Midrash Tanchuma, Behar 2

וְכִי יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ וּמָכַר מֵאֲחֻזָּתוֹ. וְכִי יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ וּמָטָה יָדוֹ. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: אַל תִּגְזָל דָּל כִּי דַל הוּא כִּי ה' יָרִיב רִיבָם (משלי כב, כב-כג). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַל תִּגְזָל דָּל כִּי דַל הוּא, שֶׁאֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי אוֹתוֹ דָּל. מִי שֶׁהוּא גּוֹזֵל אוֹתוֹ אוֹ מַלְעִיג עָלָיו, חֵרֵף עוֹשֵׂהוּ. כְּאִלּוּ עָלַי הוּא מַלְעִיג, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עֹשֵׁק דָּל חֵרֵף עֹשֵׂהוּ וּמְכַבְּדוֹ חֹנֵן אֶבְיוֹן (שם יד, לא). מַהוּ אַל תִּגְזָל דָּל. וְכִי יֵשׁ אָדָם גּוֹזֵל דַּלִּים. וּמַה גּוֹזֵל מִמֶּנּוּ אַחַר שֶׁאֵין לוֹ כֹּל. אֶלָּא אִם הָיִיתָ לָמוּד לִהְיוֹת מְפַרְנְסוֹ, וְחָזַרְתָּ בְּךָ וְאָמַרְתָּ, עַד מָתַי אֲנִי מַסְפִּיק לָזֶה, וְאַתְּ מוֹנֵעַ שֶׁלֹּא לִתֵּן לוֹ. אִם עָשִׂיתָ כָּךְ, דַּע שֶׁאַתָּה גּוֹזְלוֹ. הֱוֵי אַל תִּגְזָל דָּל כִּי דַל הוּא, אֶלָּא הֱוֵי מְפַרְנְסוֹ, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מָקוֹם אַחֵר. וְאַל תְּדַכֵּא עָנִי בַשָּׁעַר (שם כב, כב), שֶׁלֹּא בִּשְׁבִילְךָ אֶעֱצֹר אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם. שֶׁאַף הַשָּׁמַיִם יֵשׁ לָהֶם שַׁעַר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמַיִם (בראשית כח, יז). כִּי ה' יָרִיב רִיבָם (משלי כב, כג), רָב אֲנִי אִתְּךָ רִיבָם, שֶׁאֲנִי עֲשִׂיתִיו עָנִי וּלְךָ עָשִׁיר. אִם הוֹפֵךְ אֲנִי מַנְגָּנִין שֶׁלּוֹ, וְאֶעֱשֶׂה אוֹתוֹ עָשִׁיר וּלְךָ עָנִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עָשִׁיר וָרָשׁ נִפְגָּשׁוּ, עוֹשֶׂה כֻּלָּם ה' (שם פסוק ב). לָמָּה, כִּי ה' יָרִיב רִיבָם (שם פסוק כג). כָּל כָּךְ לָמָּה. שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ אַתָּה מְחַסְּרוֹ, אִם אֵין אַתָּה מְפַרְנְסוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ, וְקָבַע אֶת קוֹבְעֵיהֶם נֶפֶשׁ (שם). (Lev. 25:25,35:) “And when your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property […]. And when your relative becomes poor, and his strength fails.” This text is related (to Prov. 22:22-23), “Do not rob the impoverished because he is impoverished […]. For the Lord shall plead their cause.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “’Do not rob the impoverished because he is impoverished,’ for I have made him impoverished. [Hence] whoever robs him or mocks at him reproaches his Maker. [It is] as if he is mocking at Me, as stated (in Prov. 17:5), ‘One who mocks a poor person reproaches his Maker […].’” What is the meaning of (Prov. 22:22), “Do not rob the impoverished?” Is there someone robbing the impoverished? Of what does he rob him, when he does not have anything?¹¹Cf. Numb. R. 5:2. It is simply that, if you are accustomed to maintaining¹²PRNS. Cf. the Gk.: pronoein (“to plan ahead”). him, and you have reconsidered and said, “How long shall I provide for him,” and you [then] hold back from giving to him; if you do this, know that you are robbing him. Ergo (in Prov. 22:22), “Do not rob the impoverished because he is impoverished”; but rather maintain him, because he has no other place [to turn]. (Ibid., cont.:) “And do not oppress the poor in the gate,” lest I stop up the heavens because of you; for the heavens also have a gate, as stated (in Gen. 28:17), “and this is the gate of the heavens.” (Prov. 22:23:) “For the Lord shall plead their cause.” I am pleading [their cause] with you, because I made him poor and you rich. I am inverting his charm¹³Gk.: magganon. and will make him rich and you poor. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 22:2), “Rich and poor meet; the Lord made them all.” Why? (Prov. 22:23:) “For the Lord shall plead their cause.” Why so much? Because you are reducing his spirit (nefesh), if you do not maintain him. Therefore (ibid., cont.), “and he will despoil the ones who despoil them of life (nefesh).”