?In this week's Torah portion we learn that it is forbidden to harness a donkey and an ox together to plow??"You shall not plow an ox and a donkey together." And the question is - why? What's the problem? Who is it bothering? Why does the Torah care how I plow my field?
The Torah is teaching us that the correct way to behave is to develop proper sensitivities.
The first reason one may not harness the two together is that: The strength of the ox and the donkey are not equal, one is stronger than the other. If you force them to work together one of them is going to suffer.? Either the stronger one will have to carry most of the load, or the weaker of the two will have to keep up with the stronger one. In order not to mistreat either of them, "do not plow an ox and a donkey together".? Great!! this practice is definitely considerate and makes a lot of sense.
Now, there is another?explanation given why this practice is forbidden, and here?it is difficult for me to understand the logic:There is a deeper idea behind the Torah specifying these two animals the?"ox and donkey"?as the two animals that may not share the load.??It says the?ox?chews its cud, meaning he swallows his food without chewing, and after a while, he?brings?it back?up?and starts?to?chew it,?while the?donkey, on the other hand, does not chew?his cud.?So let us now say?that the owner of the farm goes out to plow at 08:00 in the morning. At 07:00 he fed?his?cattle,?including?the?ox, and the donkey. The donkey chews swallows and finishes his meal, the ox on the other hand?only swallowed the food and did not begin to chew. They both go?out to plow. Suddenly, at 8:30 a.m., as they?are?both?working side by side?the ox?remembers:?
'I have food in my stomach'! He?ruminants his food?and begins to chew. The donkey, next to him,?hears him chewing and is baffled,?'Hey, where did?he get?that food? Does the?farmer?slip him?seconds on the?side? Just because I'm?a donkey he has to discriminate?against me'??Now the donkey will?be in distress.?
The Torah says, you must not plow?together?an ox and a donkey, so as not?to cause the donkey to suffer! Do you?grasp?what is written here? If?I were a?farm owner,?I?would say - "It?is the donkey's problem?that he?imagines?things?...".
Yet the?Torah?is teaching?us sensitivity, and if I am required to be so perceptive?and sensitive towards the?animals,?how much more so?towards?humans?beings. How much care must be taken not to?distress?someone else, even if it comes at your expense, and even if you say to yourself - these are her/his craziness?let them deal with it?...On the other hand,?many times is it?not our intention to insult someone.?
A?girl said: I?met a?neighbor of mine, down?at?the grocery store?and noticed?she?had?cream smeared on her face, I??cautioned?her: "You have cream on your face",??
She?snapped at?me: "Look?at your face, this?cost?me 700 shekels !!!"
Try to remember not everyone is out to be?hurtful?or?insulting.?Let us try to?internalize?the real lesson that?we?are meant to learn here. On the one hand,?develop sensitivity?and?on the?other?hand?resilience,?and may we all live with love, understanding, peace, and?joy.
Shabbat Shalom
Rav Yitzchak Fanger
