By Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, ZT” L, was in a taxi when a secular driver began to grumble as to why the rabbis always seemed to make life so difficult for the Jews. He could not understand why it was necessary for them to create additional fences around the existing prohibitions of the Torah. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman did not respond. A few minutes later, the car stopped at a traffic light. Rav Shlomo Zalman said, "why do these traffic lights make our life difficult - I am in a rush and we have to stop!
The driver stared at the rabbi in the amazement. "Rabbi, those lights protect us from other reckless drivers,” he argued, “without them, we would probably get killed!" Rav Shlomo Zalman concurred and added. "Now you understand the need for rabbinic fences. Without them, we would probably transgress all the other sins. They, too, protect us!”
