The Ruzhiner Rebbe’s son, Rav Dovid Moshe of Tchortkov zy”a, related that he knew this baal teshuva, and he testified that the man reached a very lofty level, and even began to accept kvitlach and bring about yeshuos for other Yidden. Rav Dovid Moshe said, “Once he committed to do what my father told him, he automatically knew on his own what else he had to do to atone for each sin!”
This advice is based on the words of Rav Chaim Vital zy”a (Shaar Ruach Hakodesh 34:2), who writes that he was told by his rebbi, the Arizal, that the main way one can attain ruach hakodesh is by having kavannah while reciting each bracha on food or drink. By doing so, one destroys the impure klippah that is within the food he is about to eat, which can damage the one who eats it. By saying a bracha on the food with kavannah, one removes the klippah and purifies the food, and it becomes a source of kedusha for him.
The Table Atones:
In this vein, the pasuk states (Bereishis 18:5): “And I will take a morsel of bread, and sustain your hearts; afterwards you shall pass on.” Rav Uri of Strelisk zy”a explains this to mean that one should eat with yishuv hadaas, calmness and serenity, rather than hurriedly. When one washes his hands before eating, he should not rush through it without thinking. Rather, he should concentrate on what he is doing and have simple kavannah that he is fulfilling the mitzvah of netilas yadayim.
When one then makes the brachos of Al Netilas Yadayim and Hamotzi, he should say each word slowly and concentrate on the fact that he is fulfilling Hashem’s will by making these blessings. While making Hamotzi, one should also have in mind that he is praising Hashem for providing him with sustenance.
He should then eat calmly – not ravenously and speedily. He should think that he is eating in order to have strength to serve Hashem. When he finishes eating, he should recite Birchas Hamazon slowly and keep in mind that he is fulfilling Hashem’s will to say this blessing.
Rav Uri states that if one eats like this, he will fulfill the words of the pasuk “afterwards, you shall pass”, meaning that his table will be considered like a Mizbeach that atones for his sins and makes them a thing of the past.
The Two Types of Chesed:
Sefer Beer Mayim Chaim writes at length about the mitzvah of gemilus chasadim and says that there are two types of people who do chesed.
The first type of person is referred to as as “baal chesed”. Chazal (Shabbos 104A) describe such people as those who run after poor people in order to help them. Their hearts drive them to assist those in need, and they constantly look around for people in need of assistance so that they can come to their aid.
Regarding such people, the pasuk states (Mishlei 21:21): “One who pursues tzedakah and chesed will find life.”
The second type of person is known as a “baal rachamim”. Such a person does not run after poor people to ask if they need help, but if he happens to bump into a person who is clearly in need of assistance, he will help him. He doesn’t seek out opportunities to do chesed, but if they present themselves to him, he does what he can to help.
There is a big difference between these two groups of people. A baal chesed will always have a house full of people benefiting from his largesse, as he will make it his business to find those in need of a meal or any form of help. A baal rachamim, however, may not see anyone in need of assistance, so his home may be empty of guests, as he doesn’t take it upon himself to go out and find them.
Chazal say (Megillah 12B) that Hashem treats people the same way that they act. Thus, He will run after a baal chesed in order to do chesed for him. Even if such a person does not daven and ask Him for his needs, and even if he isn’t even aware of what he needs, Hashem will seek him out and provide for him in a wondrous manner. When it comes to a baal rachamim, however, Hashem will help him only if he comes to Him and tells Him what he needs. He will not seek him out without him asking for assistance.
Another difference is that if a baal rachamim is approached by a poor man who asks for a dollar or two, he will feel bad for him and he will give him what he requests. A baal chesed, however, will go well beyond that. Since he wants to do as much chesed