Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
וְכִֽי־יָמ֣וּךְ אָחִ֔יךָ וּמָ֥טָה יָד֖וֹ עִמָּ֑ךְ וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּ בּ֔וֹ גֵּ֧ר וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב וָחַ֖י עִמָּֽךְ׃
If your family member becomes poor, and their hand becomes shaky with you—you must strengthen them even if they are a stranger or a resident, and let them live by your side.
What’s the meaning of וְהֶחֱזַקְתָּ בּוֹ (ve-he-hezakta bo, you must strengthen them)? How do we do this?
Rashi’s explanation comes from a midrash.
אַל תַּנִּיחֵהוּ שֶׁיֵּרֵד וְיִפֹּל וְיִהְיֶה קָשֶׁה לַהֲקִימוֹ, אֶלָּא חַזְּקֵהוּ מִשְּׁעַת מוֹטַת הַיָּד.
לְמָה זֶה דוֹמֶה? לְמַשּׂאוֹי שֶׁעַל הַחֲמוֹר, עוֹדֵהוּ עַל הַחֲמוֹר אֶחָד תּוֹפֵס בּוֹ וּמַעֲמִידוֹ, נָפַל לָאָרֶץ, חֲמִשָּׁה אֵין מַעֲמִידִין אוֹתוֹ.
Do not let them fall down to the point that it will be hard to pick them up. Instead, strengthen them as soon as they start to be in trouble.
What’s this like? It’s similar to a heavy package on top of a donkey. While it is still on the donkey, one person can hold onto the load and help keep the donkey standing. But once the animal falls to the ground, five people couldn’t pick it up!
- Why is it important to act as early as possible when helping a person who is having money troubles?
- If you let problems go unfixed for too long, they can become bigger and bigger and much harder to fix later. Can you think of a time in your own life when you were glad you acted early to solve a problem? Have you ever wished you asked for help sooner?
- How does this explain the phrase, “you must strengthen them”? What is the difference between strengthening someone before things get too bad and helping save them after everything got ruined?
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