Mutual Responsibility

It is a great Torah mitzva to save a person who is in danger. For we are commanded even to return to a person an object he has lost, as it is stated (Devarim 22:2): “And you shall return it to him”; all the more so must we restore his very life to him and save him. The mitzva is also learned from the verse (Vayikra 19:16): “Do not stand by the blood of your fellow.” Thus the Sages said (Sanhedrin 73a): From where do we know that one who sees his fellow drowning in a river, or being dragged by a wild beast that is about to devour him, or being attacked by bandits who come to kill him – from where do we know that he is obligated to save him? The Torah teaches: “Do not stand by the blood of your fellow.”

That is, in addition to the fundamental mitzva “Love your fellow as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18), about which Rabbi Akiva said that it is a great principle of the Torah, and which clearly includes all the good relations that ought to prevail between one person and another, the Torah specified an additional command: “Do not stand by the blood of your fellow.” It is not enough to smile at one’s fellow and sometimes even to help him; rather, the Torah establishes that a person bears responsibility and mutual guarantee toward his fellow. If his fellow is in trouble, he is obligated to rise to his aid, and not to spare effort or money when saving his fellow.

Likewise, regarding obstacles in the public domain that might cause harm to passersby, it is a mitzva to remove them because of “Do not stand by the blood of your fellow.” So too one who sees an obstacle on the road that might endanger drivers must see to its removal, either by notifying the police or by himself when he can remove it without endangering himself.

If we act this way and feel in our hearts the mutual responsibility among all of Israel, we will be able to build a cohesive and united society that can meet the great challenges from within and without, and fulfill the great vision of the people of Israel.