The poor man thought of a quantity.
By metaphor: the life of the poor is much harder and full of sorrow. 'His life is not truly living.'
("For all the people are dead. And these are Dathan and Abiram, and how they died. They did not come down from their possessions, and the poor are counted as a number" - Midrash Agada (Buber) Shemot Chapter 4 19, and so: "Jacob said to him: Take what is in my hand and the poor are counted as a number" - Rashdi"i in Genesis 29, and so: "A righteous man is completely righteous - he will draw near to her and we will be united. Add to this the poor "Careful, as a little poor man, calculated as a quantity, merciful to the shadow" - H. Hazaz/ Shlulit Genuza, 128)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הֶעָנִי חֲשׁוּב כְּמֵת
Definition (Hebrew)
בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: חַיֵּי הֶעָנִי קָשִׁים בְּיוֹתֵר וּמְלֵאִים צַעַר. 'חַיָּיו אֵינָם חַיִּים'.
("כִּי מֵתוּ כָּל הָאֲנָשִׁים. וְאֵלּוּ הֵם דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם, וְכִי מֵתוּ. אֶלָּא יָרְדוּ מִנִּכְסֵיהֶם, וְהֶעָנִי חָשׁוּב כְּמֵת"-מִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה (בּוּבֶּר) שְׁמוֹת פֶּרֶק ד יט, וְכֵן:"אָמַר לוֹ יַעֲקֹב: טֹל מַה שֶׁבְּיָדִי וְהֶעָנִי חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת" -רָשִׁ"י בִּבְרֵאשִׁית כט, וְכֵן:"צַדִּיק גָּמוּר- מָשַׁךְ אֵלֶיהָ וְנֶאֱנַח. מְצֹרָף לְזֶה עָנִי מְדֻקְדָּק, כִּמְעַט עָנִי חָשׁוּב כְּמֵת, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְּלַן"- ח.הָזָז/ שְׁלוּלִית גְּנוּזָה, 128)