A Short Tribute

"The righteous man walks in his integrity; happy are the children who come after him.” Three attributes can be found in people who give charity: There are those who wish to support Torah scholars, the sages who deal in the subtleties of study in the yeshiva, so that they become teachers who instruct law to the People of Israel. There are those who adore those scholars who know Aggadah, who recount the literal explanations (pshat), stories with morals and charming tales. And then there are those who like to give charity particularly to those poor and miserable people who go from door to door, because they are overcome by compassion by their wretchedness. So that what is lacking in one (who gives) can be found in the other. However, those who are accustomed to giving charity to all supplicants benefit from all three, for they support yeshiva scholars, Aggadah storytellers and the poverty-stricken. Measure for measure – they will have children who are wise – for having supported teachers, children who are Aggadah scholars – for having supported Aggadah scholars, and children who are wealthy – for having provided for the poverty-stricken. "The righteous man walks in his integrity" means that one gives charity with integrity to all three, without giving more value to one over the other; "happy are the children who come after him", because they benefit from all three values.