Monetary, Interpersonal Laws and Din Torah (17)
Laws of Vehicles. Do the Biblical laws of Prika - unloading a fallen donkey, and Teina - reloading a fallen donkey, apply to a car or person struggling under a load? There is a mitzvah in the Torah (1) that if one sees [even] his enemy’s donkey “crouching under its burden” he should not refrain from helping it, but rather repeatedly help it by unloading the donkey [free translation]. It also states (2): “You shall not see the donkey of your brother or his ox falling on the road and hide yourself from them [as if you didn’t notice them] but rather you shall repeatedly stand them up with him.” This is the mitzvah of Teina, reloading the animal in a way it can go further in an efficient manner.
Examples of the Aruch Hashulchan. The Aruch Hashulchan (3) adds 3 more cases that don’t necessarily involve a fallen animal: 1) If a wagon has sunk into mud [or snow] and the owner cannot pull it out, one who sees him in distress must help him unload the wagon and when it is light enough to help him, pull out the wagon. This is the mitzvah of Prika. Then, he has to help him reload the wagon which is the mitzvah of Teina. This is all relevant even if a donkey was untied from the wagon and is not stuck in the mud at all. 2) The baggage fell off the wagon, and only the owner is in distress but not the animal. Here, too, he must help load it back on, which is the mitzvah of Teina. 3) If the axle or wheel of a wagon broke, and one can assist in fixing the break, he is obligated to do so, and if necessary should help with reloading. The Aruch Hashulchan concludes that all these cases are included in the Torah obligation of Prika and Teina.
Applying to Cars. According to the above, if one sees a motorist stranded with a flat tire, or stuck in the snow, or with an engine that needs a cable to restart it, there is an obligation to help him repair or replace the tire, push him out of the snow, or use the cables (if he has them) to “jumpstart” the car. There are many circumstances where one can call for professional help like AAA, certain insurance companies with emergency benefits, or to local chessed organizations like Chaveirim. In such cases, if help is coming soon, one is not obligated to assist.
If one sees another person struggling with a load, is there a mitzvah of prika and teina? We will discuss this next week IY”H
(1) שמות כג:ה (2) דברים כב:ד (3) ערוך השלחן חו"מ רעב:ח