מלך ועני

A thought that came regarding the interrelationship of the two...
In assessing any large system or structure one must know the extent and status of it's bottom. The bottom level literally defines the scope and extent of the entire structure (the melech's malchut). A structure can be gauged as being fundamentally valuable only when the lowest common denominator can be gauged and assessed, as in ויתן המלך את-הכסף בירושלם כאבנים ואת הארזים נתן כשקמים אשר בשפלה לרב (Melachim I 10:27) and in וירח את ריח בגדיו.

The situation of the עני is the ultimate gauge by which the melech's melucha is defined. Hence the prayer of the עני uniquely having direct access to Hashem and the behavior of a Dovid Hamelech in ידי מלוכלכות בדם ובשפיר ובשליא כדי לטהר אשה לבעלה . It's the bottom which is most important to the top: וידע כל פעול כי אתה פעלתו ויבין כל יצור כי אתה וכו

"You're only as strong as your weakest link"

[afterwards, I found that this is a concept that I had already heard in my Rebbe, R' Matis Weinberg's shiur on chesed sheb'malchut]