ḥanina /b knew b a certain pauper /b and b was accustomed to send to him four dinars /b on b every Shabbat eve. One day he sent it in the hand of his wife. She came /b back home and b said to him: /b The man b does not need /b charity. Rabbi Ḥanina asked her: b What did you see /b that prompted you to say this? She said to him: b I heard them saying to him /b inside the house: b With what do you /b normally b dine: /b |
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