משנה: אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין לְעָנִי הָעוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם מִכִּכָּר בְּפוֹנְדִּיּוֹן מֵאַרְבַּע סְאִין בְּסֶלַע. לָן נוֹתְנִין לוֹ פַּרְנָסַת לִינָּה. שָׁבַת נוֹתְנִין לוֹ מָזוֹן שָׁלֹשׁ סְעוּדוֹת. מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מָזוֹן שְׁתֵּי סְעוּדוֹת לֹא יִטּוֹל מִן הַתַּמְחוּי. מָזוֹן אַרְבַע עֶשְׂרֵה סְעוּדוֹת לֹא יִטּוֹל מִן הַקּוּפָּה. וְהַקּוּפָּה נִגְבֵּית בִּשְׁנַיִם וּמִתְחַלֶּקֶת בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. MISHNAH: One does not give to the poor who is travelling from one place to another less than a loaf that costs a dupondius at a time when four seah cost a sela‘75Mishnah 7; one may not give to the poor person who is travelling from one place to another less than a loaf of bread in the value of a pondion, i. e., a dupondius (half an obolus, one twelfth of a silver denar) if four seah cost a sela‘ (tetradrachma). 4 seah are 24 qab and a tetradrachma is 24 oboli.. If he stays overnight, one provides him with a bed for sleeping82A mattress and cover.. If he stays over the Sabbath, one gives him food for three meals. He who has food for two meals should not take from the tamḥui83A basket from which food is distributed to the poor; it was collected for this purpose by the overseers of charity from the households of the town. The word is derived from a Semitic root that in Arabic is ת̇מח̇ “to mix”, since all food was put together in one big basket or plate (Accadic tamaẖu “to grasp, hold in one’s hand”.), if for fourteen meals, he should not take from the charity chest. The chest is collected by two people84Since the contribution of money for welfare is a local tax and forcibly collected as a tax, it can never be in the hands of only one person. and distributed by three86Tosephta Peah 4:9, Babli Baba Batra 8b..
הלכה: תַּמְחוּי בְּכָל־יוֹם קוּפָּה מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת. תַּמְחוּי לְכָל־אָדָם. קוּפָּה אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא לְאַנְשֵׁי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר בִּלְבָד. HALAKHAH: Tamḥui86Tosephta Peah 4:9, Babli Baba Batra 8b. is collected every day, the chest every Friday. Tamḥui is for everybody87Including the travellers., the chest is only for local people.
רִבִּי חוּנָא אָמַר תַּמְחוּי בִשְׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁהוּא עַל אָתָר. רִבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי בָּא בַּר זַבְדָּא אֵין מַעֲמִידִין פַּרְנָסִין פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה. אִיתָא חָמֵי דִּינֵי מְמוֹנוֹת בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת לֹא כָּל־שֶׁכֵּן. וְיִהְיוּ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. עַד דְּהוּא מַצְמִית לוֹן הוּא מִסְכֵּן. Rebbi Ḥuna said, the tamḥui is collected by three people, because it it given out on the spot. Rebbi Ḥelbo in the name of Rebbi Abba bar Zavda, one does not appoint less than three providers89Who spend public money or distribute food to support the poor.. Come and look, money matters are judged by three, matters of life and death not so much more? But then they should be 2390The number of judges of a criminal court (mainly acting as a jury.). Until one assembles them, he91The hungry poor. is in danger.
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֵין מַעֲמִידִין שְׁנֵי אַחִים פַּרְנָסִין. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי עֲבַר חַד מִן תְּרִין אַחִין. עָאַל וְאָמַר קוֹמֵיהוֹן לֹא נִמְצָא לְאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי דְּבַר עֲבֵירָה אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין מַעֲמִידִין שְׁנֵי אַחִים פַּרְנָסִין. Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: One does not appoint two brothers as providers92The Babli (Baba Batra 8b) quotes R. Ḥanina (a very early Galilean Amora) to the effect that Rebbi appointed two brothers as overseers of charity at the same time.. Rebbi Yose removed one of two brothers. He came and said before them93In public assembly before the entire town.: There was not anything wrong with Mr. X, only one does not appoint two brothers as providers.
