Rava Accepts Money from Ifra Hormiz, the Mother of Shapur II

[It is related that] Ifra Hormiz, the mother of King Shapur, sent four hundred dinars to R. Ami, but he did not accept them. She [then] sent them to Rava, and he accepted them for the sake of peace with the kingdom. R. Ami heard [what Rava had done] and was angry. He said, “Does [Rava] not accept [the lesson of the verse]: When the boughs are withered, they shall be broken off; the women shall come and set them on fire (Isaiah 27:11), [meaning that when righteousness has ceased from a particular nation, it is time for its citizens to be punished, and therefore we should not help them perform any meritorious deeds, which would delay their punishment]?” And [why did] Rava [accept the money? He did so] for the sake of peace with the kingdom. But [did] R. Ami [not] also [see the importance of accepting the money] for the sake of peace with the kingdom? [R. Ami maintains that Rava] should have distributed [the money] to the gentile poor [rather than to the Jewish poor, as it is a disgrace to the Jews to require the kindness of the nations of the world in order to support their poor. In fact,] Rava also gave [the money] to the gentile poor [and not to the Jewish poor]. And R. Ami got angry [because those who reported the story to him] did not conclude it before him; [consequently, R. Ami was not informed that Rava had indeed given the money to the gentile poor].