It states, “Do not eat the bread of one with a miserly eye … for it is like poison in his soul” (Mishlei 23:6-7). Most people understand this: “Do not eat the bread of one with a miserly eye, for it is like poison in the soul of the host.” That is, he tries never to give of his bread to others because giving anything away is like poison to him. The Zohar (3:3a), however, gives a different explanation: “Do not eat the bread of one with a miserly eye, for it is like poison in the soul of the guest.” That is, the food that one’s receives from a miser is like poison to the receiver. Moreover, not many days will pass before he actually takes ill, sometimes dangerously so. This is why Rabbeinu HaKadosh (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi) did not wish to accept food from anyone (Chullin 7b), for he was afraid for his life lest he benefit from a miser and then inevitably take ill. It turns out, then, that the miser causes evil both to himself and to others.
It sometimes happens that when the guest eventually dies the miser is held responsible and must repent over it. Thus the Sages comment (Shabbos 32a): “A meritorious act is brought about through the meritorious and a blameworthy act through the blameworthy.” Sometimes a miserly and begrudging individual even forfeits his life because of some small matter. For example, on a number of occasions I have seen people refuse to give soldiers [sugar] cubes or tobacco, and because of this trivial matter the soldiers murdered them. Sometimes the lives of Jewish prisoners can be saved in exchange for a small bribe, whereas later on when anti-Jewish feeling is running higher it is impossible to save them even for a house full of money. Woe to such individuals! Concerning them did Shlomo HaMelech write, “There is wealth that is stored up for its owner to his detriment” (Koheles 5:12).
Come see what is related in Ta’anis (21a) regarding Nachum Ish Gam Zu. One time a beggar approached him, saying, “Rabbi, feed me!” So he immediately went to unload some food from his donkey, but by the time he returned the beggar had died. The righteous Nachum then proclaimed, “May the eyes that had no pity upon him become blind; may the hands that did not give to him right away be cut off; and may my entire body that had no pity upon him be afflicted with suffering.” Whereupon all that he had decreed upon himself was fulfilled. Afterwards when his disciples saw his suffering they began to weep. But he said to them, “Why are you weeping? I brought this upon myself! For I was not satisfied until I said that my entire body should be covered with boils.” They said to him, “Woe to us that we have seen you like this!” He replied, “Woe to me if you had not seen me like this!”
Therefore when a person has guests in his home let him be sure to serve them a generous portion or let him not invite them at all, lest he be punished as above, Heaven forbid. For it is likely that the host will be required to repent over the matter. In this light we can understand the meaning of the verse, “A righteous person eats to the satiation of his soul but the belly of the wicked is lacking” (Mishlei 13:25). For whoever partakes of the food of someone with a generous eye eats to the satiation of his soul, even if the quantity of what he eats is small. But one who partakes of food from the “belly of the wicked” will feel a lack, for even if the quantity of what he eats is great it will not satiate him. The principle is that a miserly individual cannot even satiate his own soul, let alone give of the blessings Hashem has bestowed upon him to others. Thus we find that Naval (I Shmuel 21:11) was unwilling to send a portion of what he had slaughtered to Dovid HaMelech. Through this he brought evil upon himself, for he was stricken down by plague on this account (ibid. 38). Therefore a person must distance himself from this trait and then he will enjoy goodness, selah.
כְּתִיב (מִשְׁלֵי כג, ו-ז): "אַל תִּלְחֹם לֶחֶם רַע-עַיִן... כִּי כְּמוֹ שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ". הַפֵּרוּשׁ בְּעֵינֵי הַהֲמוֹנֵי עָם: אַל תִּלְחֹם לֶחֶם רַע-עַיִן, כִּי כְּמוֹ שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל הַבַּעַל הַבַּיִת, שֶׁאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן הַלֶּחֶם לַאֲנָשִׁים אֲחֵרִים, כִּי הוּא כְּמוֹ שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת. אֲבָל הַזֹּהַר פֵּרֵשׁ בְּעִנְיָן אַחֵר: אַל תִּלְחֹם לֶחֶם רַע-עַיִן, כִּי הוּא כְּמוֹ שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל הָאוֹכֵל. כִּי כָּל הָאוֹכֵל מַאֲכָל אֵצֶל הָרַע-עַיִן, אַחַר כָּךְ אוֹתוֹ הָאֲכִילָה הוּא בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל הָאוֹכֵל כְּמוֹ סַם הַמָּוֶת, וְלֹא יַגִּיעוּ יָמִים מוּעָטִים שֶׁיָּבוֹא אֵלָיו אֵיזֶה חֹלִי. וְלִפְעָמִים יַגִּיעַ אַף שֶׁיֶּחֱלֶה בְּחֹלִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ סַכָּנָה. וְלָכֵן לֹא רָצָה רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ לֶאֱכֹל מִשּׁוּם אָדָם, כִּי הָיָה מִתְיָרֵא לְנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יֵהָנֶה מִן אֵיזֶה צָרֵי הָעַיִן, וְאַחַר כָּךְ בְּהֶכְרֵחַ שֶׁיָּבוֹא אֵלָיו אֵיזֶה חֹלִי. וְאִם כֵּן, כָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא צַר-עַיִן, גּוֹרֵם רָעָה לְעַצְמוֹ וְגוֹרֵם רָעָה לַאֲחֵרִים.
