Out of Harm’s Way

The Shelah Hakadosh, zt”l, exhorted us to be vigilant never to harm another. “In Berachos we find that Chanah pleaded with Hasehm, ‘Master of the universe, nothing in Your creation was made in vain: eyes to see with, ears to hear, and a nose to smell with. You created a mouth to speak with, hands to do labor, and feet to go places...’ We see that everything has a purpose for which it should be used. How much more so should we refrain from causing damage, since one who does so is even worse than one who sits around doing nothing…”
The Chazon Ish, zt”l, was well known for his remarkable ability to solve any problem by virtue of the Torah’s wisdom. People were astounded by his erudition and his ability to understand any topic—from psychology to surgery—from his Torah learning. This was not only a result of his diligence or his breadth of knowledge. He merited this because every detail of his life was addressed according to the Torah’s dictates. Even the simplest action was carefully considered to ensure that it was in accordance with the Torah.
Rav Yechezkel Bertler, shlit”a, recounted: “Even the most mundane matter like walking through the streets reminded the Chazon Ish of Torah. Whenever he walked on a street without a sidewalk, he would veer to the side of the road as cars approached. He would always explain why with the same wry comment, “Perhaps the driver has forgotten the Tosafos in Bava Kama 23 that states that one must be even more careful to guard against damaging another than to guard his own self from sustaining damage.”
In this way he fulfilled his obligation to safeguard his own life while reminding himself and whoever accompanied him of this powerful lesson!