וקראתם דרור. לָעֲבָדִים, בֵּין נִרְצַע בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא כָלוּ לוֹ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים מִשֶּׁנִּמְכַּר: אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַהוּ לְשׁוֹן דְּרוֹר? כִּמְדַיַּר בֵּי דַיְרָא וְכוּ' — שֶׁדָּר בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה וְאֵינוֹ בִרְשׁוּת אֲחֵרִים (ספרא; ראש השנה ט'):
וקראתם דרור AND YE SHALL PROCLAIM LIBERTY unto slaves, both to him whose ear has been pierced (and whose period of servitude has thus been prolonged until the Jubilee; cf. Exodus 21:6) and to him whose six years of servitude (the period prescribed for an ordinary Hebrew servant; Exodus 21:6 Exodus 21:2), reckoning from the time when he was sold, have not yet ended. R. Jehuda said, “What is the etymology of the term דרור, freedom? A free man is like a person who may dwell (דור) at an inn — meaning that he may reside in any place he pleases, and is not under the control of others. (דרור therefore implies liberty of residence) (Rosh Hashanah 9b).
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְכִי יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי יט, יז): מַלְוֵה ה' חוֹנֵן דָּל...
רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא אָמַר לָהּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא רַבִּי נַחְמָן אָמַר לָהּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּרַבִּי שׁ'ִמְעוֹן וְרַבָּנָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ, אִלְמָלֵא מִקְרָא כָּתוּב אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאָמְרוֹ, כִּבְיָכוֹל דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל לֹוֶה לִהְיוֹת עֶבֶד לַמַּלְוֶה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי כב, ז): וְעֶבֶד לֹוֶה לְאִישׁ מַלְוֶה...
Another exposition of the verse, "If your kinsman is in [financial] straits . . . " (Lev. 25:39). It is written in Scripture: "One who is generous to the poor makes a loan to the Lord; He will repay what is due" (Prov. 19:17)...
R. Tanhuma taught in the name of R. Hiyya b. Abba, R. Nahman taught in the name of R. Judan son of R. Simeon, and our Rabbis taught in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish: "If not for a verse of Scripture, it would be impossible to say this: as it were, it is usual for a borrower [i.e., God] to become the servant of the lender; as it is written, " . . . The borrower is a servant to the lender!" (Prov. 22:7)
(17) He who is generous to the poor makes a loan to the LORD; He will repay him his due.