It states, “Do not eat the bread of one with a miserly eye … for it is like poison in his soul” (Mishlei 23:6-7). Most people understand this: “Do not eat the bread of one with a miserly eye, for it is like poison in the soul of the host.” That is, he tries never to give of his bread to others because giving anything away is like poison to him. The Zohar (3:3a), however, gives a different explanation: “Do not eat the bread of one with a miserly eye, for it is like poison in the soul of the guest.” That is, the food that one’s receives from a miser is like poison to the receiver. Moreover, not many days will pass before he actually takes ill, sometimes dangerously so. This is why Rabbeinu HaKadosh (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi) did not wish to accept food from anyone (Chullin 7b), for he was afraid for his life lest he benefit from a miser and then inevitably take ill. It turns out, then, that the miser causes evil both to himself and to others.
לִפְעָמִים כְּשֶׁיָּמוּת הָאָדָם, הָאֹכֶל מַאֲכָל אֵצֶל הַצַּר־עַיִן, אֲזַי בִּגְרָמָא דִּילֵיהּ הוּא מֵת, וְצָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה עַל זֶה, כִּדְאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: מְגַלְּגְלִין זְכוּת עַל יְדֵי זַכַּאי, וְחוֹבָה עַל יְדֵי חַיָּב. וְלִפְעָמִים מִי שֶׁהוּא קַמְצָן וְצַר־עַיִן, גּוֹרֵם רָעָה לְעַצְמוֹ לָמוּת בִּשְׁבִיל דָּבָר קָטָן, כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲנִי רָאִיתִי כַּמָּה אֲנָשִׁים, שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ רוֹצִין לִתֵּן לְבַעֲלֵי הַמִּלְחָמוֹת קֻבִּיאוֹת אוֹ טוֹבַּק, וּבַעֲבוּר דָּבָר קַל הָיוּ הַבַּעֲלֵי מִלְחָמוֹת הוֹרְגִין אוֹתָן. וְלִפְעָמִים יְכוֹלִין לְהַצִּיל נְפָשׁוֹת מִבֵּית־הָאֲסוּרִין בְּדָבָר מוּעָט, וְאַחַר כָּךְ כְּשֶׁנִּתְחַזְּקוּ הַבִּלְבּוּלִים עַל נַפְשׁוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲפִלּוּ אִם יִתֵּן מְלֹא בֵּיתוֹ, כָּךְ יָכוֹל לְהַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ. אוֹי וַאֲבוֹי לְאוֹתָן הָאֲנָשִׁים. וַעֲלֵיהֶם אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה: וְיֵשׁ עשֶׁר שָׁמוּר לִבְעָלָיו לְרָעָתוֹ.
It sometimes happens that when the guest eventually dies the miser is held responsible and must repent over it. Thus the Sages comment (Shabbos 32a): “A meritorious act is brought about through the meritorious and a blameworthy act through the blameworthy.” Sometimes a miserly and begrudging individual even forfeits his life because of some small matter. For example, on a number of occasions I have seen people refuse to give soldiers [sugar] cubes or tobacco, and because of this trivial matter the soldiers murdered them. Sometimes the lives of Jewish prisoners can be saved in exchange for a small bribe, whereas later on when anti-Jewish feeling is running higher it is impossible to save them even for a house full of money. Woe to such individuals! Concerning them did Shlomo HaMelech write, “There is wealth that is stored up for its owner to his detriment” (Koheles 5:12).
וּבוֹא וּרְאֵה מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא דְּמַסֶּכֶת תַּעֲנִית, בְּמַעֲשֶׂה בְּנַחוּם אִישׁ גַּם זוֹ: דְּפָגַע בּוֹ עָנִי אֶחָד וְאָמַר לוֹ: רַבִּי, פַּרְנְסֵנִי! וְהָלַךְ תֵּכֶף וְטָעַן מֵהַחֲמוֹר. עַד שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיק לִטְעוֹן מַאֲכָל, יָצְאָה נִשְׁמָתוֹ שֶׁל הֶעָנִי. אָמַר אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק: עֵינַיִם, שֶׁלֹּא חָסוּ עָלָיו — יִסָּמוּ. יָדַיִם, שֶׁלֹּא נָתְנוּ תֵּכֶף — יִקָּטֵעוּ. וְכָל הַגּוּף, שֶׁלֹּא חַס עָלֶיךָ — יְדֻכָּא בְּיִסּוּרִים. וְאֵרַע לוֹ כְּפִי שֶׁגָּזַר עַל עַצְמוֹ. וְאַחַר כָּךְ רָאוּ אוֹתוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו בְּיִסּוּרִין — וְהִתְחִילוּ לִבְכּוֹת. אָמַר לָהֶם: מִפְּנֵי מָה אַתֶּם בּוֹכִים?! אֲנִי גָּרַמְתִּי לְעַצְמִי, שֶׁלֹּא נִתְקָרֵר דַּעְתִּי, עַד שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי שֶׁיִּמָּלֵא כָּל גּוּפִי שְׁחִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אוֹי לָנוּ, שֶׁרָאִינוּ אוֹתְךָ בְּכָךְ! אָמַר לָהֶם: אוֹי לִי, אִם לֹא רְאִיתֶם אוֹתִי בְּכָךְ!
