https://pixabay.com/photos/farmer-load-rural-agricultural-4373374/
Translated by Balbino Cotarelo Núñez
To read this post in English, click here
As Eleanor Roosevelt wrote: “It is not fair to ask others to do what you would not do yourself.”
A unique mitzvah in our Torah portion clearly reflects this value:
לא תראה את חמור אחיך או שורו נפלים בדרך, והתעלמת מהם – הקם תקים עמו
If you see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen by the wayside, you shall not turn your back on them; you shall lift them up together. ( Devarim 22:4 )
This commandment, together with the similar commandment mentioned earlier in the Torah about helping one’s neighbor’s animal “fallen beneath its burden” ( Exodus 23:5 ), form the concept of פריקה וטעינה, helping to load and unload a pack animal.
It is important to note that this commandment is implicitly addressed to two people – the one who sees the fallen animal and the animal’s owner. As the Mishnah states ( Bava Metziah 32a ), the animal’s owner does not have the prerogative to ignore this rescue operation and brazenly assume that the obligation to help his animal is in the hands of the passerby. Rather, the last word of the verse – “together” – creates an ideal dynamic for raising what has fallen – carried out by the affected person together with the assistance of others.
While one opinion in the Talmud states that this concept forms the basis for the prohibition of treating animals cruelly, later commentators extend its applications to other forms of assistance.
Rav Yechiel Michael Epstein, in the 19th century in Lithuania , wrote that in societies that transport materials by cart as opposed to on the backs of animals, פריקה וטעינה includes the case where a cart gets stuck in the mud, loses a wheel, or breaks an axle. Even in that case, a passerby is obligated to stop and help:
וכן אם נשבר אופן מהעגלה או היד שהאופן מתגלגל בו, מחויב לסייע ולתקן בכל מה שאפשר, וללוותו מעט , שיראה שהולכת יפה … חו”מ רעב:ח )
…(the passerby) is obliged to help and repair in any way he can and (after the repair) to accompany the cart for a bit and make sure it moves smoothly…
Another outstanding application was offered by Rav Yechezkel MiKuzmir, a student of the Chozeh of Lublin in the early 19th century and grandfather of the first Rebbe of Modzhitz. He wrote that the mitzvah of helping one’s neighbor includes any activity in which help is needed, even singing (!):
גם כשמנגן אדם צריכים לעזור לו…שבעת שחבירו נחלש וחבירו מסייעו ומנגן מקיים בזה מצות פריקה שפורק מעליו המשא, וגם לפעמים שוכח הניגון וע”י חבירו נזכר מקיים מצוות טעינה דהיינו שנטען מחדש שיהא יכול לנגן אח”ז ולכן כל מי שיודע לנגן צריך ליזהר בזה עכ”ל. (נחמד מזהב פרשת תצא)
…When a person sings, he should be helped… both in the case when his voice falters and a friend joins in (singing) to help… and when he occasionally forgets a melody and his friend remembers it and therefore all who know how to sing should be aware of this mitzvah .
We are reminded – nay, commanded – to be aware that others may need our help, and to always think about how we can best use our skills and knowledge to help others. This is the essence of leadership, and it requires courage. It is simply the right thing to do.
On a recent visit to Montreal’s Jewish community, Columbia University professor and activist Shai Davidai shared a profound lesson about leadership when he addressed a group of federal-level politicians. He stressed the difference between a politician and a leader. “You are a politician,” he said, “when you stand for election. Once you are elected, you are supposed to become a leader.” The crisis, he stressed, is that too many remain politicians for their entire careers – constantly campaigning for the next election, constantly acting – or failing to act – to placate their base. They are often afraid to deal with society’s obvious problems, to ease the burdens of those who need it most, if doing so will alienate votes and diminish their popularity.
A leader – and a good citizen – is able to see when an individual or community is carrying too heavy a burden or has fallen and needs help to get back on its feet. It is true that those in need cannot rely exclusively on outside help; neither, however, should they be expected to do it alone.
(Postscript:
Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote is from her “My Life” column of June 5, 1946. Surprisingly, the context is the opening of the borders to Jewish refugees:
I see that Mr. La Guardia is encouraging us to relax our immigration laws and accept some displaced persons from Europe. If Palestine is not open to even 100,000 Jews, I think we should take the lead in opening our borders to this particular group of people who have suffered more than any other. There are many more, however, who, despite all efforts made to allow them to return to their countries of origin, will have to go to other countries. And once again we have an obligation to take sides and do our part. It is not fair to ask others to do what you yourself would not do.)
Daf of the Day
