Whose Loan Comes First and the Curse Resting on Interest

"If you lend money to My people." Between My people and a gentile, My people comes first. Between a poor man and a rich man, the poor comes first, as it says "the poor." Between the poor of your city and the poor of another city, the poor of your city come first, as it says "with you." That My people comes before a gentile is obvious. Rav Nachman said in the name of Rav Huna: It was necessary to state it for the case where the gentile would pay interest and the Israelite would borrow at no charge [yet the Israelite still comes first]. These transgress a negative commandment: the lender, the borrower, the witnesses, and the guarantor. And the Sages say: also the scribe. They transgress "You shall not give him" and "Do not take interest from him" (Leviticus 25:36) and "You shall not be to him as a creditor" and "You shall not lay interest upon him" and "Do not place a stumbling block before the blind" (Leviticus 19:14). Abaye said: The lender transgresses all of them. The borrower transgresses on account of "You shall not cause to take interest" and "Do not place a stumbling block before the blind." The guarantor and the witnesses transgress only on account of "You shall not lay interest upon him." It was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Those who lend at interest lose more than they gain. And more than that, they cast our teacher Moses as a fool and his Torah as untrue, saying, "Had Moses known there was profit in this, he would not have written it down." When Rav Dimi came he said: From where do we know that one who is owed a hundred by his fellow and knows the debtor cannot pay is forbidden to press him? Scripture teaches, "You shall not be to him as a creditor." Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi both said: It is as though he judged him with two judgments, as it says, "You have made men ride over our heads" (Psalms 66:12). Rabbi Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Anyone who has money and lends it without witnesses transgresses "Do not place a stumbling block before the blind" (Leviticus 19:14). Reish Lakish said: He brings a curse upon himself, as it says, "Let lying lips be silenced" (Psalms 31:19). Our Rabbis taught: Three cry out and are not answered: one who has money and lends it without witnesses, one who acquires a master over himself, and one whose wife rules over him. What is acquiring a master over oneself? If you wish, say: he places his money in a gentile's name. And if you wish, say: he deeds his property to his children in his lifetime. And if you wish, say: things go badly for him in this town and he does not move to another.