The Torah is big on personal responsibility.
If a person owns an animal, and that animal does damage to a person or property, the animal’s owner is – generally speaking – responsible for those damages. This week’s Torah reading presents the example of an ox, and how its owner needs to know the ox’s behavioral tendencies and prepare accordingly. If, for example, the ox doesn’t normally gore innocent bystanders, the owner wouldn’t need to take steps to safeguard against that eventuality.
However, if there is a change to the ox’s behavior, and it starts goring innocents, the owner needs to actively recalibrate his expectations of the ox and take appropriate precautions – including training the ox away from that behavior.
Here’s an interesting twist found in Jewish Law. If the owner sells the goring ox to another party, Jewish Law no longer views it as a goring ox. Why? Because the animal’s new setting can reset its tendencies, and we don’t carry forward our assumptions about its behavior.
The message: Environment has great power and influence on animals . . . and on people.
Our personalities have an ‘ox’ dimension – the gravitational pull that keeps us in counter-productive cycles. It’s the impulsive, self-gratifying tendency that pulls us toward behaviors that are against our better judgment and best interests, particularly where the environment stimulates, supports or condones that behavior.
Our personal “ox’ needs re-training. It needs to ‘un-learn’ negative behavioral patterns.
Often, it’s not an easy process.
So here’s a method of wrestling with your inner ‘ox’: Give yourself over to ‘new ownership.’ Upgrade your environment. Take your ‘ox’ to a different, holier place. Re-examine your social circle and pastimes. Spend more time in high-minded places, doing good things. Try a Torah class or prayer services.
External change can lead to internal transformation to a whole new you.