Description: Chapter 10 - 01
Ahavas Chesed
Chapter 10 – 01
The Chafetz Chaim in this chapter, explains at length how terrible it is to be miserly and stingy. In Lashon Hakodesh this is referred to as a ‘kilai’, that’s the noun that means miser, or the general character trait is ‘tzaros ayin,’ literally having limited vision, meaning the person only sees himself, his personal needs and wants, and doesn’t allow himself to feel or emphasize with people around him. The Chafetz Chaim explains that the root of this middah is a supreme lack of ‘rachamim,’ of mercy. In his language, this kind of person flees from the middah of Rachamim! Meaning, he puts all his effort, all his energy, every last asset he has, his talent, his intelligence, into getting what he wants. Whether it is amassing wealth, or filling his own needs in every way, he can’t spare anything for other people.
It’s fascinating that this middah is referred to as ‘tzaros ayin,’ In particular the way the Chafetz Chaim explains it. The language itself indicates, that essentially every person naturally would feel bad for others. Who can stand by while others are suffering? Truthfully, even the most hard-hearted person can relate and feel terrible, even tear up, for a fictional character – as long as it doesn’t affect his world! Hashem gave all of us a heart, which relates to others, and recognizes their pain and suffering, and suffers along with them. What then leads to stinginess or selfishness? It is a conscious decision to close one’s eyes. It’s even a step further, because the language means that the persons eyes are narrow and confined. This means that this person has successfully managed to be so focused on themselves, there simply is no room in their heart for anyone else!
This is what the Chafetz Chaim means that they flee from mercy – they have no room to spare in their minds for another person. This is the extreme level this character trait can bring one to. But we all suffer from this in one form or another. When we at times don’t allow ourselves to relate and emphasize with another person’s pain or suffering, with their needs and wants, it is because we need that space for ourselves. That is practicing the middah of tzaros ayin.
At the most extreme level, the quintessential miser who won’t share anything of his own with others, this is a terrible middah. It causes Hashem to remove any middah of rachmanus from the person. It is one of the seven things that bring on tzara’as and cause a person’s house to be afflicted with tzara’as, so that he is forced to demolish it. Even today when Hashem doesn’t send nega’im anymore, instead He afflicts this kind of person’s income and financial assets, because this person is treated with extreme middas hadin. If he has no vestige of mercy, Hashem doesn’t deal with him mercifully.
The Chafetz Chaim brings many sources decrying how bad this middah is, and how severe the punishment for it is. It’s important to realize, that B”H most of us don’t suffer from this perverted middah to such dramatic extents, we all have a little bit of it that affects our decision whether or not to do chessed, whether or not to pick up the phone and call someone, whether or not to volunteer to help others, and so on. It’s important to be honest with ourselves and identify when our lack of motivation to do chessed has its roots in a certain stinginess.
Ahavas Chesed
Chapter 10 – 01
The Chafetz Chaim in this chapter, explains at length how terrible it is to be miserly and stingy. In Lashon Hakodesh this is referred to as a ‘kilai’, that’s the noun that means miser, or the general character trait is ‘tzaros ayin,’ literally having limited vision, meaning the person only sees himself, his personal needs and wants, and doesn’t allow himself to feel or emphasize with people around him. The Chafetz Chaim explains that the root of this middah is a supreme lack of ‘rachamim,’ of mercy. In his language, this kind of person flees from the middah of Rachamim! Meaning, he puts all his effort, all his energy, every last asset he has, his talent, his intelligence, into getting what he wants. Whether it is amassing wealth, or filling his own needs in every way, he can’t spare anything for other people.
It’s fascinating that this middah is referred to as ‘tzaros ayin,’ In particular the way the Chafetz Chaim explains it. The language itself indicates, that essentially every person naturally would feel bad for others. Who can stand by while others are suffering? Truthfully, even the most hard-hearted person can relate and feel terrible, even tear up, for a fictional character – as long as it doesn’t affect his world! Hashem gave all of us a heart, which relates to others, and recognizes their pain and suffering, and suffers along with them. What then leads to stinginess or selfishness? It is a conscious decision to close one’s eyes. It’s even a step further, because the language means that the persons eyes are narrow and confined. This means that this person has successfully managed to be so focused on themselves, there simply is no room in their heart for anyone else!
This is what the Chafetz Chaim means that they flee from mercy – they have no room to spare in their minds for another person. This is the extreme level this character trait can bring one to. But we all suffer from this in one form or another. When we at times don’t allow ourselves to relate and emphasize with another person’s pain or suffering, with their needs and wants, it is because we need that space for ourselves. That is practicing the middah of tzaros ayin.
At the most extreme level, the quintessential miser who won’t share anything of his own with others, this is a terrible middah. It causes Hashem to remove any middah of rachmanus from the person. It is one of the seven things that bring on tzara’as and cause a person’s house to be afflicted with tzara’as, so that he is forced to demolish it. Even today when Hashem doesn’t send nega’im anymore, instead He afflicts this kind of person’s income and financial assets, because this person is treated with extreme middas hadin. If he has no vestige of mercy, Hashem doesn’t deal with him mercifully.
The Chafetz Chaim brings many sources decrying how bad this middah is, and how severe the punishment for it is. It’s important to realize, that B”H most of us don’t suffer from this perverted middah to such dramatic extents, we all have a little bit of it that affects our decision whether or not to do chessed, whether or not to pick up the phone and call someone, whether or not to volunteer to help others, and so on. It’s important to be honest with ourselves and identify when our lack of motivation to do chessed has its roots in a certain stinginess.