DEUT714 Know that the precedence giving to the poor as against the rich, mentioned above… is only in force where both apply for free loans. If the rich required the loan for an investment, and the lender would lose his share of the profits by giving the money to the poor without charge, and he cannot afford this loss, he is not obliged to give the money as a free loan to the poor. (See chapter 1 where we have cited the opinion of the Chinuch that the mitzvah of gemiluth chesed loans depends on each person's circumstances.) In this connection, Chazal (Bava Metzia 33a) have stated that [this verse] "Howbeit, there shall be no needy among you" signifies that "your" needs come first. One should, however, most carefully consider whether he really is unable to afford the loan, for the evil inclination always entices one to believe that one does not have the means. Now, if one really can afford the loan, yet he closes his fist and refuses to do chesed fearing that he might thereby become impoverished, his evil streak will eventually bring him, God forbid, to poverty. So Chazal have declared (Bava Metzia 32a): "Whoever [overtly] considers his own needs first, will come to be in need." This criterion of whether he really has the means applies not only to the case mentioned above, but also where he wants to invest the money in business and a poor man desires to borrow that sum as a free loan (See Part II, Chap. 10).