The Working Poor 95

various garments. He traveled to his[former worker’s] home and after they ate and drank, he paid his wages. He then said to him:“When you said to me,‘Give me my wages,” and I said,‘I have no money,” what did you think about me?” He[the worker] said,“I thought that perhaps under-priced merchandise came your way and you invested.”[The farm owner continued]“And when you said,‘Give me livestock,’ and I said,‘I have no livestock,” what did you think?” “I thought that perhaps they were leased out to others.”“And when you said to me‘Give me land,’ and I said to you,‘I have no land,” what did you think?”“I thought that perhaps it was leased to others.”“And when I said,‘I have no produce,” what did you think?”“I thought that perhaps it had not yet been tithed.”“And when I said to you,‘I have no mattresses or cushions,” what did you think?”“I thought,‘perhaps he consecrated his possessions to heaven’[for exclusive use by the Kohanim and Levites and the Temple service].

The farmer then exclaimed,“By the sacred service so it was! I had vowed all my possessions because my son, Hurkenos, did not occupy himself in Torah . When I came to my colleagues in the South they annulled my vow[because one may consecrate only up to one-fifth of one’s possessions]. And as you have judged me favorably, may God judge you favorably.”

The Torah established a foundation of laws and principles to protect the working poor as well as the financial viability of employers. Throughout the generations, rabbinic leaders extended and modified laws in order to better meet the needs and circumstances of their communities. Indeed, superseding the strictures of law is the