An Elder Who Lived at the Cells of Choziba
There was an elder living at the Cells of Choziba, and the elders there told us that when he was in his home village, this is what he used to do. If ever he saw somebody in his village so poor that he could not sow his own field, then, unknown to the man who worked that land, he would come by night with his own oxen and seed—and sow his neighbor's field.
When he went into the wilderness and settled at the Cells of Choziba, this elder was equally considerate of his neighbors. He would travel the road from the holy Jordan to the Holy City of Jerusalem, carrying bread and water. If he saw a person overcome by fatigue, he would shoulder that person’s pack and carry it all the way to the holy Mount of Olives. He would do the same on the return journey if he found others, carrying their packs as far as Jericho.
You would see this elder, sometimes sweating under a great load, sometimes carrying a youngster on his shoulders. There was even an occasion when he carried two of them at the same time. Sometimes he would sit down and repair the footwear of men and women if this was needed, for he carried with him what was necessary for that task. To some, he gave a drink of the water he carried with him, and to others, he offered bread. If he found anyone naked, he gave him the very garment that he wore. You saw him working all day long. If ever he found a corpse on the road, he said the appointed prayers over it and gave it burial.