אִם כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: נִבְהָל לַהוֹן אִישׁ רַע עָיִן וְלֹא יֵדַע כִּי חֶסֶר יְבֹאֶנּוּ (משלי כח, כב). אִישׁ רַע עָיִן, זֶה קַיִן, שֶׁהִבְהִיל עַצְמוֹ לִטֹּל אֶת הָעוֹלָם. כֵּיצַד? כְּשֶׁהָיוּ קַיִן וְהֶבֶל בָּעוֹלָם, מַה כְּתִיב בָּהֶן? וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה (בראשית ד, ח). עַל עִסְקֵי שָׂדֶה נֶהֱרַג הֶבֶל. If thou lend money to any of my people (Exod. 22:24). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: He that hath an evil eye hasteneth after riches, and he knoweth not that want shall come upon him (Prov. 28:22). He that hath an evil eye refers to Cain, who sought to possess the entire world. When was that? When Cain and Abel were (alone) in the world. What was written concerning them? And it came to pass, when they were in the field (Gen. 4:8), that He killed Abel because of the dispute over the field.
אָמַר לוֹ קַיִן לְהֶבֶל, נַחֲלֹק הָעוֹלָם, טֹל אַתְּ הַמִּטַּלְטְלִין, וַאֲנִי אֶת הַשָּׂדוֹת. וְהוּא שֶׁחָשַׁב לְהוֹצִיא אוֹתוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם. חָלְקוּ בֵּינֵיהֶם, נָטַל הֶבֶל הַמִּטַּלְטְלִין וְקַיִן הַקַּרְקָעוֹת, וְהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ הֶבֶל בָּעוֹלָם וְקַיִן רוֹדְפוֹ וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ צֵא מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁלִּי. רָץ לֶהָרִים וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו וְאוֹמֵר זוֹ שֶׁלִּי, עַד שֶׁעָמַד עָלָיו וַהֲרָגוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ (בראשית ד, ח). Cain said to Abel:24See above, “In the Beginning,” Section 9. “Let us divide the world between us. You take the movable property, and I will take the fields.” He thought that he would thereby be able to drive him out of the world. They divided everything between them. Abel took the movable property, and Cain the fields. Thereafter, wherever Abel went, Cain ran after him, shouting: “Get off my property.” He fled to the mountains, and Cain pursued him, shouting: “This too belongs to me.” Finally he turned upon him, and killed him, as it is said: And Cain rose against Abel his brother, and slew him (ibid.).
וְלֹא יֵדַע כִּי חֶסֶר יְבֹאֶנּוּ. מַה חֶסְרוֹ? נָע וָנָד תִּהְיֶה בָּאָרֶץ. (בראשית ד, יב). בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהָיָה הוֹלֵךְ, הָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵבִיא רוּחַ רָעָה לְרַגְלוֹ וְהָיוּ מַכִּין אוֹתוֹ וְרוֹדְפִין אַחֲרָיו עַד שֶׁמּוֹצִיאִין אוֹתוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם. וּשְׁלֹמֹה צוֹוֵחַ: אִם יוֹלִיד אִישׁ מֵאָה וְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת יִחְיֶה (קהלת ו, ג), כָּךְ כָּל הַמַּלְוֶה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּרִבִּית, סוֹף שֶׁנִּצְרָךְ לַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְלֹא יֵדַע כִּי חֶסֶר יְבֹאֶנּוּ. And he knoweth not that want shall come upon him (Prov. 28:22). What came upon him? A fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth (Gen. 4:12). Wherever he went, the Holy One, blessed be He, brought evil spirits upon him. They beat him and pursued him until they drove him from the world. Thus Solomon proclaimed: If a man beget a hundred children and live many years … but his soul have not enough of good, and moreover he have no burial (Eccles. 6:3). Similarly, whoever lends money to his friend on interest will ultimately require help from mankind, as it is said: And he knoweth not that want shall come upon him (Prov. 28:22).
מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן, אִם עַנֵּה תְעַנֵּה, צָעֹק יִצְעַק, שָׁמֹעַ אֶשְׁמַע (שמות כב, כג). כֻּלּוֹ כָּפוּל, לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁאֵין הַפַּרְגּוֹד נִנְעָל בְּפָנָיו. מַה כְּתִיב אַחֲרָיו, וְחָרָה אַפִּי וְהָרַגְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וְגוֹ'. אֵימָתַי? אִם כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה. What is written above this subject? If thou afflict them in any wise—for if they cry at all unto Me, I will surely hear their cry (Exod. 22:22). All the words in this verse are repeated in order to teach you that the curtain (for repentance) is never closed before Him. What is written following this? My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with a sword (ibid., v. 23). When is that? If thou lend money to any of My people.