Another matter, “to the poor who is with you,” that is what is written: “But it is God who is the Judge; He humbles this one and elevates that one” (Psalms 75:8). To what is this world similar? To a wheel in a garden. The earthenware vessels in it, the lower ones ascend full and the upper ones descend empty.
So too, not everyone who is wealthy today is wealthy tomorrow, and not everyone who is poor today, is poor tomorrow. Why? It is because the world is like a wheel. “For it is due to [biglal] this matter” (Deuteronomy 15:10); Rabbi Aḥa said: The world is a wheel [galgal], as it is stated: “A wise king scatters the wicked, and he turns an ofan upon them.” (Proverbs 20:26).
Ofan means nothing other than wheel, as it is stated: “He removed the wheel [ofan] of his chariots” (Exodus 14:25). Happy is anyone whose hand is extended to the poor. See what is written: “Wealthy and poor meet; the Lord is the maker of them all” (Proverbs 22:2). And likewise, “The poor and the deceitful man meet; the Lord enlightens the eyes of both of them” (Proverbs 29:13).
The poor man acquired life in this world and the wealthy man acquired life in the World to Come. But the poor man who extends his hand but the homeowner does not want to give to him, “the Lord is the maker of them all.” The One who made this one wealthy is destined to make him poor, and the One who made this one poor is destined to make him wealthy. There is no attribute harsher than poverty, as anyone who is suffering in poverty, it is as though all the suffering in the world adheres to him and as though all the curses in the book of Deuteronomy have come upon him.
Our Rabbis said: Had all forms of suffering gathered on one side and poverty on the other side, poverty would tip the scales against all of them. “You shall not be as a creditor to him.” Come and see that anyone who lends with interest violates all the transgressions in the Torah and does not find anyone who will come to his defense. How so?
If a person sinned, and violated one of the sins, and stands before the Holy One blessed be He in judgment, the angels stand, these speak in his defense, and those speak against him, as it is stated: “I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens attending on His right and His left” (II Chronicles 18:18). However, for one who lends to an Israelite with interest, not one of them will speak in his defense, as it is stated: “He gave with usury and took interest, shall he live?
He shall not live” (Ezekiel 18:13). Any Israelite who lends another and does not take interest, it is as though he fulfilled all the mitzvot, as David says: “A psalm by David. Lord, who will reside in Your tent? (Psalms 15:1), and it is written: “He does not give his money with usury… (Psalms 15:5).