GEN1468 [This] type[] of conduct constitute[s] gemiluth chesed [acts of lovingkindness], to keep the other person in mind for the purpose of doing good to him, and praise him to those having the power to help him.   AHAVCH 24

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GEN1517 [This is a] type of conduct constituting gemiluth chesed, to keep the other person in mind for the purpose of doing good to him, and praise him to those having the power to help him.  AHAVCH 24

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GEN1518 Suppose someone is angry at a person’s friend.   The person intercedes and so stills the man’s anger.   He is performing an act of chesed.   [this verse].   Furthermore, if one is able, by word of mouth, to prevent harm befalling another, this also constitutes chesed.   AHAVCH 224

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GEN1534 This is the proper treatment to accord to departing guests Sanhedrin 103b.   AHAVCH 24

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GEN1577 Joseph’s dealing with the inhabitants of Egypt, his endeavors to preserve their lives and his exertions to sustain them, fall in the category of chesed, the worthy relationship of man to his neighbors. What forced Joseph to attempt to acquire the population (as Pharaoh’s slaves) if not these considerations?   AHAVCH 24

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GEN1581 “And deal with me in chesed and in truth,” as Rashi has explained.   AHAVCH 25

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GEN1582 If man occupies himself with the study of Torah and acts of kindness and so awakens the Divine attributes of mercy, then when he is, God forbid, in trouble, the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, will hear his case and extended His chesed to him. So the person will surely be saved. It is otherwise when a person has been exclusively preoccupied with Torah study, and he did not devote himself sufficiently to acts of chesed. Then the Heavenly chesed is correspondingly not aroused on his behalf. So if he afterwards suffers distress, God forbid, and he is, at the same time, arraigned in Heaven, then he will not succeed in entirely preventing the forces of justice exercising power over him. This is the meaning of Chazal's assertion: "He who only occupies himself with Torah study and not with kindness is as if he has no God." He is like one who has no God to shield him by His Divine Mercies and chesed from the forces of justice, because he had cast those holy virtues behind him. A similar idea is expressed in Bava Kamma (17a), according to one version: "Whoever occupies himself with Torah and acts of chesed, his enemies shall fall before him, as his written of Joseph (Deuteronomy 33:17): 'He shall gore the people, all of them, even to the ends of the earth.' He acquires intuitive understanding like the children of Issachar, (1 Chr. 12:32): 'And the children of Issachar had understanding of the times…'" Through the merit of Torah study one requires understanding like the children of Issachar, whose occupation was Torah and thereby they acquired understanding; through his acts of chesed one causes his enemies to fall before him, as Joseph did because he engaged in acts of kindness in very great measure.  He supplied food to many lands during the famine, and in particular to his father Jacob’s family.  Also, he took care of his father’s funeral, and this too is deemed chesed by Scripture [this verse]. … one should appreciate this greatness of the virtue of chesed; one should cling to it, as so be rescued from distress both in this world and the next.  AHAVH 92-3

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EXOD15 [This verse] relates: "But the midwives feared God… and saved the male children alive." See what chesed was performed here! The midwives could have discharged their moral duty both to God and to Pharaoh by resigning from their positions. They were concerned, however, that the replacement might, out of fear, carry out Pharoah's designs. Hence they acted charitably towards the daughters of Israel and endangered their own lives for the sake of those women. Furthermore they would provide food and water for the poor women in confinement (See Rashi). Moses (Ibid. 2:11) "Went out to his brothers and looked on their burdens." He took their distress to heart, shared in it, and was anxious for them (Rashi ibid.). This is in accordance with the virtue of chesed which obliges one to take account of the sufferings of others, to see whether it is not possible to help them to some extent. "He (Moses) smote the Egyptian" to save the life of the victim (v. 12). Subsequently (v. 17) "Moses stood up and helped the daughters of Jethro," and they related (v. 19): "Moreover he drew water for us and watered the flock." Later, "the officers of the children of Israel were beaten" (Ibid. 5:14). What chesed lies here! The officers did not want to drive their workers unmercifully and so took the beatings themselves (See Rashi). Moses took the remains of Joseph with him ( ibid.13:19), and thus God repaid Joseph for the kindness he had extended in burying his father Jacob (Sotah 9b). Commenting on the verse (Ibid 15:2): "This is my God and I will glorify Him," Abba Shaul has declared (Sabbath 133b), "Imitate Hashem. As He is gracious and merciful, so be you gracious and merciful." (Veanvehu is here expounded as ani vehu, "I and He." Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, Jethro (ibid.18:7). Here, and in the following verses, the duty of welcoming guests, which is chesed, is exemplified.

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EXOD35 See [[EXOD25]] Exodus 1:17 feared AHAVCH 25

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EXOD39 See [[EXOD15]] Exodus 1:17 feared AHAVCH 25

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