(Devarim 15:6) "For the L-rd your G-d has blessed you as He spoke to you": And what did He speak to you? (Ibid. 28:3-12) "Blessed shall you be in the city, etc."
(Ibid. 15:6) "And you will lend to many nations": I might think that you will borrow a sela (about two shekels) and lend a shekel, as others do; it is, therefore, written "and you shall not borrow."
"and you will rule many nations": I might think that you will rule others and others will rule you, as in (Judges 1:7) "And Adoni-bezek said, etc."; it is, therefore, written "and they will not rule you."
"of one of your brothers": your brothers from your mother; "one (of your brothers"): your brothers from your father. We are hereby (["one"]) taught that your brothers from your father take precedence to your brothers from your mother.
"in one of your gates": The inhabitants of your city take precedence to those of another. "in one of your gates": If he sits in one place you are obliged to help him; if he goes begging from door to door you are not obliged to do so.
"to your brother the pauper": If you do not give him, in the end you will take from him. And whence is it derived that if you open (your hand) to him once, in the end you will open it many times? From (Ibid. 8) "But open shall you open your hand to him."
"and lend shall you lend him": If one is impoverished but does not want to take charity, he is given the money as a loan, and then, (when he wishes to return it), it is ceded to him as a gift.
"shall you lend him": If one has the means, but does not wish to fend for himself, he is given the money as a gift, and payment is exacted of him after his death. The sages say: If he has the means and does not wish to fend for himself, he is not attended to. If he is impoverished and does not want to take charity, he is told "Bring a pledge" (as security), in order to appease him.
"which is lacking to him": even a horse, even a servant (if that is what he is used to). And it happened with Hillel the Elder that he gave a pauper of high pedigree a horse with which to work and a servant to attend him.
"unto him": This is a wife (i.e., he is to be provided even with a wife), as it is written (Bereshith 2:18) "I shall make unto him a wife fit for him."
(דברים טו ו) כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בֵּרַכְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ, וּמָה דִּבֶּר לָךְ? (דברים כח ג) ״בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בָּעִיר״ וְגוֹ׳.
(Devarim 15:6) "For the L-rd your G-d has blessed you as He spoke to you": And what did He speak to you? (Ibid. 28:3-12) "Blessed shall you be in the city, etc."
וְהַעֲבַטְתָּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים, יָכוֹל תְּהֵא לוֹוֶה בְּסֶלַע וּמַלְוֶה בְּשֶׁקֶל, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאֲחֵרִים עוֹשִׂים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְאַתָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹט.
(Ibid. 15:6) "And you will lend to many nations": I might think that you will borrow a sela (about two shekels) and lend a shekel, as others do; it is, therefore, written "and you shall not borrow."
וּמָשַׁלְתָּ בְּגוֹיִם רַבִּים, יָכוֹל תְּהֵא מוֹשֵׁל בַּאֲחֵרִים וַאֲחֵרִים מוֹשְׁלִים בְּךָ, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים א ז): ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲדֹנִי בֶזֶק שִׁבְעִים מְלָכִים...״? לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: וּבְךָ לֹא יִמְשֹׁלוּ.
"and you will rule many nations": I might think that you will rule others and others will rule you, as in (Judges 1:7) "And Adoni-bezek said, etc."; it is, therefore, written "and they will not rule you."
(דברים טו ז) כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ – וְלֹא בַאֲחֵרִים.
(Ibid. 7) "If there be in you a pauper": and not in gentiles.
אֶבְיוֹן – תָּאֵב תָּאֵב קוֹדֵם.
"pauper": The neediest takes precedence.
אָחִיךָ – זֶה אָחִיךָ מֵאָבִיךָ; כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאָחִיךָ מֵאָבִיךָ קוֹדֵם לְאָחִיךָ מֵאִמְּךָ.
"of one of your brothers": your brothers from your mother; "one (of your brothers"): your brothers from your father. We are hereby (["one"]) taught that your brothers from your father take precedence to your brothers from your mother.
בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ – יוֹשְׁבֵי עִירְךָ קוֹדְמִים לְיוֹשְׁבֵי עִיר אַחֶרֶת.
