Jerusalem Talmud Peah 8:8:9

משנה: מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים זוּז וְהוּא נוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן בָּהֶן הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִטּוֹל. וְכָל־מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִיטּוֹל וְנוֹטֵל אֵינוֹ מֵת מִן הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶצָּרִיךְ לַבִּרְיוֹת. וְכָל־מִי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִיטּוֹל וְאֵינוֹ נוֹטֵל אֵינוֹ מֵת מִן הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶיְּפָֽרְנֵס לַאֲחֵרִים מִשֶּׁלּוֹ. וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּיי֨ וְהָיָה יי֨ מִבְטָחוֹ. וְכֵן דַּייָן שֶׁדָּן דִּין אֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתוֹ. וְכָל־מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ לֹא חִיגֵּר וְלֹא סוֹמָא וְלֹא פִיסֵּחַ וְעוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּאֶחָד מֵהֶם אֵינוֹ מֵת מִן הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כְּאֶחָד מֵהֶם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדוֹף וְכָל־דַּייָן שֶׁלּוֹקֵחַ שׁוֹחַד וּמַטֶּה אֶת הַדִּין אֵינוֹ מֵת מִן הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶׁיְּהוּ עֵינֵיו כֵּהוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְשׁוֹחַד לֹא תִקָּח כִּי הַשּׁוֹחַד יְעַוֵּר עֵינֵי פִּקְחִים וגו׳. MISHNAH: He who has 50 zuz and uses them for trade should not take¹³⁵Neither the agricultural gifts to the poor nor public assistance.. One who has no need to take but takes will not die of old age until he needs the creatures¹³⁶I. e., people.. One who has need to take but does not take will not die of old age until he can provide for others from what is his; for him is was said (Jeremiah.17.7">Jer. 17:7): “Blessed be the man who will be confident in the Eternal, the Eternal will be his trust.” The same applies to a judge who delivers strictly true judgment¹³⁷While compromise is usually preferred, he who negotiates a compromise does not have the same responsibility as one who has to deliver unassailable true judgment.. But one who is neither lame nor blind nor limping and presents himself as such will not die from old age until he will be one of them, as it is said (Deuteronomy.16.20">Deut. 16:20): “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” But every judge who takes bribes and bends the law will not die from old age until his eyes are dimmed, as it is said (Exodus.23.8">Ex. 23:8): “Do not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the seeing.”¹³⁸The blinding of the seeing can also be applied to welfare fraud, as it was stated in Halakhah 6 that certifying eligibility for welfare is a judicial task.
In the most trustworthy Mishnah manuscripts, the text after the quote from Jeremiah is missing. In others, only the reference to honest and dishonest judges is added. It is clear from the disconnected text that the insertion about simulants is the last. Since these additions are not discussed in the Halakhah, it seems that they are late additions to emphasize the end of the tractate (probably being added by the compilers of the Yerushalmi.)

הלכה: הָדָא אָֽמְרָה חַמְשִׁין עָֽבְדִּין טָבִין מִן מָאתַיִם דְּלָא עָֽבְדִּין. HALAKHAH: This means that 50 at work are better than 200 not at work.

הַמְּסַמֵּא אֶת עֵינוֹ וְהַמְּנַפֵּחַ אֶת שׁוֹקָיו וְהַמְּצַבֵּא אֶת כְּרֵיסוֹ אֵינוֹ נִפְטָר מִן הָעוֹלָם עַד שֶׁיְּהִי לוֹ כֵּן. He who blinds his eye¹³⁹He fakes blindness or swelling. or swells his legs or blows up his belly does not leave this world until it really happens to him¹⁴⁰A slightly different version in Tosephta Peah 4:14 and Ketubot.68a">Babli Ketubot68a..

