Bava Batra 9a — the Talmud in English

And it was stipulated concerning it,

and he stipulated with the community that they would give the money on condition of distributing it to everyone who comes, and even to the poor of the world.

And when Rabba heard this,

he too

himself also

made one purse,

he made one purse for charity,

and stipulated concerning it,

and stipulated concerning it that they should distribute it to anyone who wishes.

Rav Ashi said: I too do not need to stipulate

for myself; I do not even need to make a stipulation, because

everyone who comes,

every person who comes to give money to the charity fund,

comes with my דעת,

he gives the money according to my דעת,

and to whomever I wish I give it,

for I distribute the money to anyone who needs it.

There were these two

an incident involving two

butchers

slaughterers,

who

agreed between themselves that each one of them would slaughter on a different day, and

they made a matter-agreement with one another,

and they made a stipulation between themselves

that whoever slaughters on his fellow’s day,

that whoever slaughters on his fellow’s day,

they shall tear his hide,

they shall tear the hide of the animal that he slaughtered.

After some time,

one went

he went

one of them

one of them and

did

slaughtered

on his fellow’s day.

His fellow went and

tore his hide,

the hide of the animal that he had slaughtered, in accordance with what they had stipulated between themselves.

They came

for judgment

before Rava. Rava obligated him

the one who tore the hide of the animal

to pay!

Rav Yemar bar Shelamya raised an objection to Rava,

but did we not learn above that the townspeople can stipulate regulations in the town

and enforce their ordinance,

to penalize one who violates their regulation? If so, why could that slaughterer not penalize his fellow who violated the stipulation?

Rava did not answer him.

Rava did not answer him.

Rav Pappa said: He did well by not answering him anything.

Rava did well by not answering him. For

these words,

that the townspeople can establish conditions and penalize one who violates their regulation, apply only

where there is no important person

in the town.

But where there is an important person

in the town,

it is not within their power,

the rest of the townspeople have no power

to stipulate

to make conditions.

The Sages taught: One does not audit charity with charity collectors,

one does not investigate them concerning what they did with the money in their possession, for there is no need to suspect them.

And

likewise

one does not

audit

sacred property with treasurers

concerning what they did with all the money of the sacred property.

And although there is no proof for the matter,

there is

a remembrance for the matter

there is.

As it is stated

when they sent money to the craftsmen who repaired the Temple: “

And they did not reckon with

[the]

men who gave the money into their hands

who sent the money with them

to give it to the workers of the labor,

and they did not ask them what they did with all the money,

for they acted faithfully.”

And from here [we learn] that one does not audit charity collectors. But this is not a complete proof, for the verse is not speaking of charity collectors but of treasurers of sacred property who give money to the workers of the labor; and since the workers of the labor were numerous, it was difficult to establish the accounting of how much they gave to each one, and for that reason they did not reckon with them. Thus there is no complete proof from here that one never reckons with the collectors.

Rabbi Elazar said: Even though a person has a trustworthy treasurer within his house,

nevertheless

he shall

bind

it

and tie up the money that he gives him,

and count

how much he gave, even though he does not later reckon with him ,

as it is stated: “And they bound and counted.”

The king’s scribe and the High Priest bound up the money and counted it before giving it to the treasurers, even though the treasurers were trustworthy and they did not reckon with them. And from here [we learn] that even if a person has a trustworthy treasurer in his house, he must count the money before giving it to him.

Rav Huna said,

if a poor person comes and requests food,

they examine

him, whether he indeed needs it,

for sustenance .

And

if a poor person comes naked and requests clothing,

they do not examine

whether he indeed needs

clothing,

but give it to him immediately.

And the Gemara explains what the source of the law is —

If you wish, say,

it is possible to prove this from a

verse

the verse explained below;

and if you wish, say

it is from

reason.

And the Gemara explains:

If you wish, say

this law is learned from

reason,

for

this one

who comes naked and requests clothing

is being humiliated,

he stands naked and humiliated, and it is necessary to prevent his humiliation,

but this one

who requests food

is not being humiliated,

and therefore one should first examine whether he needs it.

And

if you wish, say

this matter is learned from a

verse,

as it is stated: “

Is it not to spread out your bread for the hungry

the intention of the verse is that one should spread out bread for the poor person, and nevertheless

it is written with a shin

“spread out,” and it was not stated “spread”; and from this they expounded:

expound

that is to say, you must know explicitly whether he needs it or not , and therefore investigate and examine,

and afterward,

afterward

give it to him

give it to the poor person.

In the book of the Prophets before us it is written “Is it not to spread your bread for the hungry,” and not “to spread out”; see the note .

From this verse we learned that one must examine the poor person before giving to him, whether he indeed needs charity; and now the Gemara explains what the source is from the verse that one does not examine a poor person requesting clothing.

And there,

in that same verse in which it is stated, “Is it not to spread your bread for the hungry,”

it is written

also: “

When you see a naked person, cover him,

and the Gemara expounds: “

When you see”

immediately,

at once, when you see him, give him clothing, and do not investigate him afterward.

And Rav Yehuda said,

if a poor person comes to request clothing,

they examine

him, whether he indeed needs

clothing, but they do not examine for sustenance

but if the poor person requests food, they give it to him immediately.

And the Gemara explains what the source of the law is —

If you wish, say

it is possible to prove this from a

verse,

from the verse explained below;

and if you wish, say

the matter is learned from

reason.

And the Gemara explains:

If you wish, say

this law is learned from

reason,

for

this one,

the poor person requesting clothing,

it causes him suffering,

he suffers because of the hunger, and therefore one must give him [food] immediately to prevent his suffering,

but

if

this one,

the one requesting clothing,

it does not cause him suffering .

