Parshas Shelach 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
Monetary, Interpersonal Laws and Din Torah (35)
Cars and Automobiles: Giving Rides. The following is adapted from Sefer Bnei Avraham [R’ M. Abramson]. If a person gives someone a ride, or picks up a hitchhiker, it is a fulfillment of the mitzvah of Gemilas Chasadim which causes one to receive good merit not only in Olam Haba, but even in Olam Hazeh, as stated in the first Mishna in Peah. However, if one has a good reason not to give the ride or pick up the hitchhiker, he does not have to. This is like the saying of Chazal (1), "חייך קודמין" - Your own needs in life come before the needs of others.
Examples. There are such cases where one is in a rush, or wants to talk with a family member privately, and will not be able to do so with a stranger in the car. R’ Yisroel Belsky zt”l used to say that if one is with his children, and expresses his geshmak to talk with them, but he overcomes it in order to do the chessed of picking up another person, he is teaching his children an amazing lesson about practicing chessed. Likewise, when giving a ride to another, he should express his happiness to be able to help.
Taking Care When Picking Someone Up. One should not pick up a passenger (or hitchhiker) in a dangerous way that might obstruct traffic. For example, one should not stop at an intersection where the light has turned green and by picking up a passenger he is delaying those behind him from moving ahead. R’ Yitzchok Zilberstein shlita in Chashukei Chemed (2) writes that doing so is forbidden for three reasons:
An emergency vehicle, like an ambulance or fire truck, might need to get by and he is blocking the road.
By stopping in the middle of the street, one is wasting the precious time of all those behind him.
The middle of the intersection is public property and the public obviously does not want him to cause harm. If he wants to pick up a passenger, he should rather proceed further up the street to a place or time that doesn’t harm the flow of traffic.
A Gentile. One may pick up a gentile if it is safe, and he is doing so to make him have a good view about Jewish people. By doing it with that intention he avoids the issur of “Lo Sechoneim.”
(1) בבא מציעא סב. (2) חשוקי חמד זבחים עמ' תרלא