Ketubot 67b (סז:) — the Talmud in English

And likewise:

When an orphan boy and an orphan girl came to marry, they would marry the orphan girl first and afterward marry the orphan boy. Because a woman’s embarrassment is greater than a man’s:

The Sages taught: When an orphan came to marry

a woman,

they would rent a house for him, prepare a bed for him, and provide all his household utensils. And afterward they would marry a woman to him,

as it is stated (Deuteronomy 15),

Deuteronomy 15):

“Sufficient for his need, whatever he lacks.”

“Sufficient for his need”—this is the house. “Whatever he lacks”—this is a bed and a table. “For him”—this is a wife.

And likewise it says (Genesis 2):

“I will make for him a helpmate corresponding to him.”

And it is evident that “for him” refers to a wife.

The Sages taught: “Sufficient for his need”—you are commanded to support him, but you are not commanded to make him wealthy.

But you are commanded to give him everything

“that he lacks,”

even a horse to ride upon and a servant to run before him,

if he had been accustomed to these things before he became poor.

They said about Hillel the Elder that he took for one impoverished man of distinguished lineage a horse to ride upon and a servant to run before him.

Once, when he could not find a servant to run before him, he ran before him for three mil.

The Sages taught: There was an incident involving the people of Upper Galilee, who took for one impoverished man of distinguished lineage from Tzippori a litra of meat every day.

And we raise a difficulty:

A litra of meat—what novelty is this?

Rav Huna said: A litra of meat from fowl,

whose price was high.

And if you wish, say instead: With the money for a litra

they would purchase for him

actual meat [and not fowl].

That is, meat was extremely expensive.

Rav Ashi said:

In fact, they gave him a weight of a litra of meat. Nevertheless, there was a novelty in the matter, because

there, it was a small village,

and they could not sell the leftover meat, and

every day they would cause an animal to be lost on his account [

every day they would slaughter an entire animal in order to provide him with the litra of meat to which he was accustomed, and the remaining meat would spoil].

That

poor man

who came before Rabbi Nehemiah

and asked him to support him.

He said to him,

Rabbi Nehemiah:

“What do you dine on?”

He said to him: “Fatty meat and aged wine.”

Rabbi Nehemiah said to him:

“Would you like to ‘roll along’”

conduct yourself

with me in

eating

lentils,

as I conduct myself, since I eat lentils?

He rolled along with him by eating lentils, and died.

Rabbi Nehemiah said

Rabbi Nehemiah:

“Woe to this

man,

whom Nehemiah killed.”

And we raise a difficulty:

On the contrary, he should have said: “Woe to Nehemiah, who killed this man,”

Rabbi Nehemiah should have said this, since he died because of his suggestion that he roll along with him by eating lentils, and the blame for his death rests upon him!?

And we answer:

Rather,

this is why Rabbi Nehemiah said, “Woe to this man,” since he himself was responsible for his death and not Rabbi Nehemiah—

he,

that

very man,

was responsible for his death, because

he should not have indulged himself so excessively.

There was a certain poor man who was supported by charity

who came before Rava

to request charity from him.

Rava said to him,

Rava:

“What do you dine on?”

He said to him: “A fattened chicken and aged wine.”

He said to him: “Do you not fear the pressure upon the community” [

do you not fear the burden upon the community, that they will have to give you food so expensive]?

He said to him: “Is it from theirs that I eat? I eat from the Merciful One!” [

Do I eat from the community?! Surely the Holy One, blessed be He, is the One who feeds me!].

For I have learned

concerning the verse written in the Book of Psalms [145]:

“The eyes of all look to You with hope, and You give them their food in its time.” It does not say, “in their times,” but “in its time.”

This teaches

that the verse

the Holy One, blessed be He, gives each and every person his sustenance in its proper time.

Meanwhile, Rava’s sister arrived, whom he had not seen for thirteen years, and she brought him a fattened chicken and aged wine [

while they were still speaking, Rava’s sister came to visit him, after not having seen him for thirteen years, and brought him a fattened chicken and aged wine].

