You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen under its load on the road, and ignore them. Rather, you shall pick up the load with him. (23:5) The Torah is commanding that you must help him load the donkey. The verse uses a doubling language of :FO¦r mi ¦w ̈Y m¥w ̈d when it should have been suffice to say :FO¦r m¥w ̈d which brings us to another Posuk later on (Devorim 23:5) xŸén£g dº¤` §x ¦z i«¦M: e «O¦r aŸ−f£r«©Y aŸ¬f ̈rŸe®l aŸ ́f£r«¥n − ̈Y §l ©c« ̈g§eŸe ½` ̈V©n z©g ́©Y Æu¥aŸx ÀL£`«©pU If you see your enemy's donkey lying under its burden would you refrain from helping him? You shall surely help along with him. Here too, the verse uses a double language aŸ¬f ̈r,Ÿe «O¦r aŸ−f£r«©Y You shall surely help along with him to unload the burden. Rashi explains You shall pick up the load. This is the obligation of d ̈pi¦r §h, “loading,” [i.e.,] to load up a burden that has fallen off the animal, as opposed to d ̈wi ¦x §R, “unloading” a burden too heavy for the animal, Devorim 23:5. We are commanded to help the owner of the donkey to help reload the burden and to unload the burden from the animal.
By both Mitzvohs we find the doubling language, and this brings us to the Gemara Bava Metzia 32a w ©x ̈R ,o©r ̈h§e w ©x ̈R ."aŸf£r ©Y aŸf ̈r" x©n¡`¤P¤W ,ai ̈I©g mi ¦n ̈r §R d ̈Wi ¦n£g©e d ̈r ̈A §x©` ENi ¦t£` ,o©r ̈h§e If one unloaded a burden from an animal collapsing under its weight and then later loaded it onto the animal, and later unloaded and loaded it again, even if this scenario repeats itself four or five times, he is obligated to continue unloading and loading, as it is stated: “If you see the donkey of him that hates you collapsed under its burden, you shall forgo passing him by; you shall release it aŸf ̈r" "aŸf£r ©Y with him”. It is derived from the verse that one is obligated to perform the action as needed, even several times.
Even though the Gemara is teaching this obligation by unloading an animal. The commentaries connect this obligation to loading the animal, since one might argue that it is easier to unload a burden, therefore, you must do it multiple times, whereas by uploading a burden which is more difficult, one would think that one time is enough. Therefore, the verse uses a double language, :FO¦r mi ¦w ̈Y m¥w ̈d you shall pick up the load with him, requiring the same Halacha by uploading a burden many times as necessary.
In essence our Posuk is discussing when you see the animal of your brother or friend. Yet the Posuk of unloading is discussing the animal of your enemy, both commandments are required by your brother as well as your enemy. The Torah is urging another act, that when it comes to a Mitzvah, you must push aside all conflicting interests, and do the Mitzvah full hearted, just as you would do it whole hearted to your brother’s animal. This answers the double language of mi ¦w ̈Y m¥w ̈d and "aŸf£r ©Y aŸf ̈r".
However, there is still a difficult, why does the Posuk have to add the words FO¦r with him, by both Mitzvohs? The answer is brought further in the Gemara ,Ÿel a©W ̈i§e K©l ̈d:x©n¡`¤P¤W ,xEh ̈R "wŸex §R wŸex §t¦l L§pŸev §x m ¦` ,d ̈e §v ¦n Li¤l ̈r§e li ¦`Ÿed" :x©n ̈`§e ."ŸeO¦r" If the owner went, and sat, and said to a passerby: Since there is a Mitzvah incumbent upon you to unload the burden, if it is your wish to unload the burden, unload it, in such a case the passerby is exempt, as it is stated: "ŸeO¦r" “You shall release it with him,” with the owner of the animal.
Here again, the same follows by the Mitzvah of uploading the animal, and the owner said to a passerby: Since there is a Mitzvah incumbent upon you to upload the burden, if it is your wish to upload the burden, unload it, in such a case the passerby is exempt.
The heilige Rebbe of Kotzk builds on this insight connecting it to fighting the Yetzer Hara. The Gemara Sukka 52b states R’ Shimon ben Lakish said: A person’s evil inclination overcomes him each day and seeks to kill him, as it stated: “The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to kill him” (Psalms 37:32); the wicked here is referring to the wickedness inside one’s heart. And if not for Hashem, Who assists him with the good inclination, he would not overcome it, as it is stated: EP¤a§f©r©i `Ÿl 'd"."Ÿeh §t ̈X ¦d §A EP¤ri ¦W §x©i `Ÿl§eŸec ̈i §a “The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor suffer him to be condemned when he is judged” (Tehilim 37:33).
Here to is the requirement of FO¦r with him, referring to Hashem. The only way Hashem would assist you in overcoming the Yetzer Hara, is when you are With Him. This means, that you too are working to overcome the Yetzer, only then are you With Him, and Hashem will help you overcome the evil inclination. The Gemara Yoma 38b says; eze` oiriiqn xdhl `a If one comes to purify, Hashem assists him. It all depends on you doing team work with Hashem. (Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