שְׁמוּאֵל עֲרַק מִן אָבוֹי אֲזַל וְקָם לֵיהּ בֵּין תְּרֵין צְרִיפִין דְּמִיסְכֵּינִין שְׁמַע קָֽלְהוֹן אָֽמְרִין בְּהָדֵין אַרְגֶּנְטִין אֲנָן אָֽכְלִין יוֹמָא דֵין בְּאַרְגֶּנְטוֹרִין דֲּהָבָא בְּאַרְגֶּנְטוֹרִין כַּסְפָּא. עֲאַל וַאֲמַר קוֹמֵי אָבוֹי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ צְרִיכִין אָנוּ לְהַחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לָרַמָּאִין שֶׁבָּהֶם. Samuel ran away from his father and stayed between two huts of the poor. He heard their voices saying, on which silver¹⁴²Latin argentum. will we eat today, on golden silverplate¹⁴³Latin argentarius,-a,-um, adj. “of silver”. or silver silverplate? He returned and told his father about it. He said to him, we have to give thanks to the dishonest among them¹⁴⁴Since we know that some who pose as poor are not poor, we can be discriminating and give only to those we judge worthy..

דֵּלֹּמָא רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ עָלוּן מִיסְחֵי בְּהָדֵין דֵּימוֹסִין דְּטִיבֵּרִיָּא פְּגַע בּוֹן חַד מִסְכֵּן אֲמַר לוֹן זָכִין בִּי אָֽמְרוּ לֵיהּ מִי חָֽזְרוּן מִי חָֽזְרוּן. אַשְׁכְּחוּנֵיהּ מִית. אָֽמְרוּ הוֹאִיל וְלָא זְכִינָן בֵּיהּ [בְּחַיּוֹי] נִיטְפַּל בֵּיהּ בְּמִיתוּתֵיהּ. כִּי מִיטְפְּלוּן בֵּיהּ אַשְׁכְּחוּן כִּיס דֵּינַרָיָא תְּלוּ בֵיהּ. אָֽמְרוּ הָדָא דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ אָמַר רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר צְרִיכִין אָנוּ לְהַחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לָרַמָּאִין שֶׁבָּהֶן שֶׁאִילּוּלֵא הָרַמָּאִין שֶׁבָּהֶן הָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶן תּוֹבֵעַ צְדָקָה מִן הָאָדָם וְלֹא נוֹתֵן לֹו מִיַּד הָיָה נֶעֱנַשׁ. Clarification. Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish went to bathe in the public baths¹⁴⁵Greek, cf. Berakhot p. 299. of Tiberias. A poor man met them and said to them: acquire merit by me. They said to him, when we return, when we return. When they returned, they found him dead. They said, since we did not acquire merit during his lifetime, let us care for him in his death. While they were occupied with him, they found a pouch of denars hanging on him. They said, that is what Rebbi Abbahu said in the name of Rebbi Eleazar¹⁴⁶Parallels in Ketubot.68a">Babli Ketubot 68a, Lev. rabba 34, Ruth rabba 5.: We have to give thanks to the dishonest among them, because if there were no dishonest persons among them, if one of them was requesting alms from a man and he would not give him, he would be punished immediately.

אַבָּא בַּר בָּא יְהַב לִשְמוּאָל בְּרֵיהּ פְּרִיטִין דִּפְלַג לְמִיסְכֵּינָיָא נְפַק וְאַשְׁכַּח חַד מִסִכֵּן אֲכַל קוּפָּד וּשְׁתֵי חֲמָר. עֲאַל וַאֲמַר קוֹמוֹי אָבוֹי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הַב יְתִיר דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ מְרָתֵיהּ. Abba bar Abba¹⁴⁷The father of Samuel, rabbi of Nahardea and descendant of R. Joshua’s nephew. gave coins to his son Samuel to distribute to the poor. He found one poor who ate red meat and drank wine. He returned and told his father about it. The latter said to him, give him more since his soul is bitter¹⁴⁸He has expensive tastes and lacks the money to indulge them..

רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אִידִי וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק בַּר נַחְמָן הֲווֹן פַּרְנָסִין וַהֲווֹן יְהָבִין לְרִבִּי חָמָא אָבוֹי דְּרִבִּי אוֹשַׁעְיָא חַד דֵּינַר וְהוּא יְהַב לֵיהּ לְחוֹרָנִין. רִבִּי זְכַרְיָה חַתְנֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי לֵוִי הָיוּ הַכֹּל מְלִיזִין עָלָיו אָֽמְרוּ דְּלֹא צָרִיךְ וְהוּא נְסַב. כַּד דְּמַךְ בָּֽדְקוּן וְאַשְכְּחוּן דַּהֲוָה מִפְלִיג לֵיהּ לְחוֹרָנִין. Rebbi Jacob bar Idi and Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman were providers¹⁴⁹Administrators of public charity. From here to the penultimate paragraph, the text also appears in Šeqalim 5:6, in a text with fewer scribal errors. In doubtful cases, the spelling of Šeqalim is followed. and gave a denar to Rebbi Ḥama¹⁵⁰R. Ḥama bar Bissa, of the generation of transition from Tannaïm to Amoraïm, from the region of Lod. His son belongs to the first Amoraïm. the father of Rabbi Oshaia, but he gave it away to others. All were saying evil things about Rebbi Zachariah¹⁵¹Amora of the third and fourth generations. His father-in-law was the preacher in Tiberias in R. Joḥanan’s time., the son-in-law of Rebbi Levi; they said that he was taking while he did not need it. When he died, they checked and found that he was splitting it up for others.

רִבִּי חִינְנָא בַּר פַּפַּא הֲוָה מַפְלִיג מִינֵיהּ בַּלַּיְלִיָּא. חַד זְמָן פְּגַע בֵּיהּ רַבְּהוֹן דְּרוּחָיָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ לָא כָּךְ אוּלְפָּן רִבִּי אַל תַּסִּג גְּבוּל רֵעֲךָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְלֹא כֵן כְּתִיב מַתָּן בְּסֵתֶר יִכְפֶּה אָף וַהֲוָה [מִסְתַּפֵּיהּ] מִינֵיהּ וַעֲרַק מִן קוֹמוֹי. Rebbi Ḥinena bar Pappai used to distribute his charity in the night. Once the prince of spirits encountered him. He said to him, did not our teacher¹⁵²Moses. The implication is that humans should leave the night for spirits since it is dangerous to go out then (Avot 3:8" href="/Pirkei_Avot.3.8">Mishnah Avot 3:8). teach us (Deuteronomy.19.14">Deut 19:14): “Do not displace your neighbor’s boundaries.” He said to him, but is it not written (Proverbs.21.14">Prov. 21:14): “A gift in secret appeases anger.” He was afraid of him and fled from him.

אָמַר רִבִּי חִייָא בַּר אָדָא אִית הֲווֹ סַבִּין בְּיוֹמֵינוּ מָן דַּהֲוָה יְהָבִין לוֹן מִבֵּין רֵישׁ שַׁתָּא לְצוֹמָא רַבָּא הֲווֹן נָֽסְבִּין. מִן בָּתָר כֵּן לַא הֲווֹן נָֽסְבִּין אָֽמְרֵי רְשׁוּתָא גַּבָּן. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada said, in our days there were old people who used to take if somebody gave to them between New Year’s Day and the Great Fastday. After that, they were not taking. They said, there¹⁵³During the days of repentance, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the givers need the merit that comes with giving gifts to the needy; hence, the gifts are given wholeheartedly. is permission for us.

נְחֶמְיָה אִישׁ שִׁיחִין פְּגַע בֵּיהּ יְרוּשַׁלְמִי אֶחָד אֲמַר לֵיהּ זְכִי עִימִּי חָדָא תַּרְנְגוֹלְתָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הֵי לָךְ טִימִיתֵיהּ וְזִיל זְבוֹן קוּפָּד וְאָכַל וָמִית. וְאָמַר בּוֹאוּ וְסִפְדּוּ לַהֲרוּגוֹ שֶׁל נְחֶמְיָה. Neḥemiah from Shiḥin¹⁵³During the days of repentance, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the givers need the merit that comes with giving gifts to the needy; hence, the gifts are given wholeheartedly. met a Jerusalemite who said to him, acquire merit by giving me that chicken. He said to him, here is its value¹⁵⁴Greek τιμή “value,” cf. Berakhot p. 604., go buy red meat; he ate and died¹⁵⁵Being unaccustomed to red meat.. He said, come and eulogize him whom Neḥemiah killed.

