(Mishnah): They may not give a wandering poor man less than a loaf (of bread) worth a pundion, when the price of wheat is four Se'ah for a Sela.

If he slept the night, they must sustain him for the night (giving him a bed, pillow etc.) If he stayed for Shabbos, they must give him food for the three meals.

A poor person who has enough food for two meals may not take from the Tamchui (daily charity fund).

If he has enough food for fourteen meals, he may not take from the Kupah (weekly charity fund). The Kupah is collected by two people and distributed by three.

(Gemara): The Tamchui is distributed daily; the Kupah is distributed every Erev Shabbos. The Tamchui is given to people of any city; the Kupah is only given to the poor of that city.

(Rav Chuna): Donations for the Tamchui are collected by three, since they are distributed immediately (and require three to do so).

(R. Chelbo citing R. Ba bar Zavdi): They may not assign less than three appointees (Gabbaim) to distribute funds for the poor - I saw that monetary cases require three judges and I said that certainly cases of life and death should require three!

Question: If so, there should be 23 (like actual cases of life and death)?

Answer: By the time that 23 are found, it could endanger the life of the poor.

(R. Yosi citing R. Yochanan): One may not assign two brothers as Gabbaim (over the charity fund, lest they act in cahoots and take money meant for the poor). R. Yosi only took one of two brothers who were Gabbaim. He went to them and said, "It's not because Ploni sinned; it's because one may not assign two brothers''.

R. Yosi went to the villages. He wanted to appoint Gabbaim for them, but the Gabbaim didn't want to accept the task. He told them, "(It is taught in a Mishnah in Maseches Shekalim) Ben Bavei was appointed over the wicks (of the Menorah and other candles lit in the Temple). If the one appointed over the wicks merited to be listed together with the greatest Rabbis of the generation; then if you are appointed over a matter of life and death, certainly you will merit this!

When R. Chaggai would appoint Gabbaim, he would observe them to see if they were Torah scholars - as all authority given by the Torah was to Torah scholars, as the pasuk states (Mishlei 8:15,16), "Through me kings reign...Through me princes govern (and nobles are all the judges of righteousness).''

R. Chiya bar Ba was appointed to assign Gabbaim. R. Elazar was a Gabbai. Once, R. Chiya bar Ba went to R. Elazar's house and asked him what had happened. R. Elazar said that a caravan of poor people had passed and that they had eaten and drank and prayed for R. Chiya bar Ba. R. Chiya bar Ba said, "I have no greater reward than this''. He returned on another occasion and asked R. Elazar what had happened. R. Elazar said that a caravan of poor people had passed by and had eaten and drank and cursed R. Chiya. R. Chiya said, "Now I have (the greatest) reward!''

They wanted to appoint R. Akiva as the Gabbai. He said, "I will ask my wife''. They followed him there and they heard him asking his wife if she agrees to it, "even though they will curse and disgrace me?''

(R. Ba bar Zavdi): Rav and R. Yochanan disagreed - one said that even if a poor person asks to receive from the Tamchui, they check to see if he is authentic. The other said that even for clothing they do not investigate, as it is dishonorable for a descendent of Avraham Avinu to be without clothes.

There is a Baraisa unlike the opinion that we do not investigate for clothing. However, it is explained to refer to one who asks for extras in addition to his basic needs...

Baraisa: When do they give the minimum quantities listed? When they do not recognize him; but if they do, they also give him extra according to his honor.

Question (Baraisa): To sustain a poor man of the city, he needs to have lived there for 30 days. To give him clothing, he needs to have lived there for 6 months. (This indicates that they must recognize him in order to give him anything?)

Answer: These time periods refer to the donor (in order to obligate him in these charities).

Question: But a Baraisa taught that in order to obligate a donor to sustain the poor, the donor needs to have been there for 30 days; and for other taxes and charities (such as clothing) he needs to have been there for 12 months. This shows that the first Baraisa was referring to the poor people who can accept donations?!

Answer: That Baraisa is also referring to giving, but it is not referring to clothing; rather, it teaches that one who was there for 12 months must pay towards the wages of the schoolteachers.