Daf Yomi Megillah 27-28: For Whom Did Rav Huna Collect? A Precedent For Kupat Ha'Ir

There is an interesting gemara on Megillah 27a - b. There are two ways of reading it - that Rav Huna collected for himself, or that he administered the charity funds for the city.

Megillah 27a - b:

אמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן בני העיר שהלכו לעיר אחרת ופסקו להם צדקה נותנין וכשהן באין מביאין אותה עמהם ומפרנסין בהן עניי עירם
תנ"ה בני העיר שהלכו לעיר אחרת ופסקו עליהם צדקה נותנין וכשהן באין מביאין אותה עמהם ומפרנסין בה עניי עירם ויחיד שהלך לעיר אחרת ופסקו עליו צדקה תנתן לעניי אותה העיר

Rabba bar bar Channa cited Rabbi Yochanan: If the residents of one city went to another city, and they imposed upon them to give charity, they give it {to the gabbai tzedakka} and when they come {back home} they bring it {the money from the gabbai} with them and use it to provide for the poor of their own city.
A brayta also says so: If the residents of one city went to another city, and they imposed upon them to give charity, they give it {to the gabbai tzedakka} and when they come {back home} they bring it {the money from the gabbai} with them and use it to provide for the poor of their own city. And an individual who went to another city and they imposed upon him to give charity, it is given to the poor of that city.

רב הונא גזר תעניתא
על לגביה רב הונא בר חנילאי וכל בני מתיה
רמו עלייהו צדקה יהבו
כי בעו למיזל אמרי ליה ליתבינהו ניהלן מר וניזיל ונפרנס בו עניי דמאתן
אמר להו תנינא במה דברים אמורים שאין שם חבר עיר אבל יש שם חבר עיר תנתן לחבר עיר
וכ"ש דעניי דידי ודידכו עלאי סמוכו:
Rav Huna declared a fast. Rav Huna bar Chanilai and all the residents of his city came to him. He imposed upon them charity, and the gave. When they wished to leave, they said to him, "let master give it to us and we will use it to provide for the poor of our city." He said to them: We learnt it: "Where are these words said {that they take the charity back to the city}, when there is no chaver of the city {Talmid Chacham who involves himself in the needs of the community}, but where there is a chaver of the city, it is given to the chaver of the city. And certainly {in this case} since both the poor of my city and your city rely upon me!"

What is this business with the chaver ir? Perhaps it is like Kupat Ha'ir, that the gedolim involve themselves in the disbursement of the charity. Indeed, that seems the implication of Kollel Iyyun Hadaf's rendition:

1. (Beraisa): This (they take back their Tzedakah) is when there is no Chacham appointed over the communal needs. When there is a Chacham, all is done as he sees fit.

27b----------------------------------------27b

2. All the more so here Rav Huna decides, because the poor of both cities rely on him!

by saying "all is done as he sees fit" and "Rav Huna decides," both of which are not in the gemara itself, they are explaining it that he, the chaver ir, is the gabbai tzeddaka. Why a chaver ir as gabbai takes control while a non-chaver ir does not, I don't know.

Rashi defines chaver ir as a chacham who takes care of communal needs. With that in mind, I would suggest that Rav Huna declared a fast because of hard times, and he himself was in need of sustenance, and this is why he collected, for himself. Indeed, we see in Shabbat 114a:

ואמר רבי יוחנן איזהו ת"ח שבני עירו מצווין לעשות לו מלאכתו זה שמניח חפצו ועוסק בחפצי שמים וה"מ למיטרח בריפתיה

Rabbi Yochanan said: Who is a scholar whose work it is the duty of his townspeople to perform? He who abandons his own interest and engages in religious affairs; yet that is only to provide his bread {= basic necessities}.

This, I would suggest, was what is meant by a chaver ir as a talmid chacham who engages in the needs of the community. Rav Huna would say that the people, even the poor, of both communities, rely upon him as a religious leader, and thus he should be able to keep the money.

Indeed, on the next daf, Megillah 28a, we see a poor Rav Huna carrying his own spade.

By the way, helping us define chaver ir might be a search for how the term is used elsewhere in Shas.
Brachot 30a:
דף ל, א משנה ר' אלעזר בן עזריה אומר אין תפלת המוספין אלא בחבר עיר וחכ"א בחבר עיר ושלא בחבר עיר ר' יהודה אומר משמו כל מקום שיש שם חבר עיר יחיד פטור מתפלת המוספין:

Chullin 94a:
ת"ר לא ילך אדם לבית האבל ובידו לגין המתקשקש ולא ימלאנו מים מפני שמתעהו ואם יש שם חבר עיר מותר

Tosefta Megillah:
כהן שיש בו מום בפניו בידיו וברגליו הרי זה לא ישא את כפיו מפני שהעם מסתכלין בו ואם היה חבר עיר ה"ז מותר

Update/Clarification: Thus, from the first instance, we may well deduce that the presence of a chaver ir allows tefillat hamussafin. Thus, it would seem to be ten people, or a communal organization. And we might trans. This is thus predicated on the presence of this חבר עיר. Similarly over here, we might say the same.