A Loan Reaches Further Than a Gift
The Chofetz Chaim teaches that lending to a poor person is an even greater mitzvah than charity, because it holds him up before he falls.
A teaching ofRav Yisroel Meir HaKohen Kagan of Radinהרב ישראל מאיר בן אריה לייב קגןProfile ›
In Ahavas Chessed the Chofetz Chaim begins with the mitzvah of lending, drawn from the verse that speaks of lending money to the poor person among you. He teaches that this mitzvah is greater than giving tzedakah. A poor person is less embarrassed by a loan, and the loan supports him and holds him steady, so that he does not collapse and have to depend on others. In this way one fulfills the verse that tells us to strengthen a brother who is failing. He adds that it is also a mitzvah to lend to someone who is well off when he is short of cash for a time, because kindness belongs to rich and poor alike, although the poor person comes first. And he notes that the mitzvah is not only for money. It includes lending a utensil or any other object that a neighbor needs.
Source: Ahavat Chesed, Part I, Laws of Loans 1:1–2
Look around you for someone who is a little short, whether a neighbor, a relative or a colleague. A loan of money, a tool, a car or an hour of your time can keep a person standing before he ever needs charity. This week, offer one such loan, quietly and without making him feel small. If you cannot lend money right now, start the Chofetz Chaim's own advice and set aside a few coins each week, so that when the need appears, you will have something ready to lend.