רמבם, הלכות תשובה ד:ד
ומהן חמשה דברים העושה אותן אין חזקתו לשוב מהן, לפי שהם דברים קלים בעיני רוב האדם ונמצא חוטא והוא ידמה שאין זה חטא, ואלו הן: ... (ב) המשתמש בעבוטו של עני שהעבוט של עני אינו אלא כגון קורדום ומחרישה ויאמר בלבו אינן חסרים והרי לא גזלתי אותו…
(There are 24 things that delay repentance) and five of them are things for which the person who does them does not have the strength to repent from them, because they are small things in the eyes of the majority so the the sinner will think that his transgression is not a transgression, and these are them...2) one who uses the collateral of a poor person, for such collateral is none other than his spade and plow and you say in your heart, "These won't be missed, I have not stolen..."
[AJWS translation]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What are some actions we do regularly that we dismiss as too small or too common to be worthy of repentance?
2. What are the implications of this text on the poor person?
3. What other social justice themes emerge from this text?
Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)