פָּתַח רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר כָּל מָאן דְּחָדֵי בְּאִנּוּן מוֹעֲדַיָּא וְלָא יָהִיב חוּלָקֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הַהוּא רַע עַיִן שָׂטָן שׂוֹנֵא אוֹתוֹ וְקָא מְקַטְרֵג לֵיהּ וְסָלִיק לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא וְכַמָּה עָקוּ עַל עָקוּ מְסַבֵּב לֵיהּ. R. Simeon further discoursed as follows: ‘He who rejoices on the festivals but does not give to the Holy One, blessed be He, His due share, is selfish, the Satan tries to injure him and accuses him before heaven, compasses his downfall, and causes him endless trouble.
חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְמֶחדֵי לְמִסְכְּנֵי כְּפוּם מַה דְּיָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד. בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּיוֹמַיָּיא אִלֵּין אָתֵי לְמֶחמֵי לְאִנּוּן מָאנִין תְּבִירִין דִּילֵיהּ, וְעָאל עָלַיְיהוּ וְחָמֵי דְּלָא אִית לְהוֹן לְמֵחֱדֵי, וּבְכֵי עָלַיְיהוּ. סָלִיק לְעֵילָא (ובעי) לְחָרְבָּא עָלְמָא. To give the portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, means to make glad the poor, according to one’s ability. For on these days the Holy One, blessed be He, goes to look at those broken vessels of His: He comes to them, and, seeing that they have nothing with which to rejoice on the festival, He weeps over them and reascends on high with intent to destroy the world.
אֲתָאן בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא קַמֵּיהּ וְאָמְרֵי רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא, רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אִתְקְרִיאַת יִתְגַּלְגְּלוּן רַחֲמָךְ עַל בְּנָךְ. אָמַר לוֹן וְכִי (בני) עָלְמָא לָא (ידעין דלא) עָבְדִית לֵיהּ אֶלָּא עַל חֶסֶ"ד דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים פ״ט:ג׳) אָמַרְתִּי עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה, וְעָלְמָא עַל דָּא קָיְימָא. אָמְרֵי קַמֵּיהּ מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי, רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא הָא פְּלַנְיָא דְּאָכִיל וְרָוֵי וְיָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד טִיבוּ עִם מִסְכְּנִי וְלָא יָהִיב לוֹן מִידִי. אָתֵי הַהוּא מְקַטְרְגָא וּתְבַע רְשׁוּ וּרְדַף אֲבַתְרֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ. The members of the heavenly Academy then present themselves before Him and plead: “O Lord of the universe, Thou art called gracious and merciful, let Thy compassion be moved upon Thy children.” The Lord makes answer: “Verily I have made the world only on the foundation of mercy, as it is written: ‘I have said, the world is built on mercy’ (Ps. 89, 3), and the world is established on it.” Then the heavenly angels proceed: “O Master of the universe, behold so-and-so, who eats and drinks and is in a position to give charity but neglects to do so.” Then the Accuser comes and, having claimed and obtained permission, sets out in pursuit of that man.
מָאן לָן בְּעָלְמָא גָּדוֹל מֵאַבְרָהָם דְּעֲבַד טִיבוּ לְכָל בִּרְיָין. בְּיוֹמָא דְּעֲבַד מִשְׁתְּיָיא, מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״א:ח׳) וַיִּגְדַּל הַיֶּלֶד וַיִּגָּמַל, וַיַּעַשׂ אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתֶּה גָדוֹל בְּיוֹם הִגָּמֵל אֶת יִצְחָק. עֲבַד אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתְּיָיא וּקְרָא לְכָל רַבְרְבֵי דָרָא לְהַהִיא סְעוּדָתָא. וְתָנִינָן בְּכָל סְעוּדָתָא דְחֶדְוָה, הַהוּא מְקַטְרְגָא אָזִיל וְחָמֵי אִי הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ אַקְדִּים טִיבוּ לְמִסְכְּנֵי, וּמִסְכְּנֵי בְּבֵיתָא, הַהוּא מְקַטְרְגָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵהַהוּא בֵּיתָא וְלָא עָאל תַּמָּן, וְאִי לָאו עָאל תַּמָּן. וְחָמֵי עִרְבּוּבְיָא דְּחֶדְוָה בְּלָא מִסְכְּנִי וּבְלָא טִיבוּ דְאַקְדִּים לְמִסְכְּנֵי, סָלִיק לְעֵילָא וּמְקַטְרְגָא עֲלֵיהּ. Whom have we in the world greater than Abraham, whose benevolence extended to all creatures? Once, we are told, he prepared a feast, as it is written: “And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned” (Gen 21, 8). To that feast Abraham invited all the great men of the age. Now we have been taught that whenever a banquet is given, the Accuser comes to spy out whether the owner has first dispensed charity and invited poor people to his house. If he finds that it is so, he departs without entering the house. But if not, he goes in and surveys the merry-making, and having taken note that no charity had been sent to the poor nor had any been invited to the feast, he ascends above and brings accusations against the owner.
