משלי, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ז׳

Dependency naturally creates a power dynamic of control and submission, whether in matters of money or matters of the mind. In society, those with wealth hold sway over those who have nothing. This state of being destitute is not just standard poverty, but a condition of people who are entirely lacking in resources [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. Because these individuals rely on the wealthy for survival, or hope to gain some benefit from them, they naturally seek to find favor in their eyes and obey their instructions [אלשיך, עמנואל הרומי].

This dynamic intensifies when money changes hands, as a borrower becomes entirely subordinate to a lender. Commentators view the nature of this submission from two distinct angles. On one hand, this subordination can arise from a sense of gratitude; the borrower feels bound to the lender who kindly provided for their needs in a time of distress [רלב״ג]. On the other hand, it reflects a harsh and cruel historical reality. Wealthy individuals would lend money with interest, and when the impoverished borrowers could not repay their debts, the lenders would use their power to take the borrowers and their families as actual slaves, ruling over them ruthlessly [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם].

Beyond the economic reality, a primary approach among commentators shifts this concept into the realm of intellect and wisdom. In this view, the wealthy individual represents a scholar rich in knowledge, while the destitute represent the uneducated [רש״י, מצודת דוד, עמנואל הרומי]. The lender is the wise teacher who imparts knowledge, and the borrower is the student eager to receive it. Just as a person in physical need submits to the one who provides for their material survival, an uneducated person relies on the scholar to resolve their spiritual questions. This reliance naturally establishes the wise as the leaders over those lacking knowledge [מצודת דוד, עמנואל הרומי].