Camp Raninu - Chesed Talk Shabbos Nachamu 2025

It is just three simple letters that make the word that is the entirety of today's talk, and this simple word lies at the bedrock of our faith. It is also considered the basis of many commandments, and it is one of the ten Sephiros on the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It occurs 248 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is also taught by rabbi Shimon: "The world rests upon three things, and one of the pillars is this unsuspecting word. (Pirkei Avot 1:2). Rebi Simlai stated: The Torah begins with this concept and ends with this cocnept, as it says, ("G-d made for the man and his wife garments of leather and clothed them" (Bereishis 3:21). It ends with this idea Chesed, as it is says, "He (G- d) buried (Moshe) in the valley (Devarim 34:6)." (Sotah 14a) but my friends holy mebers of camp ranniu The word shurggs nit shoulder when this word is metioed they roll there eyes andsigh and moan like it's bland and old news, a non-issue. But my friend, it is because you have been lied to. You have been fibbed!

What is this unsuspecting yet all-encompassing word and concept? It is none other than chesed.

Make sure the references above are clarified.

Why is this idea of kindness, generosity, and charity a part and parcel of and an integral aspect of Judaism?

The answer is: 
Judaism at its core is about selflessness and altruism because that is the attribute of Hashem, and we are down here trying to parrot and mimic the Creator. It's not about me. It's about your friends' parents, children, and your creation, and what you can provide for them.
--------------------
I've witnessed chesed before...

mendy cholent 

I was stuck just last week when I heard the most incredible episode of an act of chessed, such selflessness.

The term "Chevron massacre"  refers to one of the massacres that occurred in Hebron, a city in the West Bank with a complex history of Jewish-Arab relations. The most well-known of these events is the 1929 Hebron massacre, where Arabs killed at least 67 Jews during the 1929 Palestine riots. The chevron massacre giving minal blood to friends - a story.

---------------------
Today on this holy Shabbos, which is three-pronged and possesses the spiritual trifecta and triumvirate of Shabbos, Shabbos Nachamu, and Tubiav, I would like to follow the theme of three and share with you three truths about chesed they you may not know, and hope together we can correct the false assumptions we have about this critical concept.

First Yesod

The Jewish people are marching towards the promised land
But weirdly, Moshe is hit with a waft of fear.

וַיִּפְנוּ֙ וַֽיַּעֲל֔וּ דֶּ֖רֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֑ן וַיֵּצֵ֣א עוֹג֩ מֶֽלֶךְ־הַבָּשָׁ֨ן לִקְרָאתָ֜ם ה֧וּא וְכׇל־עַמּ֛וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה אֶדְרֶֽעִי׃ 
They marched on and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan, with all his troops, came out to Edrei to engage them in battle. 

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֙ אַל־תִּירָ֣א אֹת֔וֹ כִּ֣י בְיָדְךָ֞ נָתַ֧תִּי אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־כׇּל־עַמּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־אַרְצ֑וֹ וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֗יתָ לְסִיחֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּחֶשְׁבּֽוֹן׃ 
But יהוה said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I give him and all his troops and his land into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sichon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon.”

רש"י
לד
אל תירא אתו. שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה יָרֵא לְהִלָּחֵם, שֶׁמָּא תַּעֲמֹד לוֹ זְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיָּבֹא הַפָּלִיט" (בראשית י"ד) — הוּא עוֹג שֶׁפָּלַט מִן הָרְפָאִים שֶׁהִכּוּ כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר וַחֲבֵרָיו בְּעַשְׁתְּרוֹת קַרְנַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ג') "רַק עוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן נִשְׁאַר מִיֶּתֶר הָרְפָאִים" (נדה ס"א):

ויבא הפליט. לְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ זֶה עוֹג, שֶׁפָּלַט מִן הַמִּלְחָמָה, וְהוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב כִּי רַק עוֹג נִשְׁאַר מִיֶּתֶר הָרְפָאִים (דבר' ג') וְזֶהוּ נִשְׁאַר, שֶׁלֹּא הֲרָגוּהוּ אַמְרָפֶל וַחֲבֵרָיו כְּשֶׁהִכּוּ הָרְפָאִים בְּעַשְׁתְּרוֹת קַרְנַיִם, תַּנְחוּמָא וּמִדְרַשׁ בְּ"רַ זֶה עוֹג, שֶׁפָּלַט מִדּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל; וְזֶהוּ מִיֶּתֶר הָרְפָאִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ' (לְעֵיל ו') וּמִתְכַּוֵּן שֶׁיֵּהָרֵג אַבְרָם וְיִשָּׂא אֶת שָׂרָה:

ויבא הפליט AND THERE CAME THE ONE WHO ESCAPED — According to the real meaning this was Og who had escaped from the battle with the Rephaim (see Genesis 5:5). It is to this that the text refers (Deuteronomy 3:11) "For only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim", and this is what is meant by נשאר "left", for Amraphel and his allies did not kill him when they smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim. His intention in telling Abraham that his nephew was captured was that Abraham should wage war against the kings and that he should be killed so that he, himself, might marry Sarah.

