LEV472 … how great is the reward granted by God, may He be blessed, to one who does visit the poor, sick man, who does advise him how to act, and who encourages him not to abandon hope. For see, Chazal have described the greatness of the reward just for visiting--it is even greater for one who also, in the same act, fulfills the mitzvah of tzedakah and of saving a life, and who also reassures and encourages the patient with his conversation. He will be blessed in many important respects by Hashem, may He be blessed, as has Chazal made clear (Bava Bathra 10a): "Whoever reassures the poor will receive eleven blessings." Indeed in many communities the practice has now been adopted of forming a Bikkur Cholim Society for the purpose of caring for these unfortunate souls when they are ill, to see that they receive proper medical attention, proper food and all other necessities. How commendable would it be were this the universal practice, especially since human life is often involved! Whoever shuts his eyes against this duty transgresses [this verse]: "Neither shall you stand idly by the blood of your neighbor." Happy is the man who sets his mind and heart on the sufferings of these crushed people. Of him, it is said (Psalm 41:2): "Happy is he that considers the poor; Hashem will deliver him in the day of evil." The poor mentioned here are the sick, as I have explained. And the reference is even more appropriate to the sick who are poor, and therefore doubly crushed.

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LEV623 See [[DEUT456]] Deuteronomy 10:19 stranger CCCBM 79

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LEV706 Whatever you wish others to do for you (whether helping you with what you need in your affairs, or lightening the burden of your cares when you are distressed) you should do for your neighbor. Therefore one must act accordingly whenever there are mourners, may God protect us. (Yet, because of our many sins, many treat this mitzvah lightly. Especially when poor people are in mourning, no one opens their door. But the contrary is true. The grief and loss of the poor are all the harder to bear, since these unfortunates derive pleasure from nothing else except their children. This line of reasoning appears in the Gemara (see Moed Katan 24b, in respect to the eulogy). I have noticed that this neglect is the result of the poor person having no friends and acquaintances in this world. Scripture has remarked (Proverbs 19:4): "Wealth added many friends; but as for the poor, his friend separates himself from him." Indeed his friend may be separated from him, but he is all the nearer to God. So Scripture has stated (Proverbs 34:19): "God is near to them that are of a broken heart." How great is the recompense of those who comfort and speak encouragingly to them). The basic intent of Nichum Avelim is to give comfort to the mourners. One may fulfill his obligation by merely reciting: "May the Allpresent comfort you…" Nevertheless it is more desirable to speak comfortingly to them and to assuage their grief by some well-chosen remark, for this is the essence of nichum, comfort. See what we have written, further on, in chapter 7, on a similar subject.

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LEV720 Occasionally, by refraining from doing a favor, one transgresses the negative commandment of "You shall not take vengeance." For instance, he had previously asked a favor of someone, either a loan of money or the like, and the other person had failed to help him. Now that other person comes to him for a favor and he gains his revenge, repaying that person by refusing to help. In this case, by refraining from doing a favor, the person transgresses the commandment [this verse], "You shall not take vengeance." If, through his hatred of that person, he spreads the report in the city that the other person is not reliable, thereby discouraging others from granting the loan that person requires, he transgresses all the more. In addition to violating the two prohibitions against taking revenge and bearing a grudge, he transgresses the commandment forbidding slander (leshon hara'), since here he attacks the person's very life.… Furthermore, even if he had helped that other person, but rebuked him by saying: "I am not like you; you did not help me," he violates the prohibition [this verse]: "You shall bear no grudge," since he has shown here that he still harbors the hate in his heart. He should erase his ill–feeling and lend with a perfect heart, reflecting that all the affairs of this world are vain and worthless, not important enough to arouse the desire for revenge and grudges. [Continued at [[LEV473]] Leviticus 19:16 idly AHAVCH 28].

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LEV725 … the scope of this virtue [i.e., gemiluth chesed] is not limited to free loans, as some believe, but extends through all the good and kind deeds which a person does to another without receiving recompense. One can perform a chesed with his possessions: by lending his livestock, utensils, money or the like. This constitutes the kindness done with one's property, and is so called by Chazal. One might also extend kindness with his person, this latter category being divisible into two classes: kindness towards the living and kindness towards the dead. Towards the living, one extends chesed by welcoming guests into one's house and exerting oneself on their behalf, and by escorting them on their way; by gladdening the groom and his bride; by visiting the sick and by comforting mourners, or by any similar act towards one's neighbor.… Then there is the kindness extended toward the dead: taking out the coffin, helping with all necessary for the burial, acting as a pall bearer, joining the funeral procession, rising to deliver the eulogy, digging the grave and completing the interment. All such acts are included in the topic of gemiluth chesed. (See Sukkah 49b, Rashi there; Rambam: Laws of Mourning, Chap. 14 -- the sources from which our remarks are derived.) They are included in the positive covenant of [this verse]: "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself"--meaning that whatever you would want others to do to you, you should do to others.

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LEV910 See [[LEV359]] Leviticus 19:13 oppress AHAVCH 185-6

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LEV966 Where a Jew has something to sell, and both a Jew and a non-Jew wish to buy it, he should sell to the Jew, and the same preference is followed in buying. So Scripture ordained [this verse]: "And if you sell ought to your neighbor, or buy from your neighbor's hand." Here the Sifra elucidates: "If you sell, sell to your neighbor, the Israelite. And if you buy, buy from your neighbor, the Israelite." Obviously, the same rule applies to the renting of an article or tool. It is better to rent from a Jew if the renter will derive equal benefit from either one.

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LEV1046 Giving intelligently involves, above all, observing how best to benefit the recipient, giving so as to extricate him from his poverty by granting a gift or loan, or by finding him employment, or any other means that will make him self-supporting. The donor fulfills the mitzvah of [this verse]. It is similarly stated in the Sefer Chassidim: "There is a form of giving which does not appear to be charity. Yet it has always appeared eminently so in the eyes of God. Suppose a poor man was selling some product or a book which no one wanted to buy, and this person bought it from him. Or else the poor man looked for a position; no one wanted to hire him--but this man gave him employment. There is no higher form of tzedakah." I have known rich and respected people of this type. They have undertaken certain business activities for the specific purpose of providing employment for poor Jews to earn a living. All of this, and the like, is tzedakah, if not higher. Happy is their lot.

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LEV1049 Know further, that the provision of gainful employment, or similar assistance to the poor, fulfills the mitzvah of "and you shall uphold him," according to the legal authorities. This is an open reprimand to those who are not particular in giving the employment to a Jew when they require unskilled labor. These workers are certainly not rich. They are almost paupers. [This] verse: "and if your brother be waxen poor" certainly describes their circumstances. Furthermore, even where the man is known to be rich, and is not referred to by this verse, nevertheless, as a Jew he takes priority over a non-Jew, in buying from him, selling to him, and the like. So we find in the Sifra. Know too, that the Rama in his Responsa (Chap. 6) rules that even when there is a slight difference in price, a Jew is to be preferred to a non-Jew…

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LEV1051 See [[EXOD690]] Exodus 22:24 if AHAVCH 33

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