In the neighborhood of Mar 'Ukba there lived a poor man. Mar 'Ukba used to send him every year, on the eve of the Day of Atonement, four hundred florins.

Once he sent the four hundred florins through his son, and when the lad returned home, he said to his father: "The poor man does not need your money, for when I

entered his house I found him drinking nothing but the best old wine."

The pious man replied: "I see that the poor man has a very refined taste, and therefore must have more money, than I gave him."

And he sent him a larger sum than before.

When the pious man was about to die, he said to his children: "Bring me my list of charities."

And they found that he had spent on charity seven thousand florins.

Then the pious man said: "I have a long journey before me, and have taken along so little provisions."

He meant that he had not given enough charity, and so he bequeathed half of his property for charitable uses.

Then, he said: "Now I have enough provisions for my journey."