Yalkut Shimoni 897

ילקוט שמעוני תתצז

Original Text:

אמרו עליו על הלל הזקן שלקח לעני בן טובים אחד סוס לרכוב עליו ועבד לרוץ לפניו, פעם אחת לא מצא עבד לרוץ לפניו ורץ הוא לפניו שלשה מילין

Translation:

They said of Hillel the Elder, that he bought a horse for a poor person of rich parentage to ride upon, and a slave to run in front of him. One time he could not find a slave to run before him, so he himself ran before him for three miles.
[translated by Mechon Hadar]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. What is the inspiration behind this tremendous investment in raising the standard of living of the poor?
2. Is there irony in hiring a slave to alleviate another person's poverty? In a great sage demeaning himself in public for them?

Time Period:	Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)
Type:	Narrative Text
Categories:	Poverty
Keywords:	Dignity, relativism
Related Texts:	Yalkut Shimoni 897
Related Sourcesheets:	What Does This Have To Do With Me?

Submitted By

Mechon Hadar

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