Mar Ukva was a learned and righteous man, one of the leaders of Jewish people while they lived in Babylonia. He and his wife were constantly involved with many acts of charity and deeds of kindness - they gave food to the hungry, tended to the sick, helped those who needed assistance, and many other good deeds.
Near the house of Mar Ukva lived a poor family. Mar Ukva and his wife could not stand to look upon the thin, hungry faces of the poor family's children, but the parents were too proud to accept any charity.
"I have a plan how we can help our poor neighbors," Mar Ukva's wife told him one evening. "Late at night, when everyone is already comfortably asleep in their beds, let us go to our neighbors' home and secretly put a few coins inside. In this way, they will not know who gave them the charity and they will not be embarrassed to accept it."
Mar Ukva was pleased with his wife's plan. That very night, with a few coins in their pockets, they stealthily made their way toward their neighbor's home. As they approached the door, Mar Ukva looked here and there to make sure that there were no passers-by. Mar Ukva took four dinars out of his pocket, slid them under the door, and quickly left the area.
In this manner, Mar Ukva and his wife continued each evening to quietly and secretly help support the poor family. And the family was not subject to the embarrassment of having to ask for or collect charity for themselves.
One evening, Mar Ukva remained later than usual in the study hall. He was trying to understand and master a particularly difficult question in the Torah. His wife became concerned and decided to go to the study hall to find him. Seeing that everything was all right, she patiently waited until Mar Ukva finished learning and they walked home together.
Along the way, they passed the poor neighbor's home. Seeing that no one was out at this late hour, Mar Ukva and his wife decided to put the four dinars in the house now, on their way home. This very night, though, the poor man had decided to wait up and see who it was who so generously and consistently helped support his family. He wanted to bless them for their good and kind deed.
As Mar Ukva and his wife were turning toward home, having just slipped the money under the door, they saw the door open. They did not want the poor man to see them, fearing that he might later be embarrassed to look at them or speak with them in public. Quickly, they ran away from the house. Because of the darkness, the poor man was not able to see who it was, and he began to chase the couple fleeing his home.
"Quickly, quickly," Mar Ukva called out softly to his wife. "We must hide before the poor man catches up with us." They looked in all direction, in search of a hiding-place. The only place they could find was the large communal oven, which was presently not lit.
"Come, let us go inside the oven and hide there," said Mar Ukva's wife.
The couple entered the oven. But Mar Ukva immediately felt that the floor of the oven was still hot from the day's fires. Mar Ukva cried out in pain as his feet were burned by the hot oven floor. "Put your feet on top of my feet," Mar Ukva's wife told him. "For my feet are not being scorched."
Mar Ukva was very surprised when he saw that his wife's feet were not being effected by the extreme heat.
Why did Mar Ukva's wife merit that a miracle be performed for her? She was not content simply to give money to poor people who came to her home. Rather, she invited them in, fed them graciously and encouraged them to satisfy their hunger in her home. In this way, they did not even have to go to buy bread for themselves.
Mar Ukva and his wife continued helping the poor family, but no one ever found out about their charity, charity dispensed with dignity and honor.
