In the final episode of Seinfeld, the central characters of the sitcom are accused of being bystanders. Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer watch as a heavy-set man is carjacked, poking fun at him instead of rushing to his aide. In doing so they violate an obscure Massachusetts law called the Good Sumerian law. In the ensuing trial, everyone they’ve ever hurt in the show are brought up as witnesses to disparage their characters. In the end they are convicted, ending the popular sitcom with everyone in jail.
As the show argues, protecting a fellow human being from harm is a basic human duty. Which calls to question the actions of an unnamed stranger in this week’s Torah portion Vayeshev. Joseph has been sent by his father Jacob to get a message over to his brothers who are tending their flocks in Shechem. When he arrives there, his brothers are nowhere to be found. It is then that an unnamed stranger tells Joseph that his brothers have left to go to Dothan, a piece of information that will have disastrous consequences for our forefather. Angry at being spied on by their brother, they send Joseph off to slavery. Which begs the question: was this stranger an innocent bystander or a co-conspirator, i.e. did he knowingly send Joseph into a trap or was he simply trying to be helpful?
The rabbis suggest the stranger is an angel of God, ensuring the plot proceeds propelling Joseph and our people into a necessary servitude in Egypt, so that Moses can eventually save us from our servitude. We, the confused readers, are forced to reckon with the question Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer struggle with: when should we intervene when we see someone struggling? The answer is hopefully always, even on the few occasions where it goes wrong.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex