Sharing Someone Else's Wound
“किसी और के घाव को अपने साथ साझा करना” *एरियल बर्गर के द्वारामेरा बेटा एक यात्रा पर था, इज़राइल में एक सेमेस्टर लंबा कार्यक्रम, और फिर वे 10 दिनों के लिए पोलैंड गए। इस कार्यक्रम में, उसने एक अच्छा दोस्त बनाया, एक नया दोस्त, जिसका नाम मेसन था। और जब वे पोलैंड पहुँचे, तो वे विश्वयुद्ध से पहले के यहूदी जीवन के कुछ केंद्रों का दौरा कर रहे थे, और वे शिविरों में भी जा रहे थे। और उनकी पोलैंड यात्रा के तीसरे या चौथे दिन, मेसन कार्यक्रम के एक संचालक के साथ दिन भर के लिए गायब हो गया।
वापस लौटने पर, उसने मेरे बेटे को एक कहानी सुनाई। उसने कहा, “मेरे दादा-दादी जीवित बचे थे। पोलैंड देश के ऑशविट्ज़ में निर्वासन से तीन सप्ताह पहले उनकी शादी हुई थी। और ऑशविट्ज़ में वे अलग हो गए थे, और मेरे दादा हर शाम शिविरों के पुरुषों और महिलाओं के पक्षों को अलग करने वाली तार वाली सीमा के पास जाते थे , ताकि अगर संभव हो तो मेरी दादी के लिए रोटी का एक टुकड़ा या एक अतिरिक्त आलू ला सके, या यहाँ तक कि बस उसे देख सके उसके लिए भी।
उन्होंने कहा, "बाद मे मेरी दादी को ऑशविट्ज़ के बाहरी इलाके में एक खरगोश फार्म में स्थानांतरित किया गया।" नाज़ी खरगोशों पर प्रयोग कर रहे थे जो टाइफस के इलाज की खोज से संबंधित थे। "और खरगोश फार्म एक पोलिश व्यक्ति द्वारा चलाया जाता था, जिसने बहुत पहले ही देखा था कि खरगोशों को यहूदी गुलाम मजदूरों की तुलना में बेहतर गुणवत्ता वाला भोजन और ध्यान और देखभाल मिल रही थी। इसलिए उसने यहूदी गुलाम मजदूरों और कैदियों के लिए भोजन छिपा कर उनके पास भेजना शुरू कर दिया।
और उसके बाद मेरी दादी का हाथ दीवार पर लगे लोहे के तार से कट गया और वह जख्म में इन्फेक्शन आ गया| अगर किसीको एंटी बायोटिक उपलब्ध हो तो यह कोई बड़ा इन्फेक्शन नहीं माना जायगा | पर उस समय काल में , उस जगह में अगर आप येहुदी समुदाय के थे , तो आपको एंटीबायोटिक मिलना असंभव था | तो फिर , उस पोलैंड के व्यक्ति जो उस खरगोश के फार्म का रखवाला था , ने क्या किया ? उसने अपने हाथ पर भी जख्म कर लिया , और उसने अपने कटे हुए जख्म को मेरी दादी के जख्म पर रख दिया ताकि वह भी दादी के इन्फेक्शन से खुद इन्फेक्टेड हो सके और वह इन्फेक्टेड हो भी गया | और उसने वहाँ के नाज़ी कमांडर से कहा “ मैं तुम्हारा सबसे अच्छा कार्य प्रबंधक हूँ| यहाँ का खरगोश फार्म काफी उत्पादक है | अगरह इस इन्फेक्शन से मेरी मृत्यु हो गयी तो आपको उत्पादन का बहुत नुक्सान हो जायेगा| मुझे इन्फेक्शन की दावा चाहिये “ | उन्होंने उसे दवाई दे दी और उसने वह दवा खुद भी ले ली एवं मेरी दादी को भी दे दी | और उसने मेरी दादी की जान बचा दी |
फिर मेसन ने मेरे बेटे से पूछा “ तुम्हे पता है , जब मैं एक दिन पहले तुम्हे बिना बताये कहीं चला गया था , तो कहाँ गया था ? में इसी पोलैंड के निवासी के पास गया था | वो अभी जीवित है और वो वॉरसॉ ( पोलैंड का एक शहर) के करीब में रहता है | और मैं उसे कहने गया था कि मेरे जीवन के लिए धन्यवाद् | मेरे जीवन के लिए धन्यवाद |
तो मेरे बेटे ने मुझे इस साल यह कहानी सुनाई, और यह बहुत सारे सवाल उठाती है, कि ऐसा व्यक्ति बनने के लिए क्या करना पड़ सकता है जो किसी ऐसे कमज़ोर व्यक्ति के घाव को साझा कर सकता हो , जिस व्यक्ति की कीमत एक खरगोश से भी कम आंके जाने का दबाव हो ? उस सारे दबाव के खिलाफ़ आगे बढ़ने, और सही एवं उस समय अनुरूप उचित काम करने के लिए, वह भी पूरे साहस और नैतिक स्पष्टता के साथ, साथ ही उस कमज़ोर व्यक्ति को एक इंसान के रूप में देखने के लिए, क्या करना पड़ सकता है अथवा कैसा अस्तित्व रखना पड़ सकता है ? और यह भी जब आपके आस-पास की हर चीज़ आपको ऐसा न करने के लिए कह रही हो?
