The first word in this verse is “im,” literally meaning “if.” Rashi cites the statement of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yishmael that every instance of “if” in the Torah indicates something that is optional except for three, of which lending money to those in need is one. What Rashi doesn’t mention is the support of this statement: we see from Deut. 15:8 (“you shall surely lend”) that it is an obligation. (For the record, the other two instances of mandatory “ifs” involve bringing the first fruits in Leviticus 2:14 and building the altar in Exodus 20:22. There are similar scriptural proofs that these are likewise obligatory – see Mechilta on Exodus 20:22.)
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