The verse in this weeks Parshah states “Do not stand (idly) on your brother’s blood.” Rashi interprets this to mean, do not stand by and do nothing as he dies, for example if he is drowning in a river or robbers or wild animals are attacking him.

 

The Chassidic interpretation of this – teaches us a mind blowing lesson regarding Jewish outreach:

 

It is written “Blood is life” – spiritually this refers to Torah and Mitzvos, the spiritual life of every Jew.

 

This then is the spiritual inner meaning of “Do not stand (idly) on your brother’s blood.” This refers to a fellow Jew who G-d forbid may spiritually die, namely a Jew who has lost his true life, joy in Judaism, Torah and Mitzvos, hence compared to “dried out bones.”

 

Rashi brings as an example for this – e.g. someone drowning in a river, as the reason why someone can come to such a spiritual death is due to the “sinful waters” referring to the negative elements of the world which if someone is sunken into them one can in the end come to the point of being engulfed by them. Furthermore G-d forbid a person can be sunken into the sea which then the threat is greater than being sunken into a river (which is easier to extricate the individual from.)

 

Regarding such a predicament G-d teaches us, “Do not stand (idly) on your brother’s blood.” In other words, when you see a Jew who is G-d forbid in danger of losing his spiritual life, it is forbidden for you to stand by idly and watch him drown, for it is in your capacity to save him through sharing the joy of Torah and Mitzvos with him.

 

The very fact that G-d has ordained (Hashgachah Pratis) for you to see a fellow Jew in the said predicament, is the proof that you can save him, otherwise, why would have G-d shown this predicament to you. It is not feasible to say that G-d is showing you this to bring you to sadness… Rather it is a proof that you can save him, which is the reason you have been shown the predicament, so that you should save him though spreading the joy of Torah and Mitzvos.

 

In addition, one may not act selfishly when it comes to saving a fellow Jew, in other words, one must act in a pro-active manner.

 

Nonetheless as one is libel to think of one’s own loss in reaching out to help others therefore the verse continues “I am G-d;” in other words, the true manager of the “river” “animals” or “robbers” is G-d, hence when you are reaching out to save your friend, fear nothing in the world.

 

Another lesson from the continuation of the verse “I am G-d” is the meaning that “I am trustworthy to repay the debt to you.”

 

As one’s Yetzer Hara may try to sway one away from such work one must remind oneself that G-d will personally reward one for it, similar to what it states in pirkei avos this week “Know before whom you are serving and who is your master, for he has the capacity to repay you.”

 

And sometimes it is also necessary to remind one’s Yetzer Hara that G-d is also “Trustworthy to repay.” “He has the stick to hit” for this reasoning will scare the Yetzer from attempting to distract one from his work in strengthening Judaism.