"in one of your gates": The inhabitants of your city take precedence to those of another. "in one of your gates": If he sits in one place you are obliged to help him; if he goes begging from door to door you are not obliged to do so.
בְּאַרְצְךָ – יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ קוֹדְמִים לְיוֹשְׁבֵי חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד – אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לְפַרְנְסוֹ, הָיָה מְחַזֵּר עַל הַפְּתָחִים – אִי אַתָּה זָקוּק לוֹ לְכָל דָּבָר.
"in your land": The inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael take precedence to those who live outside the land.
אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ – בְּכָל מָקוֹם.
"that the L-rd your G-d gives to you": (This extends the obligation) to all places.
לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ, יֵשׁ בֶּן אָדָם שֶׁמִּצְטַעֵר אִם יִתֵּן – אִם לֹא יִתֵּן.
"Do not harden your heart": There are some who agonize over whether to give or not to give.
וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ, יֵשׁ בֶּן אָדָם שֶׁפּוֹשֵׁט אֶת יָדוֹ וְחוֹזֵר וְקוֹפְצָהּ.
"and do not close your hand": There are some who stretch forth their hand and retract it and close their fist.
מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן – אִם אֵין אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לוֹ – סוֹפְךָ לִטּוֹל הֵימֶנּוּ. מִנַּיִן אִם פָּתַחְתָּ פַּעַם אַחַת פְּתַח אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה פְעָמִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים טו ח): ״כִּי פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ״.
"to your brother the pauper": If you do not give him, in the end you will take from him. And whence is it derived that if you open (your hand) to him once, in the end you will open it many times? From (Ibid. 8) "But open shall you open your hand to him."
וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ, פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח – פְּתַח לוֹ בִּדְבָרִים, שֶׁאִם הָיָה בַּיְשָׁן אֱמוֹר לוֹ ׳אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִלְווֹת׳! מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: צְדָקָה נִתֶּנֶת כְּמִלְוָה.
"and lend shall you lend him": If one is impoverished but does not want to take charity, he is given the money as a loan, and then, (when he wishes to return it), it is ceded to him as a gift.
הַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ – נוֹתְנִים לוֹ וְחוֹזְרִים וּמְמַשְׁכְּנִים אוֹתוֹ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אוֹמְרִים לוֹ הָבֵא מַשְׁכּוֹן, כְּדֵי לְהָגִיס אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ.
"shall you lend him": If one has the means, but does not wish to fend for himself, he is given the money as a gift, and payment is exacted of him after his death. The sages say: If he has the means and does not wish to fend for himself, he is not attended to. If he is impoverished and does not want to take charity, he is told "Bring a pledge" (as security), in order to appease him.
דֵּי מַחְסוֹרוֹ – אֵין אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לְעַשְּׁרוֹ.
"sufficient for his lack": You are commanded to sustain him, but not to enrich him.
אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ – אֲפִלּוּ סוּס וַאֲפִלּוּ עֶבֶד.
"which is lacking to him": even a horse, even a servant (if that is what he is used to). And it happened with Hillel the Elder that he gave a pauper of high pedigree a horse with which to work and a servant to attend him.
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּהִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן שֶׁנָּתַן לְעָנִי בֶּן טוֹבִים אֶחָד סוּס שֶׁהָיָה מִתְעַמֵּל בּוֹ וְעֶבֶד שֶׁהָיָה מְשַׁמְּשׁוֹ. שׁוּב מַעֲשֶׂה בַּגָּלִיל הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁהָיוּ מַעֲלִים לְאוֹרֵחַ לִיטְרָא בָּשָׂר בְּכָל יוֹם.
And it also happened in Upper Galilee that they provided one with a litra of meat from Sepphoris every day.
לוֹ – זוֹ אִשָּׁה, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ב יח): ״אֶעֱשֶׂה לּוֹ עֵזֶר״.
"unto him": This is a wife (i.e., he is to be provided even with a wife), as it is written (Bereshith 2:18) "I shall make unto him a wife fit for him."