Do Not Rob the Poor For He Is Poor and the Seven Names of the Needy

(Proverbs 22:22): "Do not rob the poor because he is poor" - and why did Solomon need to mention "poor" twice? Rather, once a man is impoverished of his property - because once he has no property, his wisdom does not endure, as it is said (Ecclesiastes 9:16): "The wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heard." "Poor" of his very life, for he does not have a penny to live on, and through this his life is robbed from the world. Another interpretation of "Do not rob the poor": Rabbi Akiva said, the poverty of the poor man is enough for him; this is what the proverb says: "It is enough for the one in distress; leave him to his distress." "And do not crush the afflicted in the gate" (Proverbs 22:22) - Rabbi Simon said: at the time of his judgment, do not show him pity. Another interpretation: Rabbi Akiva said, there is no mercy in judgment. Another interpretation of "Do not rob the poor": Rabbi Chiyya said, seven names are given to the poor man, and these are they: ani, evyon, misken, dal, dakh, rash, makh. Ani (poor) - as it sounds; evyon (needy) - because he craves everything, he sees a thing and does not eat and does not drink; misken (wretched) - because he is endangered (mesukan) in his life; dal (impoverished) - because he is impoverished of his property; dakh (crushed) - because he is crushed (medukdakh) from place to place; rash (destitute) - because he is made destitute; makh (low) - because he is brought low to the lowest threshold. And is all this poverty not enough, but you would even rob him?! Therefore Solomon explained in his wisdom and said: "Do not rob the poor, because he is poor!" (Proverbs 22:23): "For the LORD will plead their cause" - Rab Hamnuna said: "For the LORD will plead their cause" - in this world, "and despoil of life those who despoil them" - in the world to come.