Commentary for Bava Batra 16:18

אמר אביי מריש לא הוה יתיב מר אציפי דבי כנישתא כיון דשמעה להא דתניא ולשנותה לכל מה שירצו הוה יתיב אמר אביי מריש הוה עביד מר תרי כיסי חד לעניי דעלמא וחד לעניי דמתא כיון דשמעה להא דאמר ליה שמואל לרב תחליפא בר אבדימי עביד חד כיסא

this applies to a judge who gives a true verdict on true evidence.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'true to its own truth', v. Tosaf. s.v. ihs ');">¹⁶</span> And they that turn many to righteousness [<i>zedakah</i>] as the stars for ever and ever:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹⁷</span> these are the collectors for charity [<i>zedakah</i>]. In a Baraitha it was taught: They that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament: this applies to a judge who gives a true verdict on true evidence and to the collectors for charity: and they that turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever: this applies to the teachers of young children.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because they also turn their pupils to righteousness. ');">¹⁸</span> Such as who, for instance? — Said Rab: To such as R. Samuel b. Shilath. For Rab once found R. Samuel b. Shilath in a garden, whereupon he said to him, 'Have you deserted your post'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'your faith' or 'trustworthiness'. ');">¹⁹</span> He replied, 'I have not seen this garden for thirteen years, and even now my thoughts are with the children.' And what does Scripture say of the Rabbis? — Rabina answered: They that love him shall be as the sun when he goeth forth in his night.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judges V, 31. ');">²⁰</span> Our Rabbis taught: The collectors of charity [when collecting] are not permitted to separate from one another, though one may collect at the gate while the other collects at a shop [in the same courtyard].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As they are still in sight of one another. ');">²¹</span> If one of them finds money in the street, he should not put it into his purse but into the charity box,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that people should not be able to say that he was appropriating charity funds. ');">²²</span> and when he comes home he should take it out. In the same way, if one of them has lent a man a mina and he pays him in the street, he should not put the money into his own purse but into the charity box, and take it out again when he comes home. Our Rabbis taught: If the collectors [still have money but] no poor to whom to distribute it, they should change the small coins into larger ones<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For fear the small coins should rust. ');">²³</span> with other persons, but not from their own money.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lest people should say that they do not give full value. ');">²⁴</span> If the stewards of the soup kitchen [have food over and] no poor to whom to distribute it, they may sell it to others but not to themselves. In counting out money collected for charity, they should not count the coins two at a time,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lest people should say that they take two and only count one. ');">²⁵</span> but only one at a time. Abaye said: At first the Master<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rabbah. ');">²⁶</span> would not sit on the mats in the synagogue;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because they were bought out of the charity funds. ');">²⁷</span> but when he heard that it had been taught that 'the townspeople can apply it to any purpose they choose,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra p. 37 ');">²⁸</span> he did sit on them. Abaye also said: At first the Master used to keep two purses, one for the poor from outside and one for the poor of the town. When, however, he heard of what Samuel had said to R. Tahalifa b. Abdimi, 'Keep one purse only

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