Bava Batra 8b — the Talmud in English

For

the redemption of captives is a great mitzva

more than the mitzva of charity.

Rava said to Rabbah bar Mari: From where is this matter?

What is the source for what

the Sages said, that the redemption of captives is a great mitzva?

He said to him: For it is written,

The Holy One, blessed is He, said to Jeremiah: Say to the people of Israel in prophecy that I have said to drive them out from My land, and they will leave it , and the Holy One, blessed is He, further said to Jeremiah [Jeremiah 15]: ‘

And it shall be, when they say to you: Where shall we go? And you shall say to them: So said the Lord: Whoever is destined for death, to death; and whoever is destined for the sword, to the sword; and whoever is destined for famine, to famine; and whoever is destined for captivity, to captivity’—

And Rabbi Yohanan said: Every

punishment

that is

mentioned

later in this verse is more severe than its fellow.

And the second punishment mentioned in the verse, ‘

sword,’

this punishment

is more severe than death.

And the Gemara explains what is the source that the sword is more severe than death—

If you wish, say

it is possible to prove this from a

verse,

a verse explained below,

and if you wish, say

this matter is from

reasoning.

And the Gemara explains:

If you wish, say

this matter—that the sword is more severe than death—is learned from

reasoning,

for

this one

who dies by death of the sword

is disgraced,

he becomes soiled with his blood.

But

if

this one

who dies in his bed,

is he not disgraced!

And if you wish, say,

this matter—that death by the sword is more severe than death—is learned from a

verse,

as it is said in Psalms: ‘

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones.’

And the Gemara expounds that the meaning of the verse is that it is an honor for the pious to die a natural death, and not by the sword or through famine.

And likewise

famine,

which is the third punishment mentioned in the verse,

is more severe than

the death of

the sword

mentioned before famine.

And the Gemara explains what is the source that death by famine is more severe than death by the sword.

If you wish, say

it is possible to prove this from a

verse,

from the verse explained below,

and if you wish, say

it is from

reasoning.

If you wish, say: reasoning,

for

this one

who dies by death through famine

suffers

until he dies,

but

if

this one

who dies by the sword

does not suffer,

because he dies immediately.

And

if you wish, say: a verse,

as it is said in the Scroll of Lamentations: ‘

Better were those slain by the sword than those slain by famine’;

it follows that famine is more severe than the sword.

Captivity,

which is the last punishment mentioned in the verse, [

is more severe than all of them ],

because

all of them are found in it.

For in this punishment all the other punishments are included, since the captive is in the hands of his captors, and they can do with him whatever they wish: to let him die [see note ], or to kill him by the sword or through famine. And from here it follows that it is a great mitzva to redeem captives .

The Sages taught: A charity fund is collected

from the public

by two,

and one person does not collect money from the public.

And it is distributed

to the poor

by three

people.

And the reason for the matter is:

It is collected by two,

because

“authority” is not exercised over the public by fewer than two.

And below it will be explained why the collection of charity is an affair of “authority.”

And it is distributed by three,

because when they judge how much money each poor person needs, this is

like monetary law,

and monetary law is not judged by fewer than three.

A fund of

food-dish contributions,

in which types of food are collected from the townspeople and distributed to the poor,

is collected by three

people,

and is distributed by three.

And the reason that it is collected only by three people is because

its collection

and its distribution are equal.

On the same day that they collect the food from the townspeople, on that very day they distribute the food to the poor, as will be explained below; and since the distribution requires three, as we learned above, for this is like monetary law, therefore they also collect by three, so that they will not have to trouble themselves each day to seek a third person for the distribution. This is unlike a charity fund, from which the money is distributed only once each week.

The food-dish contribution,

food for the poor, is distributed

every day.

But

the fund

of money is distributed only

from one Sabbath eve to the next Sabbath eve,

and the poor are sustained from this money throughout the week.

