The Lubavitcher Rebbe employs the model of the “four guardians”, whose laws are given in this week’s Parashah of Mishpatim (Shemot 21-24) to describe the four type of guardians (shomer)and their obligations when we take care of other people’s possessions.
1.The unpaid guardian is someone who is taking care of someone else’s property as a favor and is receiving no compensation for his trouble. If the object he is taking care of is damaged or lost because of his negligence, he must pay. If it didn’t happen for this reason then he doesn’t need to pay.
2. The paid guardian, since he is being paid for his services the responsibility for loss or damage is greater. If the loss was something unavoidable like theft or natural death he is absolved. Otherwise he has to pay.
3. The borrower. A person who borrows something from another has a higher liability. The object was given to him for his own benefit, as a result he is obliged to return the object intact as it was given to him.
4.The renter. The Talmud cites two opinions on the status of the renter:1. Rabbi Judah rules that he is as the unpaid guardian who is responsible only if he is negligent.2. Rabbi Meir is of the opinion that his obligation is the same as the paid guardian and he is liable also for avoidable damages such as loss and theft.
On the spiritual plane this four guardians represent our relationship to G-d. We are here guarding His home. If we do it for the sake of heaven and are not waiting for anything in return we will be not liable. And we are emulating the unpaid guardian.
If we look at our service to G-d as a way in which we get compensated even though we understand we are here to serve H”S, but we expect something in return. The borrower is a taker who sees the world as it owes him with a sense of entitlement.
And the renter understands that life is not free. He will take what he needs but feels he needs to give back.
Which one are you?
Taken from “Whose Life is it, Anyway?” From Rabbi Yossi Y Jacobson (Chabad.org)
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