A Warehouse Of Seeds
One day two people approached the home of Rabi Pinchas ben Yair, who lived in the western part of Israel. They carried two large bags of seeds.
They knocked on his door and said, “We are seeking work in this town and it is too difficult to take these heavy bags with us. Will you keep these bags in a safe place until we call for them? We have heard that you are honest.”
Rav Pinchas accepted the bags and agreed to give it to them upon their return. Many days passed but the two people didn’t come for the bags. They had forgotten about them.
Fearing that the seeds might spoil, Ravi Pinchas began to plant them. That fall he harvested the crops and stored them in a warehouse. He did this for seven years.
During the eighth year, one of the men was passing through the town and he stopped at the home of Rav Pinchas.
Ravi Pinchas recognized him and said, “Come inside and take your fortune in wheat that now occupies many warehouses.”
The man was amazed and exclaimed, “Blessed is the G-d of Rav Pinchas.”
Honest Trading
Rav Safra had some merchandise to sell. When he met with the traders to finalize the purchase, he asked for 10 pieces of gold.
“We will give you only five,” said the merchants.
When Rav Safra refused to sell, they went away. The following morning they returned while the pious man was in prayer.
“We have returned to offer you seven gold pieces for your goods,” they said.
Because he did not wish to interrupt his prayers, Rav Safra did not answer. Thinking he was still dissatisfied with their offer, they said, “Very well, then we will give you the ten gold pieces you are asking.”
By this time Rav Safra had ended his prayers.
“I could not answer you before,” he apologized to them, “because I could not interrupt my prayers. Know, however, that before you even spoke I had made up my mind that if the opportunity arose, I would accept the five gold pieces you offered yesterday. Therefore, to accept the ten pieces you have offered me now would be to cheat you.”
Chazal consider giving charity as one of the cardinal principles of our faith. As it says in Gemara Ketuvot, “Rabi Yehoshua ben Korcha said, ‘Any person who shuts his eye against charity is like one who worships idols.’”
Giving Charity
In the neighborhood where Mar Ukba lived there was a poor man. Each day Mar Ukba would throw four zuzim into this man’s home. This way he avoided seeing the man personally and the man did not have to be embarrassed.
One day, the poor man thought, “I will watch at my door and see who does me this kindness.”
On that day it happened that Mar Ukba was detained at the house of study and it grew very late. His wife, seeing that he didn’t come home on time, decided to go and meet him. On the way, Mar Ukba passed the poor man’s home and planned to leave him money as he usually did every day.
But as soon as the poor man saw them moving towards his door, he went out after them to thank them. Fearing that he might be embarrassed, they fled, but the poor man ran after them. Passing a furnace from which the fire had just been swept, they both jumped into it.
Mar Ukba’s wife was unharmed, but his feet began to burn. His wife said to him, “Raise your feet and put them on mine.”