Musar su Deuteronomio 15:9

Among the [negative commandments] dependent upon the shutting of the hand and the one who prevents himself from an act is “do not [...] shut your hand against your needy kinsman, [etc.] Beware lest you harbor the base thought, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,’ so that you are mean to your needy kinsman and give him nothing” Deuteronomy 15:7-9). We have learned from this that one who refrains from lending to a poor person violates two negative commandments. And they are “Beware,” and “lest.” So if at the time that the seventh year is approaching, we are warned not to prevent ourselves from loaning because of the fear of the matter of the year of remission, certainly [is it so at] a time when he will not lose [the loaner’s] debt - for the sin of one who shuts his hand from lending will become greater. And from the greatness of this iniquity, the verse called the thought of stinginess from lending, “base thought (devar belia’al).” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Ketuvot 68a), “[Regarding] anyone who averts his eyes from the obligation to give charity, it is as if he engages in idol worship. It is written here, ‘Beware lest you harbor the base thought in your heart…and you will not give him’ (Deuteronomy 15:9), and it is written there, ‘Certain base fellows from among you have gone out’ (Deuteronomy 13:14).” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Yalkut Shmuel 28:134) that a miser is called base. And so is it written (I Samuel 25:25), “to that wretched fellow, Nabal” - because he was stingy, since he said to David’s servants (I Samuel 25:11), “Should I then take my bread and my water and the meat that I slaughtered, etc.?” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 63a), “Greater is one who lends to a poor person than one who [gives] charity.”

And if one averts his eyes from this mitzvah, his sin is very great. As Rabbeinu Yonah writes (Sha’arei Teshuvah 67) on the verse (Devarim 15:9): "Take heed unto yourself lest there be in your heart a base thing, to say: 'The seventh year has drawn near, the year of shemitah [release], and your eye be evil against your brother the pauper, and he cry out against you to the L-rd, etc." — this is his pure language: "We have hereby been taught that one who refrains from lending to the poor transgresses two negative commandments ("take heed" and "lest"). If we have been exhorted not to desist from lending at the approach of the seventh year for fear of the institution of release, how great must be the sin of one who refrains from lending when there is no danger of his suffering such a loss. Because of the greatness of the transgression, the Torah refers to the thought of one who is averse to lending as 'a base thing.'" And, in Midrash Shir Hashirim: "R. Yehudah says: 'If one denies [the mitzvah of] gemiluth chasadim, it is as if he denies the Deity. But King David, may peace be upon him — what would he do? He would do lovingkindess, with all, etc.'"

One who shuts his eyes from an opportunity to give charity, it is as though he served idols (Kethuboth 68a). Such a man is called "worthless," "wicked," "merciless," and a "sinner." Worthless, as it is said, "Beware that there be not a base thought in thy heart, saying : 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand;' and thine eye be evil against thy needy brother, and thou give him nought" (Deut. 15:9). Merciless as it is written, "But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel" (Prov. 12:10). And he denies his lineage; he is not of the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they were merciful, but he is of the seed of the heathens who are cruel, as it is said, "They are cruel and have no compassion" (Jer. 50:42). And everyone who shows mercy, Heaven has mercy upon him (Shabbath 151b). As it is said, "… and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee" (Deut. 13:18).