Parshas Behar-Bechukosai 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- May 22
- 2 min read
וכי ימוך אחיך ומטה ידו עמך והחזקת בו גר ותושב וחי עמך ... (כה-לה)
When one observes a fellow Jew struggling, there is a moral and religious obligation to offer support. Rashi quotes the Sifra, emphasizing that the responsibility to help arises not only after someone has fallen completely, but even as they begin to stumble, urging us to step in before they reach rock bottom. This is compared to a donkey struggling under a heavy load; if supported in time, one person can prevent it from falling, but once it collapses, lifting it becomes significantly more difficult. The obvious question is, why would someone wait? Would a friend really stand by and watch as his friend struggled?
Seemingly, the decline referenced here, whether monetary, spiritual, or well-being, is not a very noticeable one. Human nature often leads people to get involved in situations that are urgent and visible. But inquiring about a subtle shift in an adolescent’s commitment to Yiddishkeit, or a little more stress in a workmate’s eyes, doesn’t come with fanfare or pomp. My Mashgiach in Yeshivah would often quote his father-in-law, R’ Mordechai Schwab zt”l saying, “Big people do little things, and little people do big things.” Growth works in stages. While there are certainly “Aha” moments in one’s life, ultimately it is sustained self-development and shteiging as a slower, more systematic process which does not require a commotion or a buzz.
A bochur once returned home from the Philadelphia Yeshivah to find a worker redoing the floors. In passing conversation, he mentioned where he had come from and the worker asked if he knew his good friend Shmuel Kamenetzky. Intrigued, the bochur asked how had they met. The worker related, that the yeshivah had redone its floors during the last bein hazmanim, and due to time constraints, he had worked until late into the night with almost no breaks during the day to get the job done. R’ Shmuel Kamenetzky shlita would spend time talking and continuously thanking him for the hard work he was putting in, and now, he concluded, we are friends! No publicity. Just simple greatness. Because the deed not be great to attain greatness.