Tosefta Peah, 4:8
תוספתא מסכת פאה (ליברמן) פרק ד הלכה ח
אין פוחתין לעני העובר ממקום למקום מככר בפונדיון מארבע סאין בסלע לן נותנין לו פרנסת לינה שמן וקטנית שבת נותנין לו מזון שלש סעודות שמן וקטנית דג וירק במה דברים אמורים בזמן שאין מכירין אותו אבל בזמן שמכירין אותו אף מכסין אותו היה מסביב על הפתחים אין נזקקין לו לכל דבר
One gives to a poor person who travels from place to place no less than a loaf of bread worth a dupondium, [made from wheat which costs at least] one sela for four seahs. If the poor person stayed overnight, one gives enough for a night’s lodging, oil, and legumes. [If the poor person] stays for Shabbat, one gives food for three meals, oil, legumes, fish, and a vegetable. To what does this refer? When one does not recognize the poor person, but when one does recognize the poor person, one should even cover the person. If the poor person was going around the entrances [of houses] to beg, one doesn’t owe them anything. [Translation by Uri L’Tzedek. Edited for gender neutrality.]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. Why does the Tosefta differentiate between poor people whose identities are known and those who are unknown? Why?

2. Is this a realistic expectation of how we should provide for poor people we encounter?

3. Does this text relate to your experience encountering poor people today? How?

Time Period: Rabbinic (Maccabees through the Talmud)