"Ve'osiso hayoshor vehatov" says the posuk (Devorim 6:18). This implies that we must conduct ourselves beyond what is "legally" required from us; we need to go further.

In Torah, there is din -- Law, and there is lifnim mishuras hadin -- beyond the letter of the Law. The din -- the law of the Torah -- obligates each one of us; there is no difference between a minor, barely bar mitzvah, or a great and elderly sage. Each one of us, as a Jew, has been obligated in the 613 mitzvos which are all included in the warning of: "Cursed is the one who does not fulfill the words of this Torah" (Ibid. 27:26). That is din.

Yet, extending beyond the letter of the law -- lifnim mishuras hadin -- is dependent upon one's individual madreigah as a person. Reb Eliyohu Lopian zt'l used to comment upon the mishna (Ovos 2:1) "Eizo hi derech yeshoroh sheyovor lo ho'odom?" -- What is the correct path for the person to choose? Reb Elya emphasized ho'odom -- the man to signify the complete man. The odom hasholeim must choose a straight path; the path which extends beyond our mere obligations: the path of lifnim mishuras hadin.

It was 11 o'clock at night. Mr. Wolf was walking slowly down the steps of his apartment building after visiting his friend. Suddenly, the door of an apartment was flung open and two little children stood by the open door, crying hysterically.

"What's the matter? Where are your Mommy and Daddy?" asked Mr. Wolf anxiously.

The two children, a little girl about six years old and an even smaller boy of about four, were sobbing too frantically to answer, but it was clear that they were alone in the house.

"Wait a minute. I'll be right back!" Mr. Wolf raced upstairs to his friend. One of his daughters came down to the apartment, calmed down the children and took them back to her home.

The next day, Mr. Wolf's friend explained what had happened. The children's parents had left a relative as a babysitter. The children seemed to be sleeping and the relative thought he would pop out to catch maariv. Eventually, he returned at 12:30 but did not feel he had done anything wrong.

While the IDF debates Hesder soldiers' protests against assigning female soldiers to their units, in another arena, extreme liberalism, with its concern for "equal rights for women" -- and arbitrary disregard for common sense and Jewish values -- has been shown to hinder elementary and high school students through one of the symbols of secular education: forcing boys and girls to study together.