The food-dish contribution

is given even

to the poor of the world,

who are not the poor of this town. But

the fund,

the money collected from the townspeople, is given only

to the poor of the town

alone.

And the townspeople are authorized,

if the poor of the world have increased in the town,

to make the fund into a food-dish contribution.

To give also to the poor of the world.

And

likewise they are authorized to make the

food-dish contribution into a fund

and give it only to the poor of the town.

And

likewise they are authorized

to alter it,

the purpose of the charity money, and

to

do with it

whatever they wish

for communal needs.

And the townspeople are authorized to stipulate concerning the measures,

to establish the measures of volume and weight with which they will sell in the town, such as to establish how much a seah is, whether by a heaped measure or by a level measure.

And concerning

the prices,

to establish the price of wheat and wine, so that they will not sell above this price,

and concerning the wages of workers,

to establish what the wages of workers in the town are.

And to enforce,

to penalize one who transgresses

their fixed terms,

what the townspeople fixed.

The Master said,

we learned above:

Authority is not exercised over the public by fewer than two.

From where are these words?

What is the source for this?

Rav Nahman said: The verse says,

it is stated concerning the donation for the Tabernacle: ‘

And they

[the wise-hearted]

shall take the gold, etc.,’

in order to make the garments from it. And from this verse—which says “they,” in the plural—we see that one does not collect from the public with fewer than two .

And the Gemara infers: From this verse it follows that specifically

authority,

appointment over the public,

is what they do not exercise

with fewer than two; therefore only two collect money from the public.

But entrusting,

with regard to trustworthiness,

is trusted

even one person, to be a treasurer.

And this matter

supports Rabbi Hanina.

For Rabbi Hanina said: It once happened that Rabbi appointed two brothers

to be treasurers

over the fund,

and relatives are not trustworthy like two, yet Rabbi appointed them as treasurers, since even one person is trusted to be a treasurer .

And the Gemara asks:

What is the authority,

what is the authority that the charity collectors possess?

And it explains:

For Rav Nahman said in the name of Rabbah bar Avuha: Because they seize property

the collectors

for the charity

from one who does not wish to give,

and even on Sabbath eve,

and he cannot say, “I am occupied.”

And this is the authority: The collectors are appointed to seize the property of the townspeople against their will .

And we ask:

Is that so!

Is it indeed so, that they seize the property of one who does not wish to give charity?

But it is written,

that the Holy One, blessed is He, promises [Jeremiah 30]: ‘

And I shall punish all his oppressors’

[I shall supervise in order to punish all the oppressors of the people of Israel].

And Rabbi Yitzhak bar Shmuel bar Marta said in the name of Rav: Even the charity collectors!

And if so, it is proven that it is forbidden to seize the property of one who does not wish to give charity.

And we answer:

This is not difficult. This

that we learned, that they seize the property of one who does not wish to give charity, refers to a person

who is financially capable,

who has money, but does not wish to give. And

that

which is proven from Rav’s words, that one should not seize property, refers to a person

who is not financially capable,

who has no money.

The Gemara brings proof that one who has money is compelled to give charity—

like this,

for example

Rava,

compelled Rav Natan bar Ami,

who was very wealthy ,

and took from him

and took from him

four hundred dinars for charity.

It is stated in the Book of Daniel [12:3]: ‘

And the wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament,’

“and those who make the many righteous like the stars forever and ever.” And the Gemara expounds:

And those who are wise shall shine like the radiance of the firmament.' The “wise,”

this is a judge who

is wise and

judges a true judgment

in truth . '

And those who bring merit to the many are like the stars forever and ever,'

these are the charity collectors

who bring merit to the many through the mitzva of charity .

In the beraita it was taught

that the beraita expounds the verse in a different manner. '

And those who are wise shall shine like the radiance of the firmament.'

The “wise,”

this is a judge who judges a true judgment in truth, and

so too

charity collectors

who are wise to know what each poor person needs. '

And those who bring merit to the many are like the stars

forever and ever,'

these are teachers of young children,

and they are those who bring merit to the many, who teach and educate the young children in a good path .