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי עָאַל לְכֻפְרָא בְּעָא מוּקְמָא לוֹן פַּרְנָסִין וְלָא קַבְּלִין עֲלֵיהוֹן. עָאַל וְאָמַר קוֹמֵיהוֹן בֶּן בָּבָי עַל הַפְּקִיעַ. וּמַה אִם זֶה שֶׁנִּתְמַנֶּה עַל הַפְּתִילָה זָכָה לְהִימָּנוֹת עִם גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר. אַתֶּם שֶׁאַתֶּם מִתְמַנִּין עַל חַיֵּי נְפָשׁוֹת לֹא כָּל־שֶׁכֵּן. רִבִּי חַגַּיי כַּד הֲוָה מֵקִים פַּרְנָסִין הֲוָה מַטְעִין לוֹן אוֹרָֽיְתָא לוֹמַר שֶׁכָּל־שְׂרָרָה שֶׁנִּיתְּנָה מִתּוֹרָה נִיתְּנָה. בִּי מְלָכִים יִמְלוֹכוּ. בִּי שָׂרִים יְשׂוּרוּ. רִבִּי חִייָא בַּר בָּא מֵקִים אַרְכוֹנִין. Rebbi Yose went up to Kufra94Possibly Koufeir near Hasbeya in South Lebanon. and wanted to appoint providers there, but they did not accept. He came and said before them95Mishnah Šeqalim 5:1 lists the small permanent staff of the Temple, probably in the last times of its existence. Ben Babai administered the oakum, bought with public money, from which the wicks for the candelabra were made.: “Ben Bavai over the oakum.” If this one had been appointed over the wicks and therefore merited to be counted with the leaders of his generation, you who are being appointed over the lives of people96The poor who would starve without assistance., so much more. Rebbi Ḥaggai, when he inducted providers, let them carry the Torah, to indicate that every public office is given by the Torah (Proverbs.8.15-16">Prov. 8:15–16): “Through me, kings rule, through me, princes become princes.” Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba appointed magistrates97Greek ἄρχων. He also inducted them to their offices by giving them the Torah scroll to carry..
רִבִי לִיעֶזֶר הֲוָה פַּרְנָס. חַד זְמָן נְחִית לְבֵיתֵיהּ אֲמַר לוֹן מַאי עֲבִידְתּוּן אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲתַא חַד סִיעָא וְאָֽכְלוּן וְשָׁתוּן וּצְלוּן עֲלָךְ. אֲמַר לוֹן לֵיכָּא אֲגָר טָב. נְחַת זְמָן תִּינְייָן אֲמַר לוֹן מַאי עֲבִידְתּוּן אָֽמְרוּ לֵיהּ אֲתַא חַד סִיעָא חוֹרִי וְאָֽכְלוּן וְשָׁתוּן וְאַקְלוּנָךְ. אֲמַר לוֹן כְּדוֹן אִיכָּא אֲגָר טָב. Rebbi Eliezer was provider. Once, he returned to his house and said to them: What happened? He said to him, there came a group, they ate and drank and prayed for you. He said to them, that does not give much reward. Another time, he came to his house and said to them: What happened? They said to him, there came another group, they ate and drank and cursed you. He said to them, that gives much reward.
רִבִי עֲקִיבָה בְּעוּן מִמְנִיתֵיהּ פַּרְנָס. אֲמַר לוֹן נִמְלָךְ גַּו בֵּייתֵיהּ הָֽלְכוּן בַּתְרֵיהּ שָֽׁמְעוּן קָלֵיהּ דְּיֵימַר עַל מְנָת מִתְקַּל עַל מְנָת מִבְזָייָה. They wanted to appoint Rebbi Aqiba as provider. He said that he had to take counsel with his house98The house is his wife, who may be referred to only in indirect speech.. They followed him and heard him say: In order to be cursed, in order to be insulted99His wife warned him of what would happen to him and he agreed that these things must be expected when a provider takes office..