נָחוּם אִישׁ גַּם זוּ הָיָה מוֹלִיךְ דּוֹרוֹן לְבֵית חָמוֹי פָּגַע בֵּיהּ מוּכֶּה שְחִין אֶחָד אָמַר לוֹ זְכֵה עִמִּי מִמָּה דְּאִית גַּבָּךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ מִיחְזָר חָזַר וְאַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ מֵית. וַהֲוָה אֲמַר לְקַבְּלֵיהּ עֵיינֵיהּ דְּחָמוּנָךְ וְלָא יְהָבוּן לָךְ יִסְתַּמְּיָין. יָדֵיהּ דְּלָא פָֽשְׁטָן מִיתֵּן לָךְ יִתְקַטְּעוּן. רַגְלָיָיא דְּלָא רְהָטִין מִיתֵּן לָךְ יִתְבְּרָן. וּמָטָתֵיהּ כֵּן. סְלִיק לְגַבֵּיהּ רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה אָמַר לֵיהּ אֵי לִי שֶׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה אוֹתָךְ כֵּן. אָמַר לֵיהּ אוֹי לִי שֶׁאֵינִי רוֹאֶה אוֹתָךְ כֵּן. אָמַר לֵיהּ מַה אַתְּ מְקַלְּלֵינִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ וּמַה אַתְּ מְבָעֵט בְּיִיסּוּרִין. Naḥum from Gimzo¹⁵⁶A Tanna of the third generation, teacher of R. Aqiba. Gimzo is a village near Lod. His surname was changed into גם זו “this also” since his motto was “this also will be for the best”, גם זו לטובה. was carrying a gift¹⁵⁷Greek δῶρον, τό, “gift”. to the house of his father-in-law when he met a person afflicted with boils¹⁵⁸A dirt infection, sign of poverty. who asked him, acquire merit¹⁵⁹Give me a charitable gift. from what you have on you. He said to him, when I shall return. He returned and found him dead. He said before him, his¹⁶⁰Meaning, “my”. It is Talmudic usage that all bad things said about one’s own person are formulated in the third person, cf. Berakhot Chapter 3, notes 195–196. eyes which saw you and did not give to you shall go blind, his hands which did not stretch out to give to you shall be cut off, his feet which did not run to give to you shall be broken. This happened to him. Rebbi Aqiba came to visit him and said, woe to me that I see you in this state. He answered, woe to me that I do not see you in this state. He asked, why do you curse me? He answered, why are you contemptuous of suffering¹⁶¹Since suffering for sins in this world leaves you innocent and with much merit in the World to Come.?

רִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא רַבָּה הֲוָה רַבֵּיהּ דִּבְרֵיהּ חַד דְּסַגְיָא נְהוֹרָיָא וַהֲוָה יְלִיף אֲכַל עִימֵּיהּ בְּכָל־יוֹם. חַד זְמָן הֲוָה אָֽרְחִין וְלָא מְטָא מֵיכוּל עִימֵּיהּ. בְּרוּמְשָׁא סְלִיק לְגַבֵּיהּ אָמַר לֵיהּ לֹא יִכְעוֹס מָרִי עָלָי בְּגִין דַּהֲוָה לִי אָֽרְחִין וְלַא בְּעִית מִיבְזֵיָּא אִיקָּרֵיהּ דְּמָרִי. בְּגִין כֵּן דְּלָא אָֽכְלִית עִמָךְ יוֹמָא דֵין. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַתָּה פִּייַסְתָּ לְמָאן דְּמִיתְחָמִי וְלָא חָמִי דֵּין דְּחָמִי וְלַא מִיתְחָמִי יְקַבֵּל פִּייוּסָךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָדָא מְנָא לָךְ אָמַר לֵיהּ מֵרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב. דְּרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב עַל חַד דְּסַגְיָא נְהוֹרָא לְקַרְתֵּיהּ יְתַב לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב לְרַע מִינֵיהּ דִּי אָֽמְרִין דְּאִילּוּלֵא דְּהוּא בַּר נַשָּׁא רַבָּא לָא יְתַב לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב לְרַע מִינֵיהּ. עָֽבְדּוּן לֵיהּ פַּרְנָסָה דְּאִיקָר. אָמַר לָהוּ מַהוּ הָכֵין. אָֽמְרוּ לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב יְתִיב לְרַע מִינָּךְ. וּצְלִי עֲלוֹי הָדָא צְלוּתָא אַתָּה גָמַלְתָּ חֶסֶד לְמָאן דְּמִיתְחָמִי וְלָא חָמִי. דֵּין דְּחָמִי וְלַא מִתְחָמִי יְקַבֵּל פִּיוּסָךְ וְיִגְמוֹל יָתָךְ חֶסֶד. The teacher of the great Rebbi Hoshaia’s son was blind and he used to invite him to eat with him every day. One day there were guests and he¹⁶²R. Hoshaia did not invite the blind man to table. did not ask him to eat with him. In the evening, he went to him and said: Please, Sir, do not be angry with me. Since I had guests, I did not want risking injuring the Sir’s honor¹⁶³It seems that handicapped persons were treated as social outcasts., therefore I did not eat with you today. He said to him, you assuaged him who is seen but does not see; may He be appeased by you Who sees but is not seen¹⁶⁴God. The expression is the translation of Targum Yerushalmi for אל ראי, חי ראי (Genesis.16.13">Gen. 16.13, Genesis.24.62">24:62).. He asked him, from where do you have this? He said, from Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob¹⁶⁵He is R. Eliezer ben Jacob II, a contemporary of the last students of R. Aqiba, not to be confused with R. Eliezer ben Jacob I, a Tanna of the first generation whom practice always follows.. For there came a blind man to Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob’s town; Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob sat below him¹⁶⁶Indicating that the blind man was his superior in knowledge. so that they should say if he were not a great person, Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob would not sit below him. They provided for him in honor. He asked them, what is this? They told him, because Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob sat below you. He prayed for him the following prayer: You did a good deed for one who is seen but does not see; He Who sees but is not seen may be appeased by you and do good for you.

