DEUT739 Some authorities declare that the rule, "the generous giver shall not give away more than a fifth," only applies when the donor seeks, of his own volition, to find needy people and to distribute charity among them. When, however, hungry and bare individuals approach him, whom he is duty-bound to feed and clothe as the Torah requires [this verse]: "sufficient for his needs in which he is lacking," or, if he were to encounter captives to whom the Divinely ordained obligation to redeem applies, then, if he wished to spend more than a fifth of his capital for this purpose, he is permitted, and this is deemed a saintly characteristic (Rambam: Mishnah Commentary, Peah, Chap. 1). Apparently, the limitation does not apply where danger to life is involved. If, for an instance, the captive is in danger of his life or the hungry of starving to death, then the limit of one fifth is inoperative. The Gemara (Bava Metzia 62a) only lays down that one's own life takes priority over his neighbor's; we have found no source to indicate that one's wealth takes precedence over his neighbor's life. Know, too, that the injunction limiting one's spending to one-fifth only applies when one squanders his possessions. This is indicated by the term mevazbez. Or a person holds a steady position or owns a going concern for which from which he drives his weekly sustenance and a little more besides, he is allowed to spend the extra income on charity even if, proportionately, this amounts to more than one-fifth of his earnings. Know, further, that the ordinance as such refers only to charity in general. As for the support of Torah learning, Shittah Mekubetzeth takes the view that this is not included in the restriction. This is logical, since the donor receives a share of the reward for the Torah study, as we find in the case of Issachar and Zevulun. The tribe of Zevulun supported the tribe of Issachar and took a share in the reward for their Torah study ... (Bamidbar Rabba, Nasso, 13:17).