אַבְרָהָם כֵּיוָן דְּזָמִּין לְרַבְרְבֵי דָרָא, נָחַת מְקַטְרְגָא וְקָם עַל פִּתְחָא כְּגַוְונָא דְמִסְכְּנָא וְלָא הֲוָה מָאן דְּאַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ. אַבְרָהָם הֲוָה מְשַׁמֵשׁ לְאִנּוּן מַלְכִין וְרַבְרְבִין. שָרָה אוֹנִיקַת בְּנִין לְכֻלְּהוּ, דְּלָא הֲווֹ מְהֵמְנִין כַּד אִיהִי אוֹלִידַת אֶלָּא אָמְרוּ אֲסוּפִי הוּא וּמִן שׁוּקָא אַיְתִיאוּ לֵיהּ. בְּגִין כָּךְ אַתְיָין בְּנַיְיהוּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ וְנַטְלַת לוֹן שָׂרָה וְאוֹנִיקַת לוֹן קָמַיְיהוּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״א:ז׳) מִי מִלֵּל לְאַבְרָהָם הֵנִיקָה בָנִים שָׂרָה, בָּנִים וַדַּאי. וְהַהוּא מְקַטְרְגָא עַל פִּתְחָא. אָמְרָה (שרה) צְחוֹק עָשָׂה לִי אֱלהִים. מִיָּד סָלִיק הַהוּא מְקַטְרְגָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לֵיהּ רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא אַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ אַבְרָהָם אוֹהֲבִי, (הא אברהם) עֲבַד סְעוּדְתָּא וְלָא יָהַב לָךְ מִידִי, וְלָאו לְמִסְכְּנִי, וְלָא קָרִיב קָדָמָךְ אֲפִילּוּ יוֹנָה חַד. וְתוּ אָמְרַת שָׂרָה דְּחַיְיכַת בָּהּ. Thus, when Abraham invited to his feast the great men of the age, the Accuser came and appeared at the door in the guise of a poor man, but no one took notice of him. Abraham was attending on the kings and magnates; Sarah was giving suck to all their babes; for people did not believe that she had born a child, and said that it was only a foundling from the street, and so all the guests brought their infants with them, and Sarah suckled them in the presence of all, as it is written, “Who would have said unto Abraham that Sarah should give children suck?” (Ibid. 7) (note the plural “children”). The Accusing Angel was still standing at the door when Sarah said: “God hath made laughter for me” (Ibid. 6). The Accusing Angel then presented himself before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said to Him: “O Master of the world, Thou hast said ‘Abraham is my friend’; behold, he has made a feast and has not given anything to Thee nor to the poor, nor hath he offered up to Thee so much as one pigeon; and further, Sarah said that Thou hast made mock of her.”
אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָאן בְּעָלְמָא כְּאַבְרָהָם. וְלֹא זָז מִתַּמָּן, עַד דְּבִלְבֵּל כָּל הַהִיא חֶדְוָה, וּפַקִּיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִקְרַב לְיִצְחָק קָרְבְּנָא, וְאִתְגְּזַר עַל שָׂרָה דְּתָמוּת עַל צַעֲרָא דִּבְרָהּ. כָּל הַהוּא צַעֲרָא גָּרִים, דְּלָא יָהִיב מִידִי לְמִסְכְּנֵי. The Lord made answer: “Who in this world can be compared to Abraham?” Nevertheless the Accusing Angel did not stir from thence until he had spoilt all the festivity; and the Lord after that commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac as an offering, and it was decreed that Sarah should die from anguish on account of her son’s danger-all this because Abraham did not give anything to the poor.’