By: Rabbi Dovid Markel
A thought from Kotzk:
The verse[1] says: “You shall not see the donkey of your brother or his ox falling on the road and hide yourself from them; you shall surely stand them up, with them.”
Rashi comments on the words “with them,” and says that one must only help with the load if the owner is helping as well, “but if the owner went and sat down and said to him ‘since there is a commandment upon you [to load it], if you wish to load it, load it,”—he is exempt.”
From this thought we can learn a lesson in our service of G-d. Only if we put in some work does G-d help us. If not—“he is exempt.”
