Pick Yourself Up

"כי יכרה איש בור…ונפל שמה"    כא:לג

In general, any object that a person leaves in the public domain is considered like a bor, a dangerous pit, and one is liable for the damage that it may cause. A person himself, lying in the reshus ha’rabim, can also be a bor.

But what if he trips while walking in the street, and winds up causing damage as a result? The halacha is that since he tripped, he is an אנוס, it is considered completely out of his control, and he is exempt from paying. However, he has to get back up immediately. If he just continues lying there without justification, then his liable.

When someone falls and doesn’t pick himself up, it as if he is no longer a mentsch; rather, he turns into a bor. And if he is a bor, then chas v’Shalom he can begin to attract all types of nechashim and akrabim (dangerous creatures). A fall can sometimes be considered an אונס, but it is critical to pick yourself back up right away.

[Rav Moshe Twersky ztz"l]