There is a beautiful lesson in our Torah
portion, coming from the rule that teaches us we must help our friend’s
stray animals if we see them wandering off, lo
tireh et shor achicha o et seh’oh nidachim, v’hitalamta mehem, hashev t’shivem
l’achicha – don’t see your brother’s ox or sheep go astray and hide from
it, surely you will return them to your brother.”
The Rabbis note that here in the Torah,
we speak of the missing animal of a friend of ours, it even says, brother. Earlier in the Torah we are told much the
same thing, but there, we are told it about our enemy and his missing animal.
So what gives? The Rabbis say, it is quoted like this, one
time saying enemy, the other friend, in order to teach us that in taking on the
obligation of returning the animal, we should further seek to undo whatever
stands between us and make our one-time enemy our friend.
One who fulfills the mitzvah of
returning the lost animal, gains the opportunity to return something else that
was lost also, the broken relationship can be returned to how it was before. While we may not have so much opportunity for
returning lost animals these days, the chance to help someone in need can often
be just the medicine necessary to heal a hurt relationship, I know I have found
that to be the case in my rabbinic work and I suspect others of you might have
as well. You pay the shivah visit or you
say “shabbat shalom” to that one person and suddenly, they aren’t so bad
anymore, and whatever was wrong between you starts to disappear.
So, don’t let the oxen be what throw you
off from learning the lesson here. Had
the Torah been written today I’m sure it would have said “smart phone”
instead. The lesson is the same; we can
restore what is lost in our relationships if we remain willing to respond to
the needs of others, whoever they may be.
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