Another matter: “If a man articulates” – that is what is written: “For He repays a person for his actions, and according to the conduct of a man He will provide for him” (Job 34:11). There was an incident involving a certain man who had two sons, one of whom performed the mitzva [of giving charity] and one who did nothing at all. The one who performed a mitzva sold his house and sold everything that was his, and he spent [the money] on the mitzva.

One time, on the day of the hoshana, his wife gave him ten shekels. She said to him: ‘Go out and purchase something from the market for your children.’ When he went out to the market, the charity collectors encountered him. They said: ‘Here comes the master of mitzvot.’

They said to him: ‘Give your portion for this mitzva, as we are buying a coat for a certain orphan girl.’ He took those ten shekels and gave them to them, and he was ashamed to go to his home. He went to the synagogue and saw there some of the citrons that the children [throw and] ruin on the day of the hoshana, as we learn there: Immediately, children drop their palm branches and eat their citrons.6Mishna Sukka 4:7.

He took some of them and filled a sack, and embarked on a voyage in the Mediterranean Sea until he reached the province of the king. When he arrived there, it happened to be that the king had an intestinal illness. They said to him in a dream: ‘Your cure is to eat from those citrons with which the Jews pray on the day of the hoshana, and you will be cured.’ At that time, they searched all the ships and all the provinces, but could not find any.

They went and found that man sitting on the sack. They said to him: ‘Do you have anything?’ He said to them: ‘I am a poor man and I have nothing to sell.’ They searched the sack and found those citrons.

They said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to them: ‘From those with which the Jews pray on the day of the hoshana.’ They loaded the sack and took it in before the king. The king ate those citrons and he was cured.

They emptied the sack and filled it with dinars. The king said to him: ‘Make another request, and I will fulfill it.’ He said to him: ‘I request that my properties be restored to me and that all the people come out to greet me.’ He did so for him.

When he arrived at [his home] province, a herald went out before him and all the people came out to greet him. His brother and his brother’s son went out to greet him, but as they were passing through a certain river, a current came and washed them away. It turned out that when he entered his home, he inherited his brother’s properties, to realize what is stated: “For He repays a person for his actions.”

Another matter: “For He repays a person for his actions” – this is Moses, as it is written: “It was in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out to his brethren and he saw their burdens” (Exodus 2:11). What did he see? He saw the burden of a man on a woman, the burden of an adult on a child, and the burden of a lad on an old man.7The Egyptians would force the Israelites to perform labors they were unfit to perform.

He then rearranged their burdens between man and woman, between adult and child, between lad and old man. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You resolved the burdens of My children; as you live, you are destined to explain and clarify for My children their vows, [differentiating] between man and woman, between adult and child, between lad and old man. That is what is written: “The Lord spoke to Moses…saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: If a man articulates a vow in accordance with the valuation of persons to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:1–2).