Parsha Corner: Where Do We Turn? How Do We Mobilize? Chesed And Torah!
Here will be explained the great reward for one who attaches himself to this trait (of chesed, kindness), regarding several aspects:
How greatly a person must attach himself to the trait of chesed—for it has the power to arouse Hashem’s mercy and kindness upon the Jewish people, even after the merit of the forefathers has run out. As Chazal said (Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 10): Rabbi Yudan bar Chanin said in the name of Rabbi Berechiah: Hashem said to the Jewish people,
“My children, if you see that the merit of the forefathers and foremothers has collapsed, go and cling to chesed. What is the reason? As it says (Yeshayahu 54:10): ‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be shaken.’ ‘The mountains may depart’—this refers to the merit of the forefathers; ‘And the hills be shaken’—this refers to the merit of the foremothers; But from here on: ‘My kindness shall not depart from you, says Hashem, who has mercy on you.’”
Its meaning is this: Avraham Avinu, through his good deeds—he was only good and kind to the entire world, as is shown in Parshas Vayeira—and likewise the other forefathers who walked in his ways, as it says (Bereishis 18:19), “For I have known him, that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of Hashem, to do righteousness and justice”—they caused Hashem’s kindness to shine upon all of creation. For until the time of the forefathers, the Shechinah was in the seventh Heaven, and through their holy deeds, they began to draw down the Divine Presence into the world, connecting it to this world through them. As the Midrash says (Bereishis Rabbah 19:7): Avraham brought it down to the sixth level, Yitzchak to the fifth, and so on, until at the giving of the Torah the Shechinah descended fully to Earth.
However, it is known that man, being limited by time and boundaries, also has limits to the reach of his merit. Therefore, the Torah advises us that when it appears the merit of the forefathers has collapsed, we must personally arouse Hashem’s trait of goodness and kindness upon us—by conducting ourselves with kindness. Then, measure for measure, His kindness will cling to us and will never depart. [For the term lo yamush implies it will not leave at all, as in Shemos 13:22: “The pillar of cloud did not depart…”]
Now, especially in these times when the trait of strict judgment has greatly intensified in the world, and there seems to be no advice or strategy to escape the troubles that arise day after day, it is all the more necessary to strengthen ourselves in the trait of chesed. Through this, the Heavenly attribute of kindness will be awakened, and the verse (Hoshea 2:21) will be fulfilled: “And I will betroth you to Me with righteousness and with justice and with kindness and with compassion.”
Chazal also say: Hashem declares, “If they—who themselves are in need of chesed—do acts of kindness for one another, how much more so must I, who am filled with kindness and mercy, perform kindness for My creations!”
It seems to me that this is what is meant in Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabba, at the end of chapter 23: When the Jews were in Egypt, they all gathered together and sat as one group, unified in purpose. They made a pact together to perform acts of kindness with one another, to preserve in their hearts the covenant of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, to serve only their Father in Heaven, not to abandon the language of their forefather Yaakov, and not to learn the language of Egypt. What was the essence of this pact of chesed? When they saw there was no natural way to escape Pharaoh’s decrees, and the oppression worsened day by day, they united with one heart and took counsel. They resolved to walk in Hashem’s path alone, not to change their names or language, and to bind themselves in a covenant of kindness toward one another—believing that through this, Hashem’s kindness would be awakened upon them, and eventually Pharaoh’s decrees would be nullified. Indeed, that’s what happened. This was one of the causes of the redemption, as it says (Shemos 15:13): “You led in Your kindness this people You redeemed; You guided them in Your strength…” And the Pesikta (quoted in Yalkut Shimoni, Beshalach, remez 251) states: “You led in Your kindness”—this refers to acts of chesed; “You guided them in Your strength”—this refers to Torah. For in truth, there was Torah even in Egypt, as the Gemara in Yoma (28b) says: Even when they were in Egypt, the Jewish people did not stop learning. [Although the Torah had not yet been given, they studied all the individual mitzvos passed down from the forefathers.]
This also seems to be what the verse (Yirmiyahu 2:2) means: “Thus says Hashem: I remember for you the chesed of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you followed Me in the wilderness…” It lists three elements in order: “Chesed of your youth”—refers to the kindness they practiced during their youth in Egypt; “Love of your betrothal”—refers to the acceptance of the Torah; “Following Me into the wilderness”—refers to the journey after the Exodus.
This mitzvah also helps redeem the Jewish people from among the nations, as stated in Berachos 8b, and is considered greater than sacrificial offerings, as Yalkut Shimoni (Hoshea, remez 962) brings on the verse (Hoshea 6:6): “For I desire chesed, not sacrifice.” Hashem says: The kindness you perform for one another is more precious to Me than all the offerings that Shlomo brought, as it says (Melachim I 3:4): “Shlomo offered a thousand burnt-offerings…”
Even more than that, we find in Yerushalmi Peah (3:1): Tzedakah and acts of chesed are equal in weight to all the mitzvos of the Torah.
And in Midrash Ruth Rabbah (2:14), Rabbi Zeira says: “This scroll [Megillas Ruth] contains neither laws of impurity nor purity, neither forbidden nor permitted matters. So why was it written? To teach how great is the reward for those who perform chesed.” For example, Boaz merited that David HaMelech would descend from him, and that an eternal covenant was made with his descendants. Rain also falls in the merit of chesed, as stated in Yerushalmi Taanis (3:3).
And one who practices it may be spared from death, even if—Heaven forbid—he was sentenced to death by Heaven, as it says in Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Kedoshim (Siman 13).
EXCERPT FROM THE CHOFETZ CHAIM’S SEFER AHAVAS CHESED, CH. 5
UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE LIVING THROUGH VERY SCARY TIMES BUT IT IS MY HOPE AND PRAYER THAT WE SHOULD BE ZOCHE TO AROUSE HASHEM’S MERCY THROUGH OUR REINFORCED COMMITMENT TO CHESED AND TORAH.
AS A ZECHUS I WILL IY”H BE GIVING A DAILY 5 MINUTE SHIUR AFTER THE 8:15 WEEKDAY SHACHRIS ON SEFER AHAVAS CHESED.
Rabbi Anton