The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand in his shiur this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistencies are the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Vaikra 25:35, the Torah discusses the obligation to help another Jew who has started to encounter financial distress. The Torah writes "V'chee Yamuch Achicha Umateh Yado Imach" translated as - if your brother becomes impoverished and his means becomes less with you, you should strengthen him.
The commentators who discuss this concept indicate that the Torah is not advocating charity, but rather assistance. Rashi compares it to seeing a donkey which is starting to lose its load. If one person stops the burden from slipping off the donkey, the animal can continue. But if he does not intervene and the donkey falls, even five people will have a difficult time raising the donkey. Indeed, the following sentence talks about how this person should be assisted before he falls, stating that you should loan him money without interest, without ever invoking the word tzedakah (charity).
In analyzing verse 35, R' Frand asked the question - why does the Torah say "Umateh Yado Imach" that the person's means become less with you? The Torah could have simply stated that the other person's means become less.
R' Frand answered the question by making reference to a thought said by the Yismach Yehuda in the name of the Shevet Mishor. The Talmud in Bava Basra writes that "poverty is difficult in the home of a person." What does the gemara mean by "in the home of a person?" R' Frand answered that there are two types of indigent people, those that people know about and others that are not known of yet. For the person who is known to be poor, he may receive anonymous donations around the holidays, or perhaps the community will take up a collection on his behalf. But there are other people who are on the precipice of poverty - who may have a nice looking house or car, but they are about to experience financial hardship - maybe because of a business failure or even an adjustable rate mortgage that is about to spike.
This second type of person is the one that the Talmud in Bava Basra refers to in indicating that poverty is difficult in his home. Few people (if any) know that he is about to experience financial ruin. No one at present is taking up collections for him and he alone is suffering internally, knowing that he is about to become indigent.
R' Frand explained that it is this second type of person that the Torah refers to by stating that the person is becoming less with you. You may be one of the few that are in this person's inner circle and are aware that he is on the edge of financial ruin. If so, while he totters on the brink of poverty (with your knowledge), the Torah obligates you to assist him before the poverty strikes him. If you are successful in assisting him before his poverty becomes manifest, the Torah commends you under the rubric of "V'chai Achicha Imach".
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