What is the origin of the idiom "yoke around one's neck" and when to use it?

The idiom "yoke around one's neck" draws from the literal image of a yoke, which is a wooden beam placed across the shoulders of oxen or other draft animals to harness them together for work. Figuratively, it is used to describe a burdensome or oppressive obligation, responsibility, or situation that feels like an onerous weight around one's neck.