it was held fifty days after Passover (cf. Deut 16:9–12; Lev 23:16), was one of the festivals involving pilgrimage to Jerusalem: during the exile it seems to have been commemorated by a special meal held as a remembrance rite for the feast. By looking after the needy, Tobit is fulfilling what the Law laid down should be done during this festival—taking an interest in strangers, orphans and widows (cf. Deut 16:14), although he is applying it to “brethren … mindful of the Lord” (v. 2). Despite his