Jerusalem Talmud Peah 8.6

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‘. If he stays overnight, one provides him with a bed for sleeping. 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 tamḥui, if for fourteen meals, he should not take from the charity chest. The chest is collected by two people and distributed by three.

הלכה: תַּמְחוּי בְּכָל יוֹם קוּפָּה מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת. תַּמְחוּי לְכָל אָדָם. קוּפָּה אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא לְאַנְשֵׁי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר בִּלְבָד.

HALAKHAH: Tamḥui is collected every day, the chest every Friday. Tamḥui is for everybody, 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 providers. Come and look, money matters are judged by three, matters of life and death not so much more? But then they should be 23. Until one assembles them, he 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 providers. Rebbi Yose removed one of two brothers. He came and said before them: 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 אוֹרָיְתָא לוֹמַר שֶׁכָּל שְׂרָרָה שֶׁנִּיתְּנָה מִתּוֹרָה נִיתְּנָה. בִּי מְלָכִים יִמְלוֹכוּ. בִּי שָׂרִים יְשׂוּרוּ. רִבִּי חִיָיא בַּר בָּא מֵקִים אַרְכוֹנִין.

Rebbi Yose went up to Kufra and wanted to appoint providers there, but they did not accept. He came and said before them: “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 people, 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 (Prov. 8:15–16): “Through me, kings rule, through me, princes become princes.” Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba appointed magistrates.

רִבִי לִיעֶזֶר הֲוָה פַּרְנָס. חַד זְמָן נְחִית לְבֵיתֵיהּ אֲמַר לוֹן מַאי עֲבִידְתּוּן אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲתַא חַד סִיעָא וְאָכְלוּן וְשָׁתוּן וּצְלוּן עֲלָךְ. אֲמַר לוֹן לֵיכָּא אֲגָר טָב. נְחַת זְמָן תִּינְיָין אֲמַר לוֹן מַאי עֲבִידְתּוּן אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ אֲתַא חַד סִיעָא חוֹרִי וְאָכְלוּן 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 הָלְכוּן בַּתְרֵיהּ שָׁמְעוּן קָלֵיהּ דְּיֵימַר עַל מְנָת מִתְקַּל עַל מְנָת מִבְזָיָיה.

They wanted to appoint Rebbi Aqiba as provider. He said that he had to take counsel with his house. They followed him and heard him say: In order to be cursed, in order to be insulted.

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 קַדְמִיָיתָא לִיטּוֹל. עוֹד הִיא לִיתֵּן. מַהוּ לְפִסִּין וְלִצְדָּקוֹת שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ בִּשְׂכַר סוֹפְרִים וּמַשְׁנִים.

Rebbi Abba bar Zavda said: Rav and Rebbi Joḥanan disagreed. One said, one checks out before giving clothing but one does not check out for necessities of life. The other said, even before giving clothing one does not check out, because of the covenant of the patriarch Abraham. 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 stated: “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 stated: “For food thirty days, for clothing six months.” Explain it, to contribute. But was it not stated: “For food thirty days, for assessments 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 scribes and teachers.