Another matter, “if your brother will become poor” – that is what is written: “Many times He rescued them, but they were defiant in their counsel, sinking low in their iniquity” (Psalms 106:43). In the days when the judges judged,11This is a reference to the period of the book of Judges. Israel would engage in idol worship, be enslaved by a [foreign] kingdom, repent, and be redeemed. They would again engage in idol worship, be enslaved by a [foreign] kingdom, repent, and be redeemed.
To what extent? Two amora’im, one said: Until they were impoverished [shedalu] from mitzvot.12This is based on the verse “Israel became impoverished [vayidal]” (Judges 6:6). The other said: Until their property dwindled [nidaldelu] to the extent that they did not have enough in the possession of any of them to bring even the offering of the poor, just as it says: “If he is impoverished, and his means do not suffice…” (Leviticus 14:21).
There are eight terms for a poor person: Ani, evyon, misken, rash, dal, dakh, makh, helekh. Ani, in its plain sense; evyon, who desires [shemeta’ev] everything; misken, because he is scorned by all, as it is stated: “The wisdom of the poor man [hamisken] is scorned” (Ecclesiastes 9:16). Rash, from property;13The term rash means dispossessed, as in the verse “you shall dispossess [vehorashtem] all the inhabitants of the land” (Numbers 33:52). dal, his property is depleted [meduldal]; dakh, depressed [medukhdakh], he sees an item but does not eat, he sees an item but does not taste and does not drink; makh, as he is lowly [makh] before all, he is like the lowest threshold. Therefore, Moses cautions them: “If your brother will become poor [yamukh].”