Deuteronomy 15:7-8
“If there is with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.”
This passage is part of Moses's address to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land, likely around the 7th century BCE, urging them to establish a society based on justice and compassion, particularly for the poor among them, as they live under God's covenant.
What does this passage ask of us when confronted with immediate needs within our communities?