Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai and Nakdimon's Daughter
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai meets Nakdimon ben Gurion's daughter gathering barley from dung, and asks where her father's great wealth has gone.
Once, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was riding on a donkey, leaving the city of Jerusalem, and his students were walking behind him. (Kesubos 66b) He saw a young woman who was gathering barleycorns from the dung-droppings left by the animals of Arabs. When this impoverished young woman saw the great sage, she respectfully covered her face with her hair and approached him with a plea, “O Rabbi, please sustain me!”
Rabban Yochanan asked her, “My daughter, who are you?” She replied, “I am the daughter of Nakdimon ben Gurion.” The rabbi continued to inquire, “My daughter, the wealth of your father – where has it gone?” She responded, “Rabbi, do they not say this proverb in Jerusalem: ‘The only way to salt [i.e., preserve] money is to give it away? The only way to guarantee that you will keep your money is by giving your money to charity!’” [But Nakdimon ben Gurion did not disburse charity properly and therefore he lost all of his money.]