Some say the root of achrayut is achar, which means “after.” Others say it is acher, meaning “other.” These two different sources reveal different aspects of the soul-trait of responsibility. Ultimately, though, they both come to point at the same issue in living.
Morinis, Alan. Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar (p. 198). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.
The court report section of the daily newspaper reveals what an uncommonly elevated way of being this is. We human beings far prefer to put on blinders and adopt all sorts of rationalizations that permit us to avoid shouldering responsibility and even to do all kinds of harm. When confronted with the damage we have caused, we are prone to taking refuge in denial.
Morinis, Alan. Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar (pp. 200-201). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.
Rabbi Simcha Zissel
This is the reason why our ancestors occupied themselves as shepherds like Jacob, peace be upon him, and David. Moses our teacher was also a shepherd because he wanted to accustom himself to bear the burden even of the simple creatures and all the more so of fellow human beings. . . . David would bring out the young sheep first to pasture in order that they could graze the best grass. Afterward, he would take out the old ones in order to give them ordinary grass. Finally, he would bring out the strong ones who could graze on the tough grass. . . . As our Rabbis said: “When Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, was the shepherd of Yitro, one of my lambs fled and Moses ran after it until it reached a watering hole where the lamb had stopped to drink. When Moses arrived he said: ‘I did not know that you fled on account of thirst. You must be tired.’ He lifted him on his shoulders and walked.”
There were almost no employees in the large yeshiva Rabbi Simcha Zissel ran. Every task was performed by the students themselves. The more menial the task, the more highly it was valued, with the most menial tasks going only to the senior students. One of the mottos of the small groups within his yeshiva to which students were assigned was: “Do not go a single day without doing something for someone else, whether directly or by money or by speech.”
Morinis, Alan. Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar (p. 205). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.