Nakdimon ben Guryon loses his fortune TB Ketubot 66

A statement in the Mishnah on i TB Ketubot 66 needs explanation. “Additionally, the groom accepts upon himself to give ten dinars to the account for her needs, for each and every hundred dinars that she brings.” (Sefaria.org translation) Rav Ashi explains the meaning of this account. “Rav Ashi said: It is an account for expenses of perfumes and cosmetics. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Everything is in accordance with the regional custom” (Sefaria. org translation)

Based on these explanations the Gemara tells two stories about the daughter of Nakdimon ben Guryon. The first one relates how much perfume her late husband’s estate must provide for her. “Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: There was an incident involving the daughter of Nakdimon ben Guryon. When the Sages designated for her four hundred gold coins for her account of perfumes, from her late husband’s estate, for use on that same day, she blessed them and said to them: This is how you should also pledge for your own daughters, and they answered after her: Amen.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Why so much money designated for perfume? We previously learned about Nakdimon ben Guryon in massekhet Ta’anit. He was one of the three wealthiest people in Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple. During a water shortage, he borrowed 12 cisterns filled with water from a wealthy Roman official on condition that by a certain day he would either return the cisterns for the water or pay 12 silver talents. On the evening the last day of the appointed time, in answer to his prayers, rain fell and filled the cisterns. When the Roman objected that the sun hit reset and the appointed time had passed, Nakdimon because the sun to shine by means of his prayer. (Ta’anit 19b)

Apparently he was not in favor of rebelling against Rome. During the siege he and his two associates promised to supply the city for 21 years with all the necessary provisions. The Zealots, however, burned all the provisions so that they would induce the people to fight against Rome. (Giten 56a) With the fall of Rome he lost all his wealth. This is where the second story about his daughter picks up.

Apropos the daughter of Nakdimon ben Guryon, the Gemara relates what later became of her: The Sages taught: There was an incident involving Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai. When he was riding on a donkey and leaving Jerusalem, and his students were walking after him to learn from him, he saw a certain young woman who was gathering barley from among the dung of the animals of Arabs. She was so poor that she subsisted on the undigested barley within the dung. When she saw him, she wrapped herself in her hair, as she had nothing else with which to cover herself, and stood before him.

“She said to him: My teacher, sustain me. He did not recognize her, so he said to her: My daughter, who are you? She said to him: I am the daughter of Nakdimon ben Guryon. He said to her: My daughter, the money of your father’s household, where did it go? How did you become so poor? She said to him: My teacher, is it not that they say such a proverb in Jerusalem: Salt for money is lacking [ḥaser]? There is nothing with which to preserve it and prevent it from being lost. And some say the proverb asserts that kindness [ḥesed] is salt for money, i.e., using money for acts of kindness preserves it. He continued to ask her: And the money of your father-in-law’s house, which was used properly, for benevolent acts, where is it? She said to him: This one came and destroyed that one; all the money was combined, and it was all lost together.

“She said to him: My teacher, do you remember when you signed on my marriage contract? He said to his students: I remember that when I signed on the marriage contract of this woman, and I read in it, it listed a thousand thousands, i.e., one million gold dinars as a dowry from her father’s house, aside from that which was promised her from her father-in-law. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai cried and said: How fortunate are you, Israel, for when Israel performs the will of the Omnipresent, no nation or tongue can rule over them; and when Israel does not perform the will of the Omnipresent, He delivers them into the hand of a lowly nation. Not only are they delivered into the hand of a lowly nation, but even into the hand of the animals of a lowly nation, as in the pitiful instance of Nakdimon’s daughter.” (Sefaria.org translation)