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Jewish roots of the Shiny Project.
The Power of Speech | Ahavat Chesed | 613 Mitzvot | Moshiach
Ahavat Chesed
" Then G-d formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into the nostrils the spirit of life....." (Bereishis 2:7)
Every human being carries within himself a part of G-d, a Divine essence that was invested in man at the moment G-d breathed life into him. That essence, the soul, is what separates man from the rest of creation. How does a person activate this soul within himself? How does he open a channel through which his soul can manifest itself in the physical world?
Chesed (Kindness) is the vehicle through which a human being expresses the Divine essence in this world. That is because chesed is one of G-d's defining attributes. When a human being performs an act of chesed, he is not just "being nice". He is fulfilling the purpose for which he was created. The Torah commands us to emulate G-d. When we consider G-d's constant, limitless acts of chesed, we come to understand why doing chesed is a fulfillment of Torah directive. All G-d does is for the ultimate benefit of His creations. He is the provider of food for millions of species of plants and animals. He puts together the right combination of elements to enable the world to breathe, thrive, reproduce and renew. He designs systems of infinite precision that keep the body and brain chemicals in balance and systems of unimaginable magnitude that keep the universe in balance. He gives us the capacity to be touched by beauty, moved by sadness, and awed by grandeur. All of this He projects continually into our world.
G-d's entire existence is expressed through the constant care He gives to his creations. That is how we discern His nature. When we emulate His ways by caring for our fellow man, we walk in the "footsteps" of G-d.
(Done with help from Chafetz Chaim's Loving Kindness and the Ahavat Chesed Blog)