In the third aliyah of Parshat Mishpatim, Hashem gives us many different practical and ethical mitzvot. One of them addresses the situation כי תצא אש, “If a fire goes forth” and consumes grain or a field. The Torah rules that in this case, the מבעיר (the person who lit the original fire) must pay for the damage caused by the unruly fire. Rashi explains that even if the מבעיר did not intend for the fire to spread and instead only lit the fire in his property, thereby rendering the damage unintended, he still is responsible to pay for the destruction caused. This is because שלא שמר את גחלתו שלא תצא ותזיק, “he did not guard his burning coal so that it would not go out and cause damage” (Rashi on Shemot 22:5). From this specific practical case addressing who is responsible for unintended damages caused by a wildly spreading fire, we learn an essential guiding value. We are not only responsible for the damage we cause in this world, but also for the damage that we could have prevented. We each have an ethical chiyuv (obligation) to prevent damage and destruction which we may cause, even if it is caused unintentionally. In our daily lives, this may mean anticipating hurt, embarrassment, or sadness that may result from a seemingly innocuous action. Today notice how your actions, your burning coal and fire impact others. Are you able to be shomer or shomeret, to anticipate and prevent damage?