Rava said

Rava:

“What is this that has come before us?” [

What is this matter that has come before us? Surely it is a sign from Heaven].

Rava said to him

Rava:

“I have said too much to you” [

I spoke to you too harshly],

“Get up and eat.”

The Sages taught:

One who

does not have

enough for his sustenance,

but does not wish to support himself

from charity,

is given money as a loan,

so that he will not be embarrassed to take it,

and afterward he is given it as a gift [

the loan is not collected from him],

the statement of Rabbi Meir.

But the Sages say: He is given it as a gift, and afterward he is given it as a loan.

And we raise a difficulty: How can they give it to him

as a gift, since he will not take it [

as he does not wish to support himself from charity]?

Rava said:

The intention of the Sages is

to offer it to him as a gift,

and if he does not wish to accept it, they give it to him as a loan.

But if he

has

enough for his sustenance,

but does not wish to support himself

from his own resources, but rather from charity, and subjects himself to hunger so that they will give him—

he is given it as a gift, and afterward it is collected from him.

And we raise a difficulty: If

it is afterward collected from him,

what have we accomplished by giving it to him? For

then,

he will again

not take it,

and will die of hunger?

Rav Pappa said:

They collect it from his property

after his death.

Rabbi Shimon says: One who

has

enough

for his sustenance,

but does not wish to support himself

from his own resources, but rather from charity,

is not attended to.

And he will die of hunger.

But if he

does not have enough, but does not wish to support himself

from charity,

they say to him, “Bring collateral and take,” so that his spirits will be lifted,

and he will think that they lent it to him as they would to any other person. In truth, they will not demand repayment of the loan from him.

The Sages taught:

It is stated in the Torah (Deuteronomy 15:7–8): “When there will be among you a needy person … do not harden your heart or close your hand against your needy brother. For you shall surely open your hand to him, and you shall surely lend him enough for his need, whatever he lacks.”

And the Sages explained:

“You shall surely lend”—

this refers to one who does not have enough, but does not wish to support himself

from charity,

to whom they give it as a loan, and afterward give it to him as a gift.

“You shall surely lend him”—

this refers to one who has enough, but does not wish to support himself

from his own resources,

to whom they give it as a gift, and afterward collect it from him after his death. The statement of Rabbi Yehuda.

But the Sages say: One who

has

enough but does not wish to support himself

from his own resources, but rather from charity,

is not attended to. And how then do I understand “You shall surely lend him”? —

The Torah spoke in the language of human beings.

Since the laws of charity had been mentioned, the Gemara brings several stories to teach the greatness of charity:

Mar Ukva had a poor person in his neighborhood [

a poor person lived in his neighborhood],

who was accustomed to receiving four zuz every day, which Mar Ukva would place in the socket of the door [

and Mar Ukva would give him four zuz every day at the entrance to his house, without his knowledge].

One day, the poor man said

to himself:

“I will go and see who is doing this kindness for me.” [

I will go and see who is doing me this favor].

That day, Mar Ukva was delayed in the house of study ,

and

his wife came with him [

that day, Mar Ukva was delayed in returning from the house of study, and his wife came with him so that they could give the charity to their poor neighbor].

When they saw him [

Rashi’s version reads: “When he saw”]

casting his eyes upon the door, he went out after them. They ran before him and entered that oven whose coals had been raked out. [

when the poor man saw their shadows on the door, he went out to pursue them, and they fled from him and entered an oven from which the coals had been raked out, but which was still burning hot].

The feet of Mar Ukva were being burned, [

Mar Ukva’s feet were burned by the heat, but his wife did not feel the heat].

His wife said to him: “Lift your feet and place them on my feet.” [

she said to him: Lift your feet and place them on my feet].

His mind was distressed [

Mar Ukva was distressed and wondered what merit his wife possessed that she did not feel the heat of the oven].

