In Our Father's Path

The Path of the Upright

We have a constant obligation to help others to the best of our ability. If one notices a friend upset or angry, one should try hard to make him happy, calm him down and reassure him.

This requirement includes extending oneself to help others. Rabbeinu Yonah (Sha'arei Teshuva) writes that this attribute is "one of the most serious and primary principles demanded of man, whether he is poor or rich." For the sake of peace and harmony one should learn to compromise in all matters and go beyond the strict letter of the law. Yerushalayim was only destroyed because they acted strictly according to the law and did not extend themselves more than the law required.