Today I will share what is, in my, my opinion one of the most important lessons in Ben Adam L’chavero/ Man and his fellow. Of course, it is not my opinion, it’s the opinion of Rav Wolbe. He said this in his sefer Alei Shur, and it was expressed by Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, and quoted from a biography of his life.
“Fools think that sharing a person’s burden simply means helping him. They think that once an injured person has been treated and he can again do things his own, it is no longer possible to help him ( even though his injury may still causing pain). If help means physical hep, how can someone help someone after he has been treated? Sharing a person’s burden means sharing his pain and suffering. When he’s carrying a heavy load ( ie a physical load) everybody understands the necessity of lending a hand. But when he is carrying a heavy load of anguish, one has to lend a heart. See what Chazal say: The Gemara says that if the one is suffering is a Talmid Chacham, one has to feel sick over it. Simply, that means that should pray so hard that you get sick over it in your prayer because you are putting your heart and soul into the prayer.
He explains what our rabbis mean by, “help.” Does does it mean bringing him a cup of tea?
Feeling, “sick about it,” means that one has to take his pain into your heart, and feel his suffering. And if he’s a Talmid Chacham, become sick from feeling the pain of his suffering. Normally, if it’s a regular person, you have to feel sick but if he is a great Talmid scholar, you have feel his suffering so much that it actually makes you feel sick.
Does this help? Of course it helps.
Have you ever seen a group of people in pain? When one person , heaven forbid, is in mourning, he carries the entire burden on his shoulders. When two people are in mourning, it's easier for them. They divide the pain between them. This is man's nature.
Referring to lyov, God says to the satan, "But protect his soul." God allowed the satan to take everything away from lyov, but He didn't allow the satan to take his friends away from him. If lyov had suffered alone, he wouldn't have been able to stand it. When hewas with others, the pain and suffering was divided among all of them.
When God said, “Don’t kill Iyov,” included in that was, “Don’t take his friends away.”
The Gemara (Bava Basra 16b) says
"Either a friend like the friends of lyov or death."
Man cannot suffer alone and survive.
These are extremely powerful words, and the world is full of people that are suffering. Great people recognize it,and alleviate their suffering.
Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat Shalom