דֵּלֹמָא רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא וְרִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה הֲווֹן מְטַייְלִן בְּאִילֵּין כְּנִישְׁתָּא דְּלוֹד. אָמַר רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא לְרִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה כַּמָּה מָמוֹן שִׁיקְעוּ אֲבוֹתַי כָּאן. אָמַר לֵיהּ כַּמָּה נְפָשׁוֹת שִׁיקְּעוּ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ כָּאן. לַא הֲוָה אִית בְּנֵי נַשׁ דְּלָעִייִן בְּאוֹרָֽיְתָא. Clarification. Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina and Rebbi Hoshaiah were strolling through the synagogue of Lod. Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said to Rebbi Hoshaiah: How much money did my forefathers invest here! He answered him: How many souls did your forefathers invest here, there is no one in here who studies Torah¹⁶⁷All the money spent on building the synagogue could have been spent either on saving the poor from starvation or to support students of Torah (probably, including building houses of study for these students.)!

רִבִּי אָחָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חִנֶּנָּא כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא כָּל־מִי שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לִיטּוֹל וְאֵינוֹ נוֹטֵל הֲרֵי זֶה שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים וְאָסוּר לְהִתְרָחֵם עָלָיו. עַל נַפְשֵׁיהּ לֹא חַייֵס עַל חוֹרָנִין לֹא כָּל־שֶׁכֵּן. כָּל־מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִיטּוֹל וְנוֹטֵל אֵינוֹ מֵת מִן הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶיִּצְטָרֵךְ לַבִּרְיוֹת. וְכָל־מִי שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לִיטּוֹל וְאֵינוֹ נוֹטֵל אֵינוֹ מֵת מִן הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶיְּפָֽרְנֵס לַאֲחֵרִים מִשֶּׁלּוֹ עַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּיי֨ וְהָיָה יי֨ מִבְטָחוֹ. Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Ḥinena, so is the Mishnah: Everybody who needs to take and does not take commits suicide¹⁶⁸If he cannot survive without the help of others, one should not give private charity to one who refuses public charity. But one who can survive and does not take any charity is characterized in the last sentence of the rewritten Mishnah. and one may not have mercy on him. If he does not care for himself, would he care for others? Everybody who has no need to take but takes will not die of old age until he needs the creatures. Everybody who needs to take but does not take will not die of old age until he can provide for others from what is his; on him is was said (Jeremiah.17.7">Jer. 17:7): “Blessed be the man who will be confident in the Eternal; the Eternal will be his trust.”