She said to him:

“I am usually at home, and my benefit is readily available.” [

Since I am more often at home, I have more opportunities to perform acts of kindness. I provide the poor with immediately available benefit, distributing bread, meat, and salt to them. But you give them money, and they must trouble themselves to purchase their meal with the money. Therefore, I have attained a greater merit than you].

And we raise a difficulty:

“And why all this?” [

Why did Mar Ukva and his wife go to such lengths to endanger themselves]?

And we answer: Because

Mar Zutra bar Toviyya said that Rav said—and some say that Rav Huna bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon the Pious said—and some say that Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai—

it is preferable for a person to cast himself into a fiery furnace rather than publicly shame another person.

From where do we derive this? From the incident involving

Tamar.

As it is written (Genesis 38):

Genesis 38):

“She was brought forth,

and she sent to her father-in-law, saying: ‘By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.’ And she said: ‘Identify, please, whose are this signet, these cords, and this staff.’” She did not wish to shame him by saying, “I am pregnant by you”; rather, Tamar said, “By the man to whom these belong.” If he acknowledges on his own, he will acknowledge, and if not, let them burn me, but I will not shame him! From here the Sages said that it is preferable for a person to allow himself to be cast into a fiery furnace , rather than publicly shame another person.

Another incident is brought in the Gemara:

Mar Ukva had a poor person in his neighborhood, to whom he was accustomed to send four hundred zuz every eve of Yom Kippur [

there was a poor person in Mar Ukva’s neighborhood, to whom Mar Ukva was accustomed to send four hundred zuz every eve of Yom Kippur ].

One day, he sent it to him through his son [

once, Mar Ukva sent the money to him through his son].

The son came back and said to him: “He does not need it.” [

the son returned and said that the poor man no longer needed the money].

Mar Ukva said

to him:

“What did you see?” [

How did you see that he does not need it]?

His son said to him:

“I saw that they were sprinkling aged wine for him.” [

I saw that they were sprinkling aged wine before him].

Mar Ukva said

Mar Ukva was thereby convinced that this poor man

was

so

indulgent.

He doubled the sum and sent it to him [

Mar Ukva doubled the amount of money and sent it to him, in order to provide him with whatever he lacked].

When Mar Ukva’s soul was departing

Mar Ukva’s,

he said—

“Bring me the accounts of my charity.” [

Before his death, Mar Ukva said, “Bring me the accounts of the charity I gave during my lifetime].

He found

he found

that it was written there: Seven thousand dinars of Siamese currency [“

Siamese” is the name of a place ].

He said:

“The provisions are light, and the road is long.” [

I have prepared only light provisions for a long journey upon which I am departing, and I must quickly perform more mitzvot].

He arose and distributed half of his wealth [

he gave half of his wealth to charity].

And we raise a difficulty:

How could he do this? Did Rabbi Ila’i not say—

In Usha they enacted:

one who distributes his property to charity

should not distribute more than a fifth!

How, then, did he distribute half his property?

And we answer:

That statement

that one should not distribute more than a fifth applies

during his lifetime, lest he become impoverished; but after death—

we have no concern.

The Gemara brings additional practices that the Sages followed in giving charity:

Rabbi Abba would tie coins in his scarf, throw it behind him, make his way among the poor, and keep his eyes alert against swindlers [

he would tie coins in his scarf and throw it behind him so that the poor could take them without embarrassment, and he would pass through an impoverished area, glancing behind him so that swindlers would not take the money].

And likewise, there was an incident involving

Rabbi Hanina,

in which

there was a certain poor man who was accustomed to have four zuz sent to him every Friday eve [

Rabbi Hanina would send four zuz to a certain poor man every Friday eve].

One day, he sent them to him by his wife [

his wife].

She came and said to him: He does not need it [

His wife returned and told him that the poor man was no longer in need].

Rabbi Hanina asked her:

What did you see [

What made you see that he was no longer in need]?

She said to him:

Listen: I heard them asking him, “What will you dine on?”