In the preceding chapters we have clarified the mitzvah of giving loans. At this point it is necessary to clarify the qualitative aspect of the mitzvah. That is, just as the mitzvah of tzedakah must be done with a smile, so, too, the mitzvah of giving a loan must be down with a smile, not impatience. The lender must not treat the borrower with any demeaning way. As our Sages taught in a Midrash: “Greet every person with a smile. Even if one gives his fellow all the gifts in the world, but his face reflected annoyance, the Torah considers it as though he has done nothing.” Let the person contemplate about himself – if he needed some favor from his fellow, how much would he wish that the fellow respond to the request with a smile; that is how he should treat others who wish to borrow from himself.
