1. The Torah’s Obligation to Help Others
In Parshas Ki Seitzei, the Torah outlines various obligations that one person has toward another. The parsha begins in chapter 22 with the mitzvah of hashavas aveidah—returning a lost object. If you see your friend’s ox or sheep lost, you must return it to him. The Torah goes into detail about this responsibility.
The passage then continues: “You shall not see the donkey of your brother or his ox falling on the road and ignore them” (lo sir’eh es chamor achicha o es shoro noflim baderech v’hisalamta meihem). The Torah warns against pretending not to notice when someone is struggling with a burden.
2. Understanding Hakim Takim Imo
The Torah commands: hakim takim imo—you must support him. Rashi explains that this means helping your fellow reload the animal after its burden has fallen off. The scenario is that a donkey’s load has spilled onto the road, and your obligation is to help reload it.
The phrase noflim baderech can be understood as “falling”—not necessarily that the animal has already fallen, but that it is in danger of falling due to an unbalanced or heavy load. This teaches us to step in before things get worse, not just after disaster strikes.
3. The Deeper Lesson: Helping Others Carry Spiritual Loads
This mitzvah also carries a metaphorical meaning. Sometimes we see a fellow Jew struggling under the “load” of Torah and mitzvos, finding it difficult to maintain their commitments. The Torah teaches us hakim takim imo: we have a responsibility to help others shoulder their spiritual burdens and support them on their journey, rather than standing by and ignoring their struggles.
The Rambam notes that it is much harder to help someone once they have already fallen completely. If you assist while they are still struggling but not yet collapsed, it is far easier to help them regain their footing.
4. The Principle of Partnership—Imo
Rashi points out that the mitzvah is only fulfilled imo—together with him. If the owner refuses to participate and expects you to do all the work alone, you are exempt from helping. The Torah expects both parties to be involved in resolving the difficulty.
This principle applies broadly: we cannot expect others to do everything for us, nor can we shirk our own responsibilities when help is needed.
5. Chabad Perspective: Leadership and Shared Responsibility
This idea resonates strongly within Chabad teachings. The Rebbe emphasized that while he helps guide and support his chassidim, he does not do their work for them. In his first maamar, the Rebbe said that together—hakim takim imo—we can accomplish our mission: bringing Moshiach and fulfilling our obligations in Torah and tradition.
The message is clear: everyone must participate in carrying out what is required of us; leadership supports but does not replace personal effort.
6. Comparing Ki Seitzei and Mishpatim—Loading vs. Unloading
This mitzvah can be contrasted with a similar passage in Parshas Mishpatim, where the Torah says: “if you see your enemy’s donkey crouching under its burden” (ki sir’eh chamor son’acha rovetz tachas masa’o). There, the obligation is to help unload the burden from the animal.
The Baal Shem Tov interprets chamor son’acha—“the donkey of your enemy”—as referring to materialism (chomer) and one’s animal soul (nefesh habahamis). In Mishpatim, helping unload represents assisting someone in removing negative traits or burdens—ozov ta’azov imo, unloading what weighs them down spiritually or emotionally.
7. Two Types of Help: Unloading Negativity and Loading Positivity
The distinction between these two passages reflects two forms of assistance: In Mishpatim, we help someone unload negative baggage—perhaps averos or challenges stemming from their yetzer hara. That’s why it refers specifically to an “enemy,” emphasizing the extra merit in helping even those with whom we have difficulty.
In Ki Seitzei, however, we are dealing with a friend (achicha) who wants to carry out his responsibilities but finds them too heavy at times. Here our job is hakim takim imo: help him reload so he can continue on his path of mitzvos and growth.
8. Our Ongoing Responsibility and Blessings for the New Year
No matter which form of help is needed—unloading negativity or loading positivity—the essential message remains: we must be there for one another in times of struggle. We cannot exempt ourselves from our share of responsibility; each person must do their part alongside others.
This partnership brings Hashem’s blessings upon us all—a blessing for a ksiva v’chasima tova, a good inscription and sealing for a sweet new year filled with mitzvos and growth.