Study Bava Batra folio 10B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
נותנה – ואינו יודע למי נותנה, נוטלה – ואינו יודע ממי נוטלה. נותנה ואינו יודע למי נותנה – לאפוקי מדמר עוקבא; נוטלה ואינו יודע ממי נוטלה – לאפוקי מדרבי אבא. ואלא היכי ליעביד? ליתיב לארנקי של צדקה.
It is the type in which one gives the charity without knowing to whom he gave it, and the other one takes it without knowing from whom he took it. The Talmud explains: One gives it without knowing to whom he gave it, this serves to exclude the practice of Mar Ukva, who would personally give charity to poor people without their knowing he was the donor. The other one takes it without knowing from whom he took it; this serves to exclude the practice of R' Abba, who would render his money ownerless, so that poor people would come and take it without his knowing whom he helped, although they would know from whom the money came. The Talmud asks: Rather, how then should one act to conceal his own identity and also remain ignorant of the identities of the recipients? The Talmud answers: The best method is to put the money into the charity purse.
מיתיבי: מה יעשה אדם ויהיו לו בנים זכרים? רבי אליעזר אומר: יפזר מעותיו לעניים. רבי יהושע אומר: ישמח אשתו לדבר מצוה. רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר: לא יתן אדם פרוטה לארנקי של צדקה, אלא אם כן ממונה עליה כרבי חנניא בן תרדיון! כי קא אמרינן – דממני עלה כרבי חנניא בן תרדיון.
The Talmud raises an objection from what is taught in a baraita: What should a person do to have male offspring? R' Eliezer says: He should distribute his money liberally among the poor. R' Yehoshua says: He should gladden his wife before engaging in the mitzva of sex. R' Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: A person should not donate a peruta to the charity purse unless a great and trusted individual like R' Ḥananya ben Teradyon is appointed as supervisor over it. This seems to indicate that putting money into the charity box is not always preferred. The Talmud answers: When we say that putting money into the charity box is the preferred way to give charity, this is referring to when a man like R' Ḥananya ben Teradyon is appointed as supervisor over it.