One of the traditional obligations of Purim is the giving of gifts to the poor.^71
But the intent of the commandment was the giving of gifts to the Jewish poor,
and rabbis raised objections to giving Christian wet nurses money intended for
Jewish purposes. Examining the sources that discuss this practice, one notes a
change that took place over time. Rashi states:
We have seen people who distribute [gifts] on Purim to servants and maids in Jew-
ish homes. And this infuriated my rabbi, as it says “and presents to the poor” (Es-
ther 9:22)—[gifts] to Jews and not to non-Jews.... As at first, those poor who were
ashamed [to beg] sent their children with their gentile wet nurses to make the
rounds of the Jewish homes, the [people] grew accustomed to giving [money] to
the maids and wet nurses^72 for their own benefit as well, and not only for the needs
of the children.^73Rashi and his contemporaries seem to have regarded this practice as flawed and
forbidden. By contrast, thirteenth-century literature takes a very different ap-
proach. R. Samson b. Z·adok, the student of R. Meir of Rothenburg says:
The monies that we are accustomed to give to the maids on Purim—they [the
maids] should not become accustomed to this in a city where it is not the prac-
tice. And R. Ephraim [probably R. Ephraim of Regensburg, in the second half of
the twelfth century]: “I who lavished silver on her and gold—which they used for
Baal” (Hos. 2:10). But in a place where they have already become accustomed,
one should not cancel this practice in the interests of peace [darkhei shalom], as
it says, “We support the poor of the heathen along with the poor of Israel in the
interests of peace, and heathens may be assisted in the sabbatical year and greet-
ings may be addressed to them, in the interests of peace (Gittin 61a).”^74Another thirteenth-century source states that wet nurses stipulate this money
as part of their conditions of employment. R. Menahem b. Jacob of Worms
(turn of thirteenth century) explains that one should put aside special money
for the Christian servants before Purim since “they work for us all year for
Purim and make clear conditions about the money they receive on Purim;
therefore, it is [considered part of ] their salary.”^75 His comment indicates that
terminating this custom would have caused great anger and resentment.
This custom raises some questions concerning the social class of the wet
nurses in general, and those who came to work for Jews, in particular.^76 While
no wet nurse came from a high social standing, and all the wet nurses un-
doubtedly belonged to the lower class, we may wonder to what extent Chris-
tian women who worked for Jews differed from other women employed by
Christian families. Perhaps these extra presents, given, not by the employer,
but by the employer’s community on days such as Purim, are evidence of the
low wages these wet nurses received. Another detail in this source reinforces
this impression: These wet nurses are said to have gone with the children of
poor Jews to collect presents for the poor on Purim. If poor Jews, who were