The Torah tells us it is important to be Nosay b'ol im chaveiro – literally "carry your friend's burden." In other words, be aware and share the pain of others.
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The Daily Blast
Rabbi Yossi Bensoussan
Yeshiva High School
of Cleveland
Rabbi Bensoussan says that empathy is not trying to solve problems but just listening.
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לֹא־תִרְאֶה֩ אֶת־חֲמ֨וֹר אָחִ֜יךָ א֤וֹ שׁוֹרוֹ֙ נֹפְלִ֣ים בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ֖ מֵהֶ֑ם הָקֵ֥ם תָּקִ֖ים עִמּֽוֹ׃
דברים כ״ב:ד׳
If you see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it; you must raise it together.
Deuteronomy 22:4
The commandment requiring us to help the owner of an overloaded animal or human being (22,4) by unloading the excessive load is directed at the natural tendency to ignore the discomfort of our detractors. The Torah demands that we put aside such petty considerations and display empathy with the pain of such a human being. When the Torah phrases the action to be taken by using the words הקם תקים עמו, the emphasis is on the last word, i.e. what you do for the victim you are really doing for yourself. By having demonstrated this kind of empathy you may feel confident that, should the occasion arise, you too will become the beneficiary of someone else’s empathy.
Rabbi Eliyahu Munk, Shney Luchot Habrit, Torah Shebikhtav, Ki Teitzei, Torah Ohr
