Related%20passage for Bava Metzia 222:9

ות"ק חד להקדים עני לעשיר וחד להקדים עני לאביון

— One teaches the priority of the poor man over the rich; the other, the priority of the poor, over the needy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. [H] (needy) < [H], denotes a desirous person who, in his utter destitution, which is greater than that of a [H] (a 'poor man'), longs for everything. In his longing he is not ashamed to ask, which a poor man is too proud to do. ');">¹⁶</span> And both are necessary. For if we were [merely] informed [of the poor man's priority over] the needy, [I would think that it is] because he [the needy] is not ashamed to demand it [his wage] from him. But as for the wealthy, who is ashamed to demand it from him, I might say that it is not so [viz., that the poor takes no precedence over him]. Whilst if we learnt this in respect to the wealthy, I would think that it is because he is not in need thereof; but as for the needy, who needs it [more], I might argue that it is not so.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the poor has no priority over him. ');">¹⁷</span>

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