DEUT1406 Widows and orphans are entitled to special consideration because of their unfortunate lot. Strangers, frequent objects of discrimination, are similarly classed as individuals deserving of kind treatment. "And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him. … You shall not afflict any widow or orphan" (Exodus 22:20-21). Indeed a widow was granted some preferential legal protection. If she defaults on a payment of a loan, her garment may not be taken as a pledge [this verse]. All transactions with widows as also with orphans and strangers, must be free of rancor and animated by compassion (Chinuch 63, 65). Modern social laws have done much to improve the financial security of widows. However, these laws do not lessen the trauma of widowhood nor ameliorate the sense of loneliness and sensitivity to society's indifference. The ancient biblical concern for the psychological deprivation of defenseless people is as vital today as it was in a more primitive era.