Expenses for Shared Danger

From Halachipedia


If a community faces a threat, each of the communal members is obligated to work together to save the whole.

When a ship is sinking, the passengers have to throw their luggage off to balance the boat. When a caravan is attacked by raiders, all the members of the community have to join together to pay off the raiders.

How does this obligation work- some say that the obligation to share in the danger is only at the time of the danger. People have to work together to fight off a danger, but once the danger is ended, there is no more obligation. According to this approach- people who contributed more than obligated are not compensated by the people who did not hold up to their obligation.

However, there is another opinion that the obligation to help at the time of danger is also a financial obligation. If someone doesn't hold up to their side of the bargain, they have to compensate the rest of the community.