Week of Yesod, First Day
Major sefirah: Yesod/Foundation; minor sefirah: Chessed/Kindness
A few days ago I mentioned that I realized that certain central components of my being determine the quality of my thinking and behavior. If a certain appetite takes control, just about any behavior or belief that indulges the appetite can be rationalized. The appetite becomes a god, a relentless, demanding god.
So it’s a real chessed (kindness) for me—and my fellow Israelites—that God insists on a very high standard of morality. Honestly trying to maintain that standard prevents the gods and goddesses of licentiousness from driving a wedge between me and E-L (alef lamed), the Almighty.
And a greater chessed lays within that standard. Because the standard is not merely to keep the aforementioned gods and goddesses at bay, but to ever-enhance the relationship that God has made with and for us. Is there a greater kindness than that?
I can also do that favor for people. If, God forbid, there’s a wedge between friends or neighbors, and especially if there is distance between husband and wife, I will try to do them the kindness of (re-)stabilizing the foundation of their familiarity.
When I daven (pray) the Shemonah Esrei blessing Slach na (Forgive, please #6), I will ask God to excuse me for being unkind to Him by becoming aloof because I was lackadaisical in maintaining our standards.
