GEN1293 We should protest against injustice even if we do not know the person who is being wronged.  When Yaaakov saw the cattle lying down (verse 2), he thought that the shepherds were preparing to herd the cattle into their pen. Therefore, Yaakov reminded the shepherds that it was still day and there was still time for the cattle to graze.   That is, if they were hired men, they had not yet completed a day’s work for their employer. (Midrash cited by Rashi).   Although Yaakov did not know the owners of the sheep, he nonetheless admonished the shepherds not to be lax in their obligation to their employers.   The righteous man is repulsed by wrongdoing, even when it is committed by strangers against strangers. (Sforno).   All too many people have lost their sensitivity to preventing others from being dishonest, even though they themselves are honest. A friend of mine recently told me that while he was riding in a bus, someone sneaked in through the back door to avoid paying his fare.   When my friend politely told him that he ought to pay the driver of the bus, several other passengers called out, “Why does it bother you? Leave him alone.” We must learn from our father Yaakov to abhor dishonesty and act accordingly.   PLYN 100