Kli Yakar ("Kli Yakar" refers to a Torah commentary written by Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, also known as the Kli Yakar after his work. He was a prominent rabbi in 16th and 17th century Poland and Bohemia, known for his insightful and popular sermons.)

ויאמר ה' אל משה אל תירא אותו. פירש"י שהיה ירא שמא תעמוד לו זכותו של אברהם דאל"כ קשה וכי משה היה ירא מזרוע בשר ודם באשר ה' אתו, ועו"ק מאחר שנאמר כי בידך נתתי אותו ואת עמו וא"כ הל"ל אל תירא אותו ואת עמו, אלא ודאי שמעמו ודאי לא היה ירא כי ה' אתו אך מאותו היה ירא פן תעמוד לו זכות אברהם. 

ומה שמקשים כאן איך היה ירא מזכות זה, אדרבא הרי באותו זמן היה חוטא ורב מרי כי כוונתו היה כדי שיהרג אברהם וישא הוא שרה כמו שפירש"י שם (בראשית יד יג),

Question: What! Moshe is scared of someone setting up an accidental murder just to steal his wife! How can this be?

Answer: What do we see here? A startling insight! Moshe is afraid of the merits of a creepy giant who acted with kindness, even though the kindness had ulterior motives!

An "ulterior motive" refers to a hidden or secret reason for doing something, often different from the stated or apparent reason. It implies a concealed agenda, often selfish or dishonest, where the true purpose is not disclosed.

Invite your friend to come to dinner with you, just so that your parents will be proud of you? chessed!

Second Yesod

Rav Avraham Grodzinski (c. 1884 - July 13, 1944) was a rabbi who served as the mashgiach ruchani (spiritual supervisor) of the Slabodka yeshiva in Lithuania. He is best known for being the primary disciple of Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Alter of Slabodka, and for his book of mussar lectures called Toras Avraham.

וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם עֹלָ֜ה אִשֵּׁ֨ה רֵ֤יחַ נִיחֹ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה פַּ֥ר אֶחָ֖ד אַ֣יִל אֶחָ֑ד כְּבָשִׂ֧ים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה תְּמִימִֽם׃ 
You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to יהוה; one bull, one ram, seven yearling lambs, without blemish.

פר אחד איל אחד. אֵלּוּ כְנֶגֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל, הִתְעַכְּבוּ לִי מְעַט עוֹד, וּלְשׁוֹן חִבָּה הוּא זֶה, כְּבָנִים הַנִּפְטָרִים מֵאֲבִיהֶם וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לָהֶם קָשָׁה עָלַי פְּרֵדַתְכֶם, עַכְּבוּ עוֹד יוֹם אֶחָד, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה סְעוּדָה כוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא בְמַסֶּכֶת סֻכָּה (שם); וּבְמִדְרַשׁ רַבִּי תַנְחוּמָא: לִמְּדָה תוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אַכְסְנַאי יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן יַאֲכִילֶנּוּ פְּטוּמוֹת, לְמָחָר יַאֲכִילֶנּוּ דָּגִים, לְמָחָר בְּשַׂר בְּהֵמָה, לְמָחָר מַאֲכִילוֹ קִטְנִית, לְמָחָר מַאֲכִילוֹ יָרָק, פּוֹחֵת וְהוֹלֵךְ כְּפָרֵי הֶחָג:

Question: How could it be that you keep going down in Chesed?
Protruding peculiarity!

Answer:
We see here a new perspective! Says Rav Avraham Grodzinski that Chesed is not about "Wineing" and dining the people because does that make you feel comfortable in the house with the family, no, you slowly become one of the members of the family!

Making your honored guest cozy and treating him like family is chesed par excellence!

Third Yesod

The largest mistake one makes in their daily Jewish life.

Solve marriage strife. Call on a recent reference about a girl and her kindness. Is she a giver or a helper? Yes, she does Chesed. She always volunteered for the SPCA and the Yerushalmi Chassidish family, which has 15 kids and one bedroom apartment. Fast forward three years, why is this girl struggling to keep the peace in the home? She forgets the third step of chessed. 

Humanitarianism and benefaction begin at home!

(Show a diagram of circles.)

Chesed is a series of concentric circles. First priority is one's inner circle, immediate family, and spouse and kids, second is extended family and close friends, and last is extended family and distant relationships.

What if there is a conflict? The inner circle wins!
What do you like to do versus what the torah wants you to do!?
Ooohrah needs volunteers to help with their new torah endeavor, or is looking for help with this year's Chinese auction, or the other thing that is being asked of you is that your mom is making peach cobbler, and she likes to make it with peeled peaches, but her arthritis in her hands is bothering her! Which comes first?

---------------------

Kindness, altruism, and selflessness are at the core of our religion, and now we see three new ideas in how Chesed is performed, number one. Underlying motives do not delete your Chesed, number two that chessed does ot mean to donate your money or even grill them a steak, it's rather about making them comfortable and taken care of like one of your family members, and last Chesed we have seen starts with your inner circle with your parents and your bunk.