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SUMMARY
1. Torah scholars are exempt both from paying taxes and from paying for security expenses of their city.
2. Orphans do not have to pay for a failed investment by their city to dig wells for drinking water.
3. Torah scholars do have to have to contribute towards digging wells to find drinking water for their city.
4. The Gemara discusses how long a person must live in a city until he must contribute to the needs of the city.
5. Redeeming captives is a great Mitzvah.
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A BIT MORE
1. When a mayor imposed taxes on the Torah scholars, Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak chastised him by saying that he transgressed sources from the Torah, Nevi'im, and Kesuvim.
2. Rav Papa ruled that they have to pay only if the investment works and the workers find water. Otherwise, their money should be returned.
3. However, they are not required to do this work (the digging) themselves.
4. For example, if a person lives in a city for thirty days, he must contribute towards food for the local poor. If he lives there for nine months, he must contribute towards the burial of the poor people of the city.
5. When the mother of a king sent a bag of coins to Rav Yosef and said that they should be used for a great Mitzvah, he dedicated them to be used for redeeming captives.
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