“Do not rob the poor for he is poor; do not oppress the poor in the gate, for the Lord will fight their battle, He will put in their place those who tried to put them in their place” (Mishlei 22:22-23)
Stealing from the Poor: We begin with the obvious question. We already know that robbery is a terrible sin, and even more so when stealing from the poor. Why does Shlomo Hamelech find it necessary to include this? Also, what does he mean by “do not rob the poor because he is poor”?
The Four Vulnerable Classes
The Pasuk (Devarim 16:14) lists eight groups we must rejoice with - four from our household and four vulnerable ones: the Levi, Ger, Yasom, and Almanah. The Levi here represents the poor, who rely on others for Ma’aser. The Torah repeatedly instructs how to treat the underprivileged, and Shlomo uses our Pasuk to highlight why additional prohibitions are needed against withholding what the poor deserve. He teaches that exploiting someone “because he is poor” carries a far harsher punishment. He is not merely repeating what the Torah says. He is gleaning from it to inform us that the punishment is much graver when we take advantage of the poor in their vulnerable state. You might feel you can get away with it “because he is poor”, but you should know that Hashem will come to their aid much more quickly.
The Widow and the Orphan
The poor have less resources at their disposal, and that is what makes them vulnerable. With the widow and the orphan, there is another dimension - the fact that they have lost their breadwinner. For them, Hashem treats oppression even harsher. “If you indeed persecute them...I will make your wives almanos and your children yesomim!” They have no protector other than Hashem, and that’s why He gets involved to this degree.
Connecting to the Parsha
The fourth member of this club is the Ger. We must be careful not to remind the Ger of his origin story, which he is sensitive to. We are reminded that we also were Gerim and should know what it feels like to be an alien. The Avos all looked at themselves as Gerim as well and we see that in the first Pasuk “Vayeishev Yaakov B’Eretz Megurei Aviv.”
Takeaway
Remembering our own history of vulnerability - like the Avos who saw themselves as gerim - should inspire empathy and restraint toward those who lack protection.
Self-reflective question
How can I remind myself of my experiences of vulnerability, so I act with empathy rather than arrogance?
