מדרש אויף תהילים 61:8

(Fol. 85b) Buneis, the son of Buneis, once called on Rabbi. "Make way for one worth one hundred manehs," exclaimed Rabbi. Presently another visitor came in and Rabbi said: (Fol. 86a) "Make way for one worth two hundred manehs." So R. Ishmael pleaded with him saying: "Rabbi, the father of the first-comer, owns a thousand ships at sea and a thousand towns ashore!" "Well," replied Rabbi, "when thou seest his father, tell him not to send his son around the next time with such poor clothes." Rabbi honored the rich and so also did R. Akiba honor the rich. As Raba b. Mari once preached: "May he abide forever before God; ordain that kindness and truth may guard him. (Ps. 61, 8). When May he abide forever before God? At the time that kindness and truth may guard them."

If thou lend money to any of My people (Exod. 22:24). David said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the Universe, May the world be (made equal) before God (Ps. 61:8), that is, make Thy world either rich or poor.²¹Ex. R. Sect. 31 “Make thy world evenly divided (as to property).” But He answered: If I do so, Why need I appoint mercy and truth, that they may preserve him? (ibid.). For if all men are either rich or poor, who will perform acts of mercy?

Another matter, “if you lend money to My people,” when Solomon built the Temple, he said to the Holy One blessed be He in his prayer: ‘Master of the universe, if there is a person who prays before You that You should give him money, and You know that it will be harmful for him, do not give it to him. If you see a person for whom wealth is becoming, give it to him,’ as it is stated: “You shall give that man according to his ways, as You know his heart” (I Kings 8:39; II Chronicles 6:30). In this world, the wicked are wealthy and live in tranquility and serenity, and the righteous are poor. But in the future, when the Holy One blessed be He will open the storehouses of the Garden of Eden for the righteous, the wicked who consumed usury [neshekh] and interest, will bite [noshekhin] their own flesh with their teeth, as it is stated: “The fool folds his hands, and eats his own flesh” (Ecclesiastes 4:5). They will say: ‘If only we had been laborers and we had carried on our shoulders. If only we had been slaves, and it would be like this for us,’ as it is stated: “A handful of tranquility is preferable to two handfuls of toil and herding wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6). That is why it is stated: “If you lend money to My people…[you shall not impose interest upon him].”
Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Who are your people?’ He said to them: ‘The poor,’ as it is stated: “For the Lord has comforted His people and He will be merciful to His poor” (Isaiah 49:13). The attribute of a flesh and blood [person] is that if one has poor relatives and he is wealthy, he does not acknowledge them, as it is stated: “All the brethren of the poor hate him” (Proverbs 19:7). But the Holy One blessed be He is not so, as it is stated: “The wealth and the honor are from before You” (I Chronicles 29:12), and He shelters only the poor, as it is stated: “For the Lord has established Zion and in it the poor of His people will be sheltered” (Isaiah 14:32). That is why it is stated: “If you lend money to My people, [to the poor who is with you].” David said: ‘Master of the universe, let Your world be settled in peace,’ as it is stated: “May he abide before God forever” (Psalms 61:8). He said to him: ‘If I render My world equal, “kindness and truth, that they might preserve him”’ (Psalms 61:8).⁷Were everyone equal, there would be no opportunity to perform acts of kindness and charity.