The Torah reminds us to look out for those who are “imakh,” who are not necessarily much worse off than we, but nevertheless need help. The command here is not to assist the poor – a mitzva which the Torah presents in other contexts – but rather to assist those who are at risk of becoming poor, so that this does not happen.
The Torah in Parashat Behar (25:35) commands us to support the needy members of our nation: “If your brother becomes impoverished and his position becomes unstable with you, then you shall support him…so that he may live among you.” Rashi, commenting on the words “ve-hechezakta bo” (“you shall support him”), writes that the Torah commands us not to wait until our fellow falls into complete financial ruin. We are to “support” him while he is still just “unstable,” before he reaches a state of poverty. Rashi writes:
Do not let him decline and fall such that it will be difficult to lift him up. Rather, strengthen him from the time of instability. What does this resemble? A load on a donkey. While it is still on the donkey, one person can hold it and make it stable, but once it falls to the ground, even five people cannot pick it up.
The command here is not to assist the poor – a mitzva which the Torah presents in other contexts – but rather to assist those who are at risk of becoming poor, so that this does not happen.
Rav Gedaliah Silverstone, in his Regesh Leiv, adds that this explains the Torah’s repeated use of the word “imakh” (“with you”) in this verse. The Torah describes a person who has fallen into financial straits “with you,” and commands us to support him so that “va-chai imakh” – “he may live with you.” Following along the lines of Rashi’s interpretation, Rav Silverstone explains this emphasis to imply that the individual in question is still “with you” – he is still on the same socioeconomic plane, as he has yet to fall into outright poverty. This person is not a beggar, but rather “imakh,” somebody who is more or less like the rest of us but has either lost a job or sees his business take a serious downturn. We should not ignore his plight thinking that this person’s family still has their needs generally cared for. We need to have the foresight to recognize where the situation could lead, and lend support even while the person is still “imakh” in order to ensure that he stays this way.
Needless to say, we are obligated as well to assist those who have already fallen into poverty. But the Torah here reminds us to look out for those who are “imakh,” who are not necessarily much worse off than we, but nevertheless need help. Without ever forgetting our obligations to the poor, we must also look around within our own circles to identify those in need of assistance and see how we might be able to lend it.
Courtesy of Yeshivat Har Etzion - www.etzion.org.il