Chessed or Not?

A Guest Post by Yehoshua Shapiro

Thank you again for allowing me space on your blog again.

This past week an article written by one of their better known writers at least amoung the anglos. He writes how about every 8 months he finds himself visting a certain Yeshivah in the United States. He is always is surprised when he goes to wash his hands in the morning all the cups for washing are full because in the winter
people suffer from chapped hands and the water is always warm. He writes that he hasn't seen act of a small chesed elsewhere. This practice is inculcated into the boys from when they come to the yeshivah.

He then goes on to write that when he went to throw out the garbage into the dumpster that a bag of garbage burst and it contents were strewn on the ground for someone else to clean up. I am curious if the writer cleaned it up or left it, but he writes that had the person who dropped it learned in that yeshivah they would probably have cleaned it up. I am not sure they would have cleaned up just like most people wouldn't - they just walk by and leave it. Filling a cup involves no real effort at all.

I think this article shows how sad the state of affairs are that he is overly impressed that the cups are filled every morning. I think the act of filling the cups is something done more by rote then anything else as it does not involve much effort.

This reminds me of another thing people consider chesed, that is, inviting friends over for a meal. that they consider this hachanasas orchim. Real hachansas orchim is when you invite someone who doesn't have where to go or eat and also may not be your run of the mill person as well.

Getting back to the garbage, I happen to live in the same neighborhood as the writer does and I am always amazed how garbage is always on the ground near the dumpster or on top and many times the dumpster is almost empty. My house is not a museum where everything is in perfect order, but regarding the garbage I make sure to throw it in the dumpster and close it when it is open. I am amazed how little regard people have when throwing out their garbage.

I must commend 2 people in my neighborhood that live near and me and they always keep an eye on the garbage situation and are concerned for the cleanliness of the neighborhood and also concerned for the garbage men who are fine Jewish men so that their job not have to be more difficult.

I was fornunate to have learned by Rav Ahron Soloveichik - he was a true baal chesed in all shapes and forms and he inculcated chesed into most of his students.