“When the community is in trouble do not say, “I will go home and eat and drink and all will be well with me.”…Rather, involve yourself in the community’s distress… as was demonstrated by Moses (Exodus 27:12) In this way Moses said, “Since Israel is in trouble, I will share their burden.” Anyone who shares a community’s distress will be rewarded and will witness the community’s consolation.”
וכל עבירות שבתורה מכל העולם לא והכתיב (ויקרא כו) וכשלו איש באחיו איש בעון אחיו מלמד שכל ישראל ערבים זה בזה. התם שיש בידם למחות ולא מיחו.כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה
And for all of the transgressions of the Torah is not the whole world punished? Isn't it written: “And they shall stumble one upon another?!” (Leviticus 26:37) [That is to say,] one because of the iniquity of the other. This teaches us that all Israel are sureties (responsible) for another! There [they are punished], because it was in their power to prevent [the sin], and they did not prevent it. "All Jews are responsible for one another."
This articulation expands the mandate of the imperative. We are not only talking about mutual responsibility, where I help you because I expect that you will help me someday, but also about joint responsibility, where I help you purely because of the responsibility I feel for you as a member of the collective, and not from any expectation of reciprocity.
The principle is articulated to obligate each and every Jew by virtue of being part of K’lal Yisrael, the collective.
Furthermore, the Hebrew version talks about responsibility in the context of being “guarantors” (Areivim) for each other. Thus, Judaism introduced the ‘burden’ of responsibility. We are accountable and responsible for one another. The particularistic nature of this commandment is very deep.
It is not telling us that we should just help Jews more than non-Jews. It is telling us that we carry the burden of responsibility to impact the way other Jews act and behave. We don’t have the right to impose on people who are not of our religion. But we have the obligation of imposing upon our own people.
(ז) כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה֩ בְךָ֨ אֶבְי֜וֹן מֵאַחַ֤ד אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹ֧א תְאַמֵּ֣ץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֗ וְלֹ֤א תִקְפֹּץ֙ אֶת־יָ֣דְךָ֔ מֵאָחִ֖יךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ (ח) כִּֽי־פָתֹ֧חַ תִּפְתַּ֛ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ ל֑וֹ וְהַעֲבֵט֙ תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ׃ (יא) כִּ֛י לֹא־יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּ֠תֹחַ תִּפְתַּ֨ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֜ לְאָחִ֧יךָ לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃
(7) If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. (8) Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs... (11) For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land.