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“nd you shall keep My commandments and perform them…” (Vayikra 22:31)

The word shemirah, keeping, is written in the Torah many times. The word connotes an obligation for us to not only to keep all the mitzvos ourselves, but also to worry about the mitzvah observance of others. Just like the purpose of a shomer, a guard, is to worry about the preservation of the item he is watching, so too must we worry about the preservation of Torah observance. (Rav Shach, Meirosh Amanah)

This is a story about three little boys who shared a room. To protect the innocent (?), the three characters shall herein be referred to as Thing One, Thing Two, and Thing Three.

Hashem in His great wisdom created all these three Things with widely differing personalities. Mother, in her in her pathetic pursuit of preserving space, placed all these three Things in one room and then endeavored to preserve the peace.

It was a lose-lose situation.

Thing One was a meticulous organized sort. His bed was made with perfect corners, his clothing folded and color-coordinated, and his shoes lined up in military precision. His corner of the room was a pleasure to behold. However, that’s where it ended. In his quest for perfection, he refused to associate with the lesser mortals that shared his domain; nor would he lower himself to assist them with their beds, clothing, or shoe assembly line.

Furthermore, he insisted that since he obviously did not contribute to any of the disorder in the room, there was no need for him to participate in any communal efforts to keep the room clean, such as sweeping or emptying the garbage. It wasn’t his mess and he wasn’t messing with it.

Our obligation in observing the Torah is to guard ourselves and also to guard others that they should not deviate from the commandments of the Torah. We have a responsibility and a requirement to worry — and sometimes to actually act — to ensure that our fellow Jews keep mitzvos.

Thing Two is a soulful type. This kind of Thing is created to waft through life on a higher plane than most mere mortals. Their heads are in the clouds and although they are eager to please, they often forget the tiny details of what, when, and even where they are.

Thing Two was the type to quickly offer to put away everyone’s laundry, make everyone’s bed, and even wash the floor. But the results were often clean laundry in the broom closet, beds neatly made with dirty sheets, and the porch floor washed spotlessly. You gotta love this type of Thing.

Chazal tell us in the Gemara (Shevuos 39a) that all Yisrael are responsible to one another.

The word used, “areivim — responsible,” also means co-signer. A co-signer on a debt promises the lender that if the borrower cannot pay back the loan, he himself will pay the bill. Yet in this case, the word areiv means more than that. The fellow Jew is responsible not to “fill in” and take care of someone else’s obligations, but to ensure that his friend fulfills his obligations himself.

Thing Three is a creative yet chaotic character. He thrives on action and anarchy, disorder and disarray. His idea of law and order is a huge puddle of Elmer’s glue on the desk with today’s homework assignment cut neatly into squares and left to decompose — all in the name of science. He’s a pleasant sort, willing to chip in, but fails to see the importance of such minor things as clean laundry and empty garbage cans when the possibilities of potential lie in clutter and confusion.

Enter the Mother of these three diverse Things.

She makes charts, assigns chores, begs, pleads, and threatens. The room remains as is — socks hanging from door handles and a rock collection piled precariously on the radiator. Of course there’s one perfectly ordered part of the room, but no one may step over that perceived border without personal permission from Mr. Perfection himself.

Experts say that children who share rooms learn cooperation, communal responsibility, and the beauty of group accomplishment.

Personally, I think the mother learns the futility of expecting any child to accommodate his sibling’s quirks or character.

The cleanliness of this room is the classic case of Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody did it.

I take no responsibility.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 590)