For example, who?

Who is the example of a teacher of young children considered among “those who bring merit to the many”?

Rav said: For example, Rav Shmuel bar Shilat.

For he was a devoted teacher of young children, as we find in the following incident:

For Rav found him

and met

Rav Shmuel bar Shilat, who was standing in a garden

and was standing in a garden.

He said to him

Rav said to Rav Shmuel bar Shilat: Have you

abandoned

and left

your trust?

Are you not accustomed to teaching your students faithfully and sitting with them constantly?

He said to him: For thirteen years I have not seen them,

for thirteen years I have not seen them, since I left my students,

and now also, my mind is upon them.

And nevertheless, even now, while I am standing here, my mind is upon them.

And after it was clarified in the beraita that the judges shall shine like the light of the firmament, and that teachers of young children shall shine like the light of the stars, the Gemara discusses:

And the Sages, what [of them]?

To what light will Torah scholars who sit and engage constantly in Torah be entitled?

Ravina said,

regarding them Scripture says: “

And those who love Him, like the sun when it goes forth in its might.”

This light is superior to all the other lights.

And now the Gemara brings a beraita in which several regulations for charity collectors are explained, so that they will not be suspected as thieves.

The Sages taught: Charity collectors are not permitted to separate from one another,

but they are required to collect together, for if people see that only one is collecting, they will suspect him of wanting to steal.

But one may separate to the gate and the other to the shop,

provided that the people sitting in the shop and those sitting at the gate can see the other collector from their place.

And if

he found

the charity collector

money in the marketplace,

even though this money belongs to him, for one who finds money in the marketplace acquires it, nevertheless

he may not place it inside his pocket,

because people who see him putting money into his pocket will suspect him of stealing charity funds.

Rather, he places it into the charity purse, and when he comes to his home he takes it

for himself.

Similarly,

if

the

charity collector

was owed one hundred dinars by his fellow, and he repaid him

his fellow

in the marketplace, he may not place it inside his pocket,

lest they suspect him of stealing charity funds,

rather, he places it into the charity purse, and when he comes to his home, he takes it.

The Sages taught: Charity collectors who

have copper coins of charity, and

do not have poor people to distribute them to, exchange

the copper coins in their possession for silver coins, so that the coins will not rust. But they exchange them only

for others,

so that other people give them silver coins, and the collectors give them copper coins in exchange.

But,

they may not exchange for themselves.

They are not permitted to give their own silver coins and take copper coins in exchange, lest people say that they exchanged for themselves at an advantageous price.

And likewise,

soup-kitchen collectors who

have types of food, and

do not have poor people to distribute them to, sell them to others

the foods,

but they may not sell them to themselves,

lest people say that they sold them to themselves at an advantageous price. And the Gemara in Pesachim [13a] explains that this law is learned from the verse, “And you shall be innocent before the Lord and before Israel.”

And when the collectors count

charity money, they do not count it two

by two, lest people say that the collector takes two and counts only one with his mouth.

Rather,

they count the money

one by one.

Abaye said: At first,

in the beginning,

Mar did not sit,

he did not sit

Mar

Rabba

on the mats

on the mats

of the synagogue

of the synagogue, since these mats were purchased with money from the charity fund, and Rabba held that it is forbidden to purchase other things with charity money.

But

once he heard this which was taught “‘

and to alter it for whatever they wish,’”

that it is permitted to alter charity funds for whatever the community wishes,

he sat

Rabba sat on those mats .

Abaye said: At first

in the beginning

Mar would make

Rabba made

two purses

two purses for charity, one

for the poor of the world

who were not residents of this city,

and

one

for the poor of the city

for the poor of the city, for Rabba held that one may not give the poor of the world money collected for the needs of the poor of the city.

But

once he heard this which Shmuel said to Rav Tahlifa bar Avdimi: Make one purse.

Make only one purse for charity funds,