א כַּמָּה נוֹתְנִין לְעָנִי, דֵּי מַחְסוֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ. כֵּיצַד, אִם הָיָה רָעֵב, יַאֲכִילוּהוּ. הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִכְסוּת, יְכַסוּהוּ. אֵין לוֹ כְּלֵי בָּיִת, קוֹנֶה לוֹ כְּלֵי בָּיִת. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הָיָה דַּרְכּוֹ לִרְכֹּב עַל סוּס, וְעֶבֶד לָרוּץ לְפָנָיו כְּשֶׁהָיָה עָשִׁיר, וְהֶעֱנִי, קוֹנֶה לוֹ סוּס וְעֶבֶד. וְכֵן לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד. לְפִי מַה שֶּׁצָּרִיךְ. הָרָאוּי לָתֵת לוֹ פַּת, נוֹתְנִים לוֹ פַּת. עִסָה, נוֹתְנִים לוֹ עִסָה. מִטָּה, נוֹתְנִים לוֹ מִטָּה. הָרָאוּי לִתֵּן לוֹ פַּת חַמָּה, חַמָּה. צוֹנֵן, צוֹנֵן. לְהַאֲכִילוֹ לְתוֹךְ פִּיו, מַאֲכִילִין. אֵין לוֹ אִשָּׁה וּבָא לִשָּׂא, מַשִּׂיאִין לוֹ. וְשׂוֹכְרִים לוֹ בַּיִת וּמַצִּיעִים לוֹ מִטָּה וּכְלֵי תַּשְׁמִישׁוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַשִּׂיאִין לוֹ אִשָּׁה. הַגָּה: וְנִרְאֶה דְּכָל זֶה בְּגַבָּאֵי צְדָקָה, אוֹ רַבִּים בְּיַחַד, אֲבָל אֵין הַיָּחִיד מְחֻיָּב לִתֵּן לְעָנִי דֵּי מַחְסוֹרוֹ, אֶלָּא מוֹדִיעַ צַעֲרוֹ לָרַבִּים, וְאִם אֵין רַבִּים אֶצְלוֹ יִתֵּן הַיָּחִיד, אִם יָדוֹ מַשֶּׂגֶת. (בֵּית יוֹסֵף וּדְלֹא כְּמַשְׁמָעוּת הַטּוּר), וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר סִימָן רמ"ט.
1 How much is to be given to a poor man? Sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth. Thus, if he is hungry, he should be fed; if he needs clothing, he should be clothed; if he lacks household utensils, they should be purchased for him; and even if he had been accustomed before he was impoverished to ride on horseback with a slave running before him, he should be furnished with a horse and a slave. And so each and every one should be supplied with what he needs. If it is fit to give him [merely] a slice of bread, give him a slice; if it is proper to give him dough, give him dough; if he ought to be provided with lodging, too, provide a bed for him. If it is fit to give him a warm meal, give him warm food; if cold lunch, then cold lunch. If he has to be fed [like an infant] then he must be fed. If he is unmarried and he comes to take a wife, the community should find him a mate; but first they should rent him a home, prepare him a bed and furnish him with necessary household utensils, and then marry him off. RMI.—It appears that all this applies to Gabbaïm over public funds or to many doing charitable work together, but every individual is not bound to satisfy all the needs of a poor man who may chance to come his way. What he ought to do is to arouse public interest in a worthy case; but if he lives far from men, he should give what he can afford.