אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל (שמות כב, כח) אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: כַּמָּה אַתְּ חַיָּב לִי, אַתָּה חוֹטֵא לְפָנַי וַאֲנִי מַמְתִּי לְךָ, וְנַפְשְׁךָ עוֹלָה אֶצְלִי בְּכָל יוֹם וּבְכָל אֶמֶשׁ וְאֶמֶשׁ וְנוֹתֶנֶת דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְהִיא מִתְחַיֶּבֶת, וַאֲנִי מַחֲזִיר לְךָ אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ שֶׁאַתָּה חַיָּב לִי. אַף אַתָּה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב לְךָ, אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל, עַד בֹּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ. כִּי הִוא כְסוּתֹה לְבַדָּהּ. אַף אַתָּה דָּבָר אֶחָד יֵשׁ לִי אֶצְלָךְ, אִם אֵין אַתָּה מַחֲזִיר מַשְׁכּוֹנוֹ, אֵינִי מַחֲזִיר לְךָ אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ. לְפִיכָךְ, אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל. וְהָיָה כִּי יִצְעַק אֵלַי וְשָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי חַנּוּן אָנִי. שֶׁהוּא קוֹרֵא תִּגָּר לְפָנַי וְאוֹמֵר: רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָם, אֲנִי אָדָם וְהוּא אָדָם. הוּא שׁוֹכֵב עַל מִטָּתוֹ, וַאֲנִי בַּמֶּה אֶשְׁכַּב. לְפִיכָךְ, וְשָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי חַנּוּן אָנִי. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶה, הָיִיתִי שׁוֹמֵעַ צַעֲקַת יְחִידִים. וְלֶעָתִיד, וְהָיָה טֶרֶם יִקְרָאוּ וַאֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה (ישעיה סה, כד). וְהַנָּבִיא אוֹמֵר: כִּי עַם בְּצִיּוֹן יֵשֵׁב וְגוֹ' (ישעיה ל, יט). If thou at all take thy neighbor’s garment to pledge (Exod. 22:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: How guilty are your sins before Me, yet I have been patient with you. And though your soul ascends unto Me at twilight each day to render an accounting and is found guilty,27There is a tradition that the soul ascends to heaven while the body is sleeping. nevertheless I return the soul to you. Just as you are obligated to me, so also are you obligated to them (the poor). If thou at all take thy neighbor’s garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it to him by that the sun goeth down; for that may be his only covering (Exod. 22:25). You have one thing that belongs to Me, and therefore, if you take your neighbor’s garment to pledge, and do not return his pledge to him, I will not return your soul to you. Scripture says of this: Takest thy neighbor’s garment. And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto Me that I will hear; for I am gracious (ibid., v. 26). If anyone complains to Me of injustice, saying: “Master of the Universe, I am a man and he is a man, yet he sleeps on his bed, but where can I sleep?” I will listen to him for I am gracious. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I pay attention to the complaints of the lonely ones in this world, but in the day to come, It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer (Isa. 56:4). The prophet also said: For, O people that dwelleth in Zion at Jerusalem, thou shalt weep no more (ibid. 30:19).