Who Sought to Possess the Entire World

"If you lend money" (Exodus 22:24). This is what Scripture says: "A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth, and does not know that want will come upon him" (Proverbs 28:22). "A man with an evil eye," this is Cain, who hastened to seize the world. How so? When Cain and Abel were in the world, what is written concerning them? "And it came to pass when they were in the field" (Genesis 4:8). Over matters of the field Abel was killed. Cain said to Abel: Let us divide the world; you take the movable goods and I will take the land. And this was because he thought to remove him from the world. They divided between them; Abel took the movable goods and Cain the lands, and Abel would walk about in the world while Cain pursued him and said to him: Get out from what is mine. He ran to the mountains, and he was after him, saying: This is mine, until he rose up against him and killed him, as it is said, "And Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him" (Genesis 4:8). "And does not know that want will come upon him." What was his want? "A fugitive and a wanderer you shall be on the earth" (Genesis 4:12). In every place he went, the Holy One, blessed be He, would bring an evil spirit to his foot, and they would strike him and pursue him until they removed him from the world. And Solomon cries out: "If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years" (Ecclesiastes 6:3). So too with everyone who lends to his fellow at interest: in the end he becomes dependent on creatures, as it is said, "and does not know that want will come upon him." What is written above the matter? "If you afflict, afflict; if he cries out, cries out; surely hear I will hear" (Exodus 22:22). It is all doubled, to teach you that the curtain is not closed before him. What is written after it? "And my anger will burn, and I will kill you" and so forth (Exodus 22:23). When? "If you lend money."