(Mishnah): If a person has 50 Zuz and he does business with it, he may not accept the gifts to the poor.

Whoever does not need to take charity and he does, he will be in need of others before he dies.

And whoever needs to take and does not, he will sustain others before he dies. About him the pasuk states (Yirmiyahu 17:7), "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hash-m and Hash-m will be his security.'' And the same applies to a judge who judges truthfully.

And whoever is not a cripple, blind or lame and pretends that he is, he will receive that disability before he dies, as the pasuk says (Mishlei 11:27), "One who searches for evil, it will come to him''; and the pasuk says (about a judge who judges truthfully) (Devarim 16:20), "Justice, justice, you will pursue''.

And if any judge accepts a bribe or perverts justice, his eyes will become dim before he dies, as the pasuk states (Shemos 23:8/ Devarim 16:19), "You shall not accept a bribe, because bribery blinds the eyes of the wise men...''

(Gemara): The Mishnah shows that 50 zuz that can be used to earn is better than 199 zuz that cannot.

One who pretends to be blind, bends his legs to appear lame or makes his stomach bloated to appear malnourished - will not die before he will actually suffer from that condition.

Shmuel once ran away from his father (who was angry at him) and he stood between two huts belonging to poor men. He overheard them saying, "In which utensils shall we eat today - in gold or in silver?'' Shmuel went and informed his father about this conversation. Shmuel's father commented, "We must have gratitude to the fakes amongst them''. (If there would be no fakes, there would be no reason why a landowner would be justified in not giving charity.)

Once, R. Yochanan and Reish Lakish went to the bathhouse to wash in the hot springs of Tiveria. A poor man met them and asked them for charity. They told him that when they return from the bathhouse they will give him. When they returned, they found that he had died. They said, "Since we did not merit to give him charity during his life, we will tend to him after his death.'' When they came to bury him, they found a pouch of gold coins hanging from him. (Rav Chaim Kanievski explains that because he was such a miser, he couldn't bring himself to use them.) They said, "Here we see as R. Abahu said, that we must have gratitude to the fakes amongst them, as without them, if someone was asked for charity and he didn't donate, he would be punished immediately.''

Abba bar Ba gave his son Shmuel coins to distribute to the poor. Shmuel went out and found a poor man who was eating meat and drinking wine. He returned and told his father and his father said, "Give him even more, as he is embittered and he is indulging to forget his pain''.

R. Yaakov bar Idi and R. Yitzchak bar Nachman were Gabbaim. They would give one Dinar to R. Chama, father of R. Oshiya. R. Chama would then give it to other poor people who were too embarrassed to approach the Gabbaim.

People were saying about R. Zecharia, son-in-law of R. Levi, that he is taking charity unnecessarily. When he died, they discovered that he would give the charity to others.

R. Chanina bar Papa would distribute charity at night (to save the poor from embarrassment). Once, he encountered the head of the demons, who said to him, "Didn't you teach us (Devarim 19:14), 'You shall not pull back your neighbor's border' (and the nighttime is our territory)?''

(R. Chanina bar Papa): But doesn't another pasuk state (Mishlei 21:14), 'A gift in secret will appease wrath'? The demon was shocked and ran away.

(R. Yona): The pasuk does not say "Fortunate is one who gives to the poor'' but rather (Tehillim 41:2), "Fortunate is the one who looks after {Maskil} the poor'' - he contemplates how to do the Mitzvah in the best way.

How is this? When R. Yona would see a wealthy man who had lost his money, he would say to him, 'My son, I heard that an inheritance has fallen to you unexpectedly. Take (this money) and pay me back later.' And later, when the man came to repay it, R. Yona would tell him that it was a gift.

(R. Chiya bar Ada): There were elders in our days who would only accept charity between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. (After Yom Kippur) they would say, "Our sustenance is already with us'', as the decision for the year's sustenance had been sealed on Yom Kippur.

Nechemia of Shichin once met a Jerusalemite who asked him to give him one chicken. Nechemia said, "Take some money and go and buy beef. (Why only chicken meat?)'' He ate beef and died. People said, "Let us come and eulogize the murdered victim of Nechemia''.

Nachum Ish Gamzu was taking a gift to his father-in-law's house. He met a Mukeh Shechin (one stricken with boils all over his body) who asked him to share whatever he had. Nachum said that he would do this on his return. When he returned, he found that the man had died. Nachum said, "These eyes that saw you and didn't give you should become blind! These hands that didn't reach out to give you should be cut off! These legs that didn't run to give you should be broken!'' These actually happened to Nachum. R. Akiva went to visit him and said, "Woe is me that I see you in this state.'' Nachum replied, "Woe is me that I don't see you in this state!'' R. Akiva asked, "Why are you cursing me?'' Nachum replied, "Why are you rejecting afflictions?!''

The teacher of R. Hoshiya the Great's son was blind. R. Hoshiya would come and eat with the blind man every day. One day, R. Hoshiya had many guests and did not come to the blind man. In the evening, R. Hoshiya visited him and said to him, "The Master should not be angry at me, because I had guests so I didn't come because I was concerned that (if I would bring them with me) they might not show you the proper respect.

(The blind man responded): You have appeased this one who is seen but cannot see; therefore the One who sees but cannot be seen should accept your appeasement. R. Hoshiya asked him the source of such a blessing and he said that it was from R. Eliezer ben Yaakov.

R. Eliezer ben Yaakov was once visited by a certain blind man. R. Eliezer sat below the blind man. The people of the town said that he must be a distinguished person. As a result, they generously supported him. The blind man asked, "Why are they acting this way?'' People told him that it is because R. Eliezer is sitting below him. The man prayed for R. Eliezer ben Yaakov, saying, "You have acted with kindness to one who can be seen but cannot see; the One that sees but cannot be seen should accept your appeasement and act with kindness to you''.

It once happened that R. Chama bar Chanina and R. Hoshiya were strolling in the Beis Knesses of Lod. R. Chama bar Chanina said to R. Hoshiya - how much did my ancestors invest here (to build this Beis Knesses)!

R. Hoshiya: How many souls did your ancestors lose! (It would have been better to give money for Torah scholars to study, rather than to build such a building!)

(R. Acha citing R. Chanina): We've learned that whoever needs to accept charity and he does not, it's considered as if he spilled blood and one may not have mercy on him - if he doesn't pity himself, he certainly won't pity others!

And whoever does not need to accept charity and he does, before he dies, he will need others. And whoever needs to accept charity (although with difficulty he could struggle through without) and he does not accept, before he dies he will support others. About such a person the pasuk states (Yirmiyah 17:7), "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hash-m; Hash-m shall be his trust.''