Come see what is related in Ta’anis (21a) regarding Nachum Ish Gam Zu. One time a beggar approached him, saying, “Rabbi, feed me!” So he immediately went to unload some food from his donkey, but by the time he returned the beggar had died. The righteous Nachum then proclaimed, “May the eyes that had no pity upon him become blind; may the hands that did not give to him right away be cut off; and may my entire body that had no pity upon him be afflicted with suffering.” Whereupon all that he had decreed upon himself was fulfilled. Afterwards when his disciples saw his suffering they began to weep. But he said to them, “Why are you weeping? I brought this upon myself! For I was not satisfied until I said that my entire body should be covered with boils.” They said to him, “Woe to us that we have seen you like this!” He replied, “Woe to me if you had not seen me like this!”
עַל כֵּן יִרְאֶה הָאָדָם, כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אוֹרְחִים בְּבֵיתוֹ, יִתֵּן לָהֶם בְּעַיִן יָפָה, אוֹ לֹא יַזְמִין כְּלָל אוֹרְחִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לִידֵי עֹנֶשׁ, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל. וְקָרוֹב הַדָּבָר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מֻכְרָח לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה. וְעַל פִּי זֶה נוּכַל גַּם כֵּן לְפָרֵשׁ פֵּרוּשׁ הַפָּסוּק (מִשְׁלֵי יג, כּה): "צַדִּיק אוֹכֵל לְשֹׂבַע נַפְשׁוֹ, וּבֶטֶן רְשָׁעִים תֶּחְסַר". וְיִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ כָּךְ, כִּי כָּל הָאוֹכֵל אֵצֶל צַדִּיק, שֶׁהוּא טוֹב הָעַיִן — יֹאכַל לְשֹׂבַע נַפְשׁוֹ. אֲפִלּוּ אִם אָכַל מְעַט מִן הַמַּאֲכָלִים. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁהוּא אוֹכֵל מִן בֶּטֶן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים — הוּא יֶחְסַר, אֲפִלּוּ אִם הוּא אוֹכֵל הַרְבֵּה. מִכָּל מָקוֹם לֹא יִהְיֶה שָׂבֵעַ הָאוֹכֵל מִן מַאֲכָל שֶׁל רַע־עַיִן, כִּי זֶה הוּא כְּלָל גָּדוֹל: מִי שֶׁהוּא רַע־עַיִן, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהַשְׂבִּיעַ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ, וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוּכַל לִתֵּן לַאֲחֵרִים מִטּוּבוֹ, אֲשֶׁר חָנַן ה' אוֹתוֹ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ אֵצֶל נָבָל, שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה לִשְׁלֹחַ לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם מִנְחָה מִזִּבְחוֹ, וְגָרַם רָעָה לְעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁמֵּת בְּמַגֵּפָה עֲבוּר עָווֹן זֶה. עַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהִתְרַחֵק מִמִּדָּה זוֹ, וְאָז טוֹב יִהְיֶה לוֹ סֶלָה.
Therefore when a person has guests in his home let him be sure to serve them a generous portion or let him not invite them at all, lest he be punished as above, Heaven forbid. For it is likely that the host will be required to repent over the matter. In this light we can understand the meaning of the verse, “A righteous person eats to the satiation of his soul but the belly of the wicked is lacking” (Mishlei 13:25). For whoever partakes of the food of someone with a generous eye eats to the satiation of his soul, even if the quantity of what he eats is small. But one who partakes of food from the “belly of the wicked” will feel a lack, for even if the quantity of what he eats is great it will not satiate him. The principle is that a miserly individual cannot even satiate his own soul, let alone give of the blessings Hashem has bestowed upon him to others. Thus we find that Naval (I Shmuel 21:11) was unwilling to send a portion of what he had slaughtered to Dovid HaMelech. Through this he brought evil upon himself, for he was stricken down by plague on this account (ibid. 38). Therefore a person must distance himself from this trait and then he will enjoy goodness, selah.