The Palestinian Talmud on Harvest-Time Allocations

A person who has [at least] two hundred zuz may not take leket, shikheḥah, pe’ah, or the tithe for the poor. If a person has even one dinar less than two hundred zuz, then if they are given one thousand [zuz] at one time, they may take it. [ . . . ]

There was a student of Rabbi [i.e., Judah the Prince] who had one dinar less than two hundred zuz, and Rabbi was accustomed to give him the tithe for the poor every three years. [Rabbi’s] students gave [the student] the evil eye and gave [the student a zuz so that he would have two hundred zuz and therefore be ineligible to receive the tithe for the poor. Rabbi] came wishing to give him charity. [The student] said to him, “Rabbi, I have the minimum amount [that prohibits me from taking leket, shikheḥah, and pe’ah].” [Rabbi] said, “He has been afflicted by the plague of the ascetics.” He motioned to his students, and they brought him into the tavern and reduced his worth by a small coin, and [Rabbi] gave him charity, as he was accustomed to do. [ . . . ]

There was the case of Hillel the Elder, who provided a poor person from a wealthy family with a horse for exercise and a slave to serve him. There was another case of the people of the Galilee who provided a certain elder with a litra of fowl each day. But is it possibly so [i.e., that they provided him with such expensive meat]? Rather, it was because he was unable to eat anything else. It was taught: [If a person was accustomed] to using vessels of gold [but then became poor], we provide him with vessels of silver. [If he was accustomed to] vessels of silver, we provide him with vessels of copper. [If he was accustomed to] vessels of copper, we give him vessels of glass. [ . . . ] But was it not taught, if he was accustomed to use garments of wool, we provide him with garments of wool? Here [in the latter case, the garments are used on] his body, but there [the vessels] are not used on his body. [ . . . ]

There was a story of R. Yoḥanan and R. Simeon ben Lakish, who went to take a bath in the baths of Tiberias. [On the way,] a poor person encountered them and said to them, “Provide for me!” They said to him, “When we return.” When they returned, they found him dead. They said, “Since we did not provide for him during his life, let us take care of him in his death.” When they were attending to him, they found a purse of dinars on him. [ . . . ]

Abba bar Ba gave his son Samuel several small coins to distribute to the poor. [Samuel] went out and found a poor person eating meat and drinking wine. [Samuel] came and told his father. [Abba bar Ba] said to him, “Give him more because his soul is his master.”

R. Jacob ben Idi and R. Isaac ben Naḥman would distribute money, and they would give R. Ḥama the father of R. Oshaya a dinar, and [R. Ḥama] would then give it to others. [ . . . ]

Nehemiah from Shiḥin encountered a [poor] man from Jerusalem who said to him, “Provide for me one bird [to eat].” [Nehemiah] said to him, “Here is its price for you. Go buy some meat.” [The poor man bought meat,] ate it, and died. [Nehemiah] said, “Come and mourn the one whom Nehemiah has killed!”

Nahum from Gamzu would bring gifts to the house of his father-in-law. [On the way,] he encountered a man afflicted with boils. [The man] said to him, “Provide for me with what you have with you!” [Nahum] said to him, “Upon returning.” [Nahum later] returned and found him dead, and [Nahum] said in his presence, “Let the eyes that have seen you and have not given you become blind! May the hands that did not reach out to give you be cut off! May the legs that did not run to provide for you be broken!” And so it befell him. R. Akiva went up to [visit Nahum] and said to him, “Woe to me that I see you thus!” [Nahum] said to [Akiva], “Woe to me if I should not see you thus!” [Akiva] said to him, “Why are you cursing me?” [Nahum] said to him, “Why are you contemptuous of suffering?” [ . . . ]

R. Aḥa said in the name of R. Ḥaninah: This is the tannaitic source: Whoever needs to take [poor offerings] and does not take, it is bloodshed, and it is forbidden to have mercy on them.