चिंतन के लिए बीज प्रश्न: किसी कमज़ोर व्यक्ति के घाव को साहस और नैतिक स्पष्टता के साथ साझा कर पाने की शक्ति की धारणा से आप कैसा सम्बन्ध रखते हैं? क्या आप किसी ऐसे समय की व्यक्तिगत कहानी साझा कर सकते हैं जब आपने अपने से किसी कमज़ोर व्यक्ति की स्थिति सुधारने के लिए खुद को चोट पहुंचाई हो, या आपसे ज्यादा सक्षम व्यक्ति ने आपकी स्थिति सुधारने के लिए खुद को चोट पहुंचाई हो? आपको अपने मन में चल रहे अंदरूनी दबाव के खिलाफ लड़ने और दूसरे व्यक्ति को एक इंसान के रूप में देखने में क्या मदद करता है , विशेषकर - जब आपके आस-पास की हर चीज आपको ऐसा न करने के लिए कह रही हो ?
Ariel Buger is an author and founder of The Witness Institute. Excerpted from here.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion of sharing someone else's wound with courage and moral clarity? Can you share a personal story of a time you took a hit to improve the lot of someone less fortunate, or someone took a hit for you to improve your lot? What helps you push against pressure and see another person as a person when everything around you is telling you not to?
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16 Past Reflections
On Dec 11, 2024 Suellen wrote :
What a great teaching and learning story about helping people ..beautiful .. thank you for sharing.
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On Dec 10, 2024 Bridget wrote :
Sharing someone else's wound and healing that wound through yours does not come to a reality just by a day's choice... its through a mind set formed, value upheld and life shared for years placing the other more important than you it happen... it becomes part of one's life ..thought ..perspectives and a"normal choice" ... though others might call it "madness". But that madness becomes part of your life so much that it becomes the purpose of your being and gives meaning to your existence . I am a person working with the tribal communities of Maharashtra for last 13 to 14 years where giving, placing them first and sharing their wounds becomes natural to.me today and I believe it is so because I have been groomed and grown in such eco systems from childhood seeing my parents and dear ones living the same value ... in this living I have lost my health, taken decisions which would go beyond my comfort zones and security and the full knowledge that you don't receive nothing in return ev... [View Full Comment]
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On Dec 10, 2024 Susan Starkey wrote :
I have yet to think about this deeply enough to relate a story of my own. But I just spent the wee hours this morning finishing reading a historical novel, The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner, about the Salem Witch Trials. The main character, Mercy Hayworth, is based on the real story of a the 20th girl who was meant to be hanged in 1692 on September 22. It is a remarkable story about another courageous person (like the Rabbit Farmer in your story) acting with moral clarity, even while it cost them so much. And now, with Mass Deportations threatening us in the US, can I prepare to act on my clarity that injustice towards "others" is mine to respond to as well.
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On Dec 10, 2024 Michelle Scott wrote :
It takes coming from your heart & soul, and quieting the conditioned mind. And compassion for those that don't understand this, yet.