רִבִּי בָּא בַּר זַבְדָּא אָמַר אִיתְפַּלְּגוּן רַב וְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן חַד אָמַר מְדַקְדְּקִין בִּכְסוּת וְאֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין בְּחַיֵּי נְפָשׁוֹת. וְחָרָנָה אָמַר אַף בִּכְסוּת אֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין מִפְּנֵי בְרִיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל מָאן דְּאָמַר אַף בִּכְסוּת אֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין פָּתַר לֵיהּ לְפִי כְבוֹדוֹ. וְתַנִּי כֵן בְּמַה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בִּזְמָן שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ. אֶבָל בִּזְמָן שֶׁמַּכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ אַף מְכַסִּין אוֹתוֹ וְהַכֹּל לְפִי כְבוֹדוֹ. וְהָתַנִּי לִמְזוֹנוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם. לִכְסוּת שִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים. פָּתַר לָהּ לִיתֵּן. וְהָתַנִּי לִמְזוֹנוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם לְפִסִּין וְלִצְדָּקוֹת שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ הָא קַדְמִייָתָא לִיטּוֹל. עוֹד הִיא לִיתֵּן. מַהוּ לְפִסִּין וְלִצְדָּקוֹת שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ בִּשְׂכַר סוֹפְרִים וּמַשְׁנִים. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda said: Rav and Rebbi Joḥanan disagreed101In the Babli, Baba Batra 9a, Rav Huna (the student of Rav) says that one checks for food but not for clothing and Rav Jehudah (student mainly of Samuel) says that one checks for clothing but not for food. Maimonides (Mattenot Aniïm 7:6) decides for Rav Jehudah. It seems that nobody in Babylonia accepted the theory that one does not check in either case.. One said, one checks out before giving clothing but one does not check out for necessities of life102I. e., food for the hungry.. The other said, even before giving clothing one does not check out, because of the covenant of the patriarch Abraham103That no Jew should have to go naked.. A baraita disagrees with him who says that even before giving clothing one does not check out. He explains it for giving him according to his status, as we have stated104Tosephta Peah 4:8: “One does not give to the poor who is travelling from one place to another less than a loaf that costs a dupondius at a time when four seah cost a sela‘. If he stays overnight, one provides for him bedding, oil, and legumes. If he stays over the Sabbath, one gives him food for three meals, oil, legumes, fish, and vegetables. When has this been said? If they do not know him. But if they know him, they also clothe him, everything befitting his status (his prior status before he lost his money).”: “When has this been said? If they do not know him. But if they know him, they also clothe him, everything befitting his status.” But was it not stated105A similar text is in Tosephta Peah 4:9: “Tamḥui is collected every day, the chest every Friday. Tamḥui is for everybody, the chest is only for local people. If he stayed there for thirty days, he is like the local residents for the charity chest, but for clothing six months. For the poor (Erfurt manuscript: the taxes) of the town twelve months.” The last sentence certainly refers to an obligation to pay taxes; the sentence before the last is ambiguous as to whether it speaks of a duty to contribute or a right to take.: “For food thirty days, for clothing six months.” Explain it, to contribute. But was it not stated: “For food thirty days, for assessments106Meaning of the Syriac word פסא. Compare also Arabic פסא “to tear something up.” and charity twelve months?” This means to contribute, the earlier must mean to receive. It still means to contribute; what does it mean, for assessments and charity twelve months? For the salaries of scribes107Scribes of the courts who also were notaries and teachers of advanced students. and teachers108Elementary school teachers, since the upkeep of elementary schools is a communal obligation from the times of the High Priest Joshua ben Gamla..