Description: Introduction
Ahavas Chesed
Introduction
Welcome back everyone. B”h Chanukah has passed, the Yarchei Kallah and the Siyum Hashas, so we can hopefully get back on track with regular installments of the Dvar Mussar iy”H.
Since the beginning of this program we have learned through the first volume of Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, about two-thirds of the sefer She’arim Bi’Tefillah of Rav Shimshon Pincus, and now we have been learning Derech Hashem for quite some time, and have gone through the first three sections of that sefer. I want to start something new. The past seforim have been dedicated to Bein Adam Li’Makom, as Bilvavi focused primarily on building the basics of Emunah in Hashem, how to acquire a real feel for Hashem’s presence and for trust and faith in Hashem. Sefer She’arim bi’Tefillah concentrated on davening, developing each approach to tefillah, when it is necessary and how it is performed. Sefer Derech Hashem of the Ramchal covered many topics of hashkafah, clarifying many difficult issues about how Hashem created the world, what is the purpose of evil in the world, how things work in terms of the relationship between ruchniyos and gashmiyos, and what exactly is nevuah and ruach hakodesh, to mention a few.
I would like to now begin learning the sefer Ahavas Chesed of the Chafetz Chayim, which is dedicated to developing the middah of chesed, kindness Bein Adam Li’Chavairo. The sefer Ahavas Chesed has two parts. The first part is a halachah sefer, much like the Chafetz Chaim designed his monumental work on Hilchos Lashon Horah, where the first part – Chafetz Chaim, is the halachos of Lashon Horah and Rechilus, and the second part, called Shemiras Halashon, is mussar and hashkafah encouraging everyone to keep the halachos covered in the first part, here too, the first part of the sefer goes through the different obligations and mitzvos of chessed that there are in the Torah, and the second half inspires and motivates us to begin working on these issues!
The halachos that the Chafetz Chaim covers in Ahavas Chesed are, halachos of lending a Jew money when he is in need, who you are obligated to lend to, and who comes first. He also discusses the issurim of taking revenge. He covers many halachos of giving tzedakah within this topic. Ahavas Chesed continues to discuss the halachos of paying workers on time, honesty when dealing with others in business, and maintaining truthfulness and ehrilchkeit in financial matters.
We won’t be learning the halachos, though these halachos are a mussar sefer in of itself, but we will begin with the second half of Ahavas Chesed which teaches us the importance of loving chesed, doing chesed, and inspires us to look for ways to improve this central part of what it means to be a Jew.
In particular, as we are approaching Asarah Bi’Teiveis, which was historically the last chance given to the Jews to improve themselves and do teshuvah, so as to avert the impending Chorban, we are given this chance every year, to improve ourselves and do teshuvah so that the Beis Hamikdash should be rebuilt. It is highly appropriate for us to increase our focus on Bein Adam Li’Chavairo and chesed, to atone for the lack of Ahavas Yisrael which brought about the Chorban of the second Beis Hamikdash. May this be a zchus for us and all of Klal Yisrael to bring Moshiach Bi’mehairah Bi’yamainu!
Ahavas Chesed
Introduction
Welcome back everyone. B”h Chanukah has passed, the Yarchei Kallah and the Siyum Hashas, so we can hopefully get back on track with regular installments of the Dvar Mussar iy”H.
Since the beginning of this program we have learned through the first volume of Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, about two-thirds of the sefer She’arim Bi’Tefillah of Rav Shimshon Pincus, and now we have been learning Derech Hashem for quite some time, and have gone through the first three sections of that sefer. I want to start something new. The past seforim have been dedicated to Bein Adam Li’Makom, as Bilvavi focused primarily on building the basics of Emunah in Hashem, how to acquire a real feel for Hashem’s presence and for trust and faith in Hashem. Sefer She’arim bi’Tefillah concentrated on davening, developing each approach to tefillah, when it is necessary and how it is performed. Sefer Derech Hashem of the Ramchal covered many topics of hashkafah, clarifying many difficult issues about how Hashem created the world, what is the purpose of evil in the world, how things work in terms of the relationship between ruchniyos and gashmiyos, and what exactly is nevuah and ruach hakodesh, to mention a few.
I would like to now begin learning the sefer Ahavas Chesed of the Chafetz Chayim, which is dedicated to developing the middah of chesed, kindness Bein Adam Li’Chavairo. The sefer Ahavas Chesed has two parts. The first part is a halachah sefer, much like the Chafetz Chaim designed his monumental work on Hilchos Lashon Horah, where the first part – Chafetz Chaim, is the halachos of Lashon Horah and Rechilus, and the second part, called Shemiras Halashon, is mussar and hashkafah encouraging everyone to keep the halachos covered in the first part, here too, the first part of the sefer goes through the different obligations and mitzvos of chessed that there are in the Torah, and the second half inspires and motivates us to begin working on these issues!
The halachos that the Chafetz Chaim covers in Ahavas Chesed are, halachos of lending a Jew money when he is in need, who you are obligated to lend to, and who comes first. He also discusses the issurim of taking revenge. He covers many halachos of giving tzedakah within this topic. Ahavas Chesed continues to discuss the halachos of paying workers on time, honesty when dealing with others in business, and maintaining truthfulness and ehrilchkeit in financial matters.
We won’t be learning the halachos, though these halachos are a mussar sefer in of itself, but we will begin with the second half of Ahavas Chesed which teaches us the importance of loving chesed, doing chesed, and inspires us to look for ways to improve this central part of what it means to be a Jew.
In particular, as we are approaching Asarah Bi’Teiveis, which was historically the last chance given to the Jews to improve themselves and do teshuvah, so as to avert the impending Chorban, we are given this chance every year, to improve ourselves and do teshuvah so that the Beis Hamikdash should be rebuilt. It is highly appropriate for us to increase our focus on Bein Adam Li’Chavairo and chesed, to atone for the lack of Ahavas Yisrael which brought about the Chorban of the second Beis Hamikdash. May this be a zchus for us and all of Klal Yisrael to bring Moshiach Bi’mehairah Bi’yamainu!