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On Dec 9, 2024 Stream wrote :
Wow!! powerful story- I would like to believe I would have done the same. I do not know.
I did have family in Nazi concentration camps and some survived. I never heard any story about who helped them survive.
The first memory I had with the prompt of "taking the hit" was from my high school football practice. I was a senior and one of the coaches in my opinion was treating a sophomore player badly, verbally abusing him. I spoke up for the kid that the coach was being overly rough with. When thew coach got me alone in the locker room he slammed me against a locker and told me to never question his authority again. I am 75 now and Neil the other kid is 73 and we still have a sweet warm friendship and we reconnected with the coach who we discovered thru facebook had come to grips with his alcoholism and runs rehab programs still in his 80's.
Another part of my life , a few years later. I had hitch hiked across US several times and had mostly wonderful experiences and successful free ... [View Full Comment]
2 replies: David, Susan | Post Your Reply
On Dec 8, 2024 shyam wrote :
What the Polish man did was almost an ulimate act of kindness. Nothing near , but I can share an incident. A small boy had a recurrent blood cancer and I had received a random call for blood donation . I went to donate blood but my age was more 60 and I was not allowed to donate. I did meet the boy and his father , developed an instant connect and explained and helped a bit financially too.
A week later I got a call that I could donate blood platelets and for that age limit was 65. I went and donated . For blood platelet donation the minimum gap between donations is 15 days. Again got a call after 20 days and i again donated.
Third time i got a call after 12 days. He said the requirement was super urgent . I knew it was a bit dangerous but seeing the condition I donated. That night I did feel the chills . Could not tell my family as they would never allow such a thing. Some how I managed to get well the next day.
The joy it gives us when we do something which is ... [View Full Comment]
1 reply: Susan | Post Your Reply
On Dec 7, 2024 Pankaj wrote :
Profound! The farmer went beyond Sympathy and Empathy for the woman to Compassionately BE with the woman in navigating the situation that must have caused intense trauma to her. I am learning to practice giving any form of wealth that I possess, but have a long way to go before I hope to have an example that might compare to this farmer's compassionate action. Giving from an abundant supply when you intuit that you have more than you need is a good act, but it is still an example of treating them as an Other (than oneself). Going "All In!" and joining the troubled person is truly heroic!
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On Dec 6, 2024 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
This is heart touching real story. Yes, we need courage and moral clarity for sharing someone else's wound. Sadly, the world I live in, many people discriminate against others on the grounds of race, color and religion forgetting the we all are children of God regardless of differences.
I deeply believe in equality and oneness regardless of differences. This attitude of equanimity and compassion helps me to be connected with people different from me. It is not always easy for me to stay on this path. But I am sincerely trying to follow this spiritual path. I need to keep the light of empathy and compassion shining to help me walk on the path.
Gratefully I was raised by my parents who followed this spiritual path in their lives extending their hands to help others, to serve them. My brothers and sisters and my better half offered their hands when I fell down. I am very grateful to them for teaching me how to serve others.
It is not always easy for me to stay on this path. Others ... [View Full Comment]
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On Dec 6, 2024 David Doane wrote :
That story started to stir tears within me. I never did anything so extreme as the farm manager did for the woman. I think I wouldn't have thought to do what he did -- maybe I'm too selfish or maybe I'd have tried a different way. I definitely have compassion for someone who is hurting and have made efforts to help sometimes with courage and moral clarity, which feels very satisfying. I've taken a hit to help another in giving from myself and receiving nothing material in return. I've taken one for the team. I also remember many times my mother made efforts to protect and do for me, and many times my wife did and does for me and our children. What helps me push to see another as a person is the satisfaction I feel in seeing the other as a person and in seeing the benefit that has for the other.
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On Dec 6, 2024 Barbara S. wrote :
This tugs at my heart and brings tears. Tremendous courage was displayed by this man to share a wound and sneak the medicine to her. In his heart he knew human beings are beings that need to be cared for, cherished, given what's needed to survive.
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On Dec 5, 2024 Hannah Lee wrote :
Could I do that? Share another's wound? That Polish man had confidence that he was important enough to save; that gave him courage. What if you don't have confidence that you're important enough to save? You could ask anyway, I guess, and have to live with the "No" that he would have gotten, had he not been of value to the Nazis.