Mishna, Pe'ah 8:8
[ח] מי שיש לו מאתים זוז לא יטול לקט שכחה ופאה ומעשר עני היו לו מאתים חסר דינר אפילו אלף נותנין לו כאחת הרי זה יטול היו ממושכנים לבעל חובו או לכתובת אשתו הרי זה יטול אין מחייבין אותו למכור את ביתו ואת כלי תשמישו
One who has 200 zuzim should not take leket (gleanings), shikhaha (forgotten sheaves), pe’ah (corners of the field) and ma’aser oni (tithe for the poor). If one has one dinar (equal to two zuzim) less than 200 zuzim, even if 1000 people give to her, she may take from all of them. [One whose 200 zuzim] are owed to a creditor or to his wife’s ketubah may take. We do not obligate one to sell their house or vessels (in order to acquire the 200 zuzim that would disqualify one from taking from the leket, etc.) [Translation by Rabbi Jill Jacobs. Edited for gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. What is the significance of 200 zuzim? Why do the rabbis establish this standard of need?

2. What regulations are associated with having 200 zuzim?

3. Should we take a similar approach to assessing needs today? How can we incorporate these ideas into our tzedakah work?

Time Period: Rabbinic (Maccabees through the Talmud)