And

if you wish, say

this law is learned from a

verse,

for

here it is written, “Is it not to spread out for the hungry

your bread,”

and it follows from this verse that one must

spread it out immediately,

as soon as the poor person requests it, and one need not examine him,

and as we read it

and not as Rav Huna expounded from the form of the writing, which was written with a shin —

But

conversely, it is proved from the verse that a poor person requesting clothing must be given it immediately, for

there

in that verse

it is written: “

When you see a naked person, cover him,”

and Rabbi Yehuda expounds that “when you see” means

when it becomes clear to you

that the poor person is not a fraud; only then are you obligated to give him clothing.

And the Gemara brings a beraita in accordance with the words of Rabbi Yehuda —

It was taught in accordance with Rav Yehuda:

a poor person who

said, “Clothe me,” they examine him

whether he is not a fraud; but if he said

“Sustain me,”

and give me food,

they do not examine

and give it to him immediately!

We learned there: One may not reduce

one does not give

to a poor person passing from place to place

less

than a loaf

bread that is purchased

for a pundion

[which]

is a coin; this amount is

stated

when

four seahs

of wheat are purchased

for a sela.

The explanation of the words of the beraita is that one must give the poor person a loaf of bread ground from a quarter of a kav of wheat. And according to the calculation, when four seahs are sold for a sela, then a loaf made from a quarter of a kav is sold for a pundion. For four seahs are twenty-four kavs, and a sela is forty-eight pundions ; it follows that twenty-four kavs [four seahs] are sold for forty-eight pundions [a sela], and according to this calculation one pundion can purchase half a kav of wheat, except that the baker takes half the value of the loaf for grinding, baking, and selling it; therefore a loaf sold in the market for a pundion contains a quarter of a kav of wheat —

This amount was stated concerning a poor person who does not stay in the town; but if the poor person

lodges

in the town,

they give him

also

lodging provisions,

the needs of lodging, as explained below.

What are lodging provisions?

Rav Pappa said: A bed

a bed on which to lodge

and a mattress,

a pillow to place beneath his head.

And if the poor person

spent Shabbat

in the town,

they give him

on the eve of Shabbat

food for three meals.

A tanna taught: If he was

the poor person

going around at the doors

and collecting alms,

they do not attend to him

to give him from the charity fund, for since he has learned to go around at the doors, this is sufficient for him.

There was a certain poor man

an incident involving a poor man

who used to go around at the doors, and who came before Rav Pappa

who was a charity collector, and requested money from him from the charity fund . And Rav Pappa

did not attend to him,

he did not give him, as we learned above, that one does not attend to a poor person who goes around at the doors.

Rav Sama, son of Rav Yeiva, said to Rav Pappa: If the Master does not attend to him,

if you will not give him, all the more so that

another person

will not attend to him,

another person will not give him—people will say: if Rav Pappa did not give him, we too will not give him ; and then

he will die,

the poor man will die.

He said to him

Rav Pappa:

But

was

it not taught:

that

if a poor person goes around from door to door, one does not attend to him and one does not give him from the charity fund?

and one does not give him money from the charity fund?

He said to him

Rav Sama: What they said in the beraita,

“one does not attend to him,”

means

a substantial gift,

that one does not give him the cost of a meal, since he goes around from door to door;

but

nevertheless

one attends to him with a small gift.

And then others will give from their own.

Rav Asi said: A person should never withhold himself

from giving

at least

a third of a shekel each year,

and if he gave less than this, he did not fulfill the mitzva of charity.

As it is stated, “

And we established upon ourselves commandments, to impose upon ourselves a third of a shekel each year, for the service of the House of our God.”

And Rabbi Elazar said: Charity is equivalent to all the mitzvot, as it is stated

in the aforementioned verse:

“And we established upon ourselves commandments

to impose upon ourselves a third of a shekel.”

And the Gemara infers:

It is not written here “a commandment,” but “commandments,”

in the plural, and from here that charity is equivalent to all the mitzvot. And although this verse was stated only concerning a contribution for the repair of the House, it is all the more so for charity.

Rabbi Elazar said: Greater is

the reward of the

one who performs it,

the one who solicits others for charity,

than that of the one who performs it,

the one who gives the charity.

As it is stated, “

And the work of charity shall be peace, and the service of charity quietness and security forever.”

It follows that concerning the one who solicits others, “peace” was stated, whereas concerning the one who gives charity it was not stated.

And now the Gemara speaks about the virtue of charity:

A person is obligated to give charity, and against his will he will give the money; but if

the person merits

, the verse

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry”

is fulfilled in him, and he gives his money to the poor. And if

he does not merit,

the verse

“And you bring the poor who are cast out into your house”

is fulfilled in him. This is the kingdom of Rome, which always cries out, “Give, give,” that we are required to give. That is, he will give the money to the gentiles.

Rava said to the people of Mehoza: Be-metutah minaykhu,

please,

act with one another,

make each one obligate and solicit his fellow for charity,

so that there should be peace for you with the kingdom,

so that you will have peace with the kingdom. For if you do not give money to the poor, the Holy One, blessed is He, will incite the kingdom against you, and you will be required to give the money to the kingdom.

And Rabbi Elazar said: When the Temple

was

standing,

then

a person would weigh his shekel,

half a shekel,

and his sin would be atoned for.

Now that the Temple is not standing,

Now, when the Temple is not standing, if they perform charity, it is good,

and their sins are atoned for.

And if not, idolaters come and take

their money

by

the power of the

arm.

And nevertheless,

what the gentiles take from the People of Israel

is considered for them

for Israel

as charity.

Because by taking a tax from the wealthy, the poor are relieved of their obligation to the kingdom, and this is something like charity.

As it is stated, “

And your exactors—charity.”

Rava said: This matter,

a matter [mentioned below],

was recounted to me,

Rav Sheshet told me,