Chesed and Rachamim: Divine Attributes Compared

וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יְהֹוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃

The ETERNAL passed before him and proclaimed: “GOD! GOD! a Deity compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness,

הוֹד֣וּ לַיהֹוָ֣ה כִּי־ט֑וֹב כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃

Praise GOD, who is good, —whose steadfast love is eternal.

דָּבָר שֶׁהָעוֹר נֶהֱנֶה מִמֶּנּוּ. דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: תּוֹרָה תְּחִלָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים. תְּחִילָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — דִּכְתִיב:

Rabbi Samlai taught: With regard to the Torah, its beginning is an act of kindness and its end is an act of kindness. Its beginning is an act of kindness, as it is written: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). And its end is an act of kindness, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6).

״יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנַי שֶׁיִּכְבְּשׁוּ רַחֲמַי אֶת כַּעֲסִי, וְיִגּוֹלּוּ רַחֲמַי עַל מִדּוֹתַי, וְאֶתְנַהֵג עִם בָּנַי בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים, וְאֶכָּנֵס לָהֶם לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין״.

Rav Zutra bar Tovia said that Rav said: God says: May it be My will that My mercy will overcome My anger towards Israel for their transgressions, and may My mercy prevail over My other attributes through which Israel is punished, and may I conduct myself toward My children, Israel, with the attribute of mercy, and may I enter before them beyond the letter of the law.

שְׁמוֹת הַבּוֹרֵא חוּץ מֵהַמְפֹרָשׁ הֵם מִדּוֹת וְתַבְנִיּוֹת טְפֵלִיּוֹת נִלְקָחוֹת מֵהִפָּעֲלֻיּוֹת הַבְּרוּאִים לוֹ כְּפִי גְזֵרוֹתָיו וּמַעֲשָׂיו, וְנִקְרָא רַחוּם כְּשֶׁהוּא מְתַקֵּן עִנְיַן מִי שֶׁהָיוּ בְנֵי אָדָם מְרַחֲמִים עָלָיו לְרֹעַ עִנְיָנוֹ. וּמְיַחֲסִים אֶל הַבּוֹרֵא הָרַחֲמִים וְהַחֲנִינָה, וַאֲמִתָּתָם אֶצְלֵנוּ: חֲלִישׁוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהֶמְיַת הַטֶּבַע, וְאֵין זֶה רָאוּי לוֹ יִתְבָּרָךְ, אֲבָל אָמְנָם הוּא שׁוֹפֵט צֶדֶק גּוֹזֵר בְּרִישׁ אָדָם אֶחָד, וְעֹשֶׁר אָדָם אַחֵר, מִבְּלִי שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּנֶּה בְעַצְמוּתוֹ, וְלֹא יְרַחֵם עַל אֶחָד וְלֹא יִכְעַס עַל אַחֵר.

He is called merciful, if he improves the condition of any man whom people pity for his sorry plight. They attribute to Him mercy and compassion, although this is, in our conception, surely nothing but a weakness of the soul and a quick movement of nature. This cannot be applied to God, who is a just Judge, ordaining the poverty of one individual and the wealth of another.

יָשׁוּב יְרַחֲמֵנוּ. תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת. אִם כֵּן רָאוּי שֶׁתִּמְצָאֶנָּה בוֹ י"ג מִדּוֹת אֵלּוּ.

Therefore it is fitting that he should [make his actions] resemble the actions of the Crown (Keter), which are the thirteen highest traits of mercy. And they are hinted to in the secret of the verses (Michah 7:18-20), "Who is a power like You; He will again have mercy on us; You shall give truth." If so, it is fitting that these thirteen traits [also] be found in man.

לְקַיֵּם מִלֵּי דְּאָבוֹת, שֶׁשָּׁם נִכְלָלִים עִנְיָנִים מִכָּל הַחֲלָקִים. וְהִנֵּה גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים הוּא עִקָּר גָּדוֹל לֶחָסִיד, כִּי חֲסִידוּת עַצְמוֹ נִגְזַר מֵחֶסֶד וְאָמְרוּ זַ"ל (אבות פ"א):

CHESED - KINDLINESS: The second subdivision of the first division, namely, piety in deed between man and his fellow, its matter is great beneficence, namely, that one always does good to others and never harms them. This applies to the body, possessions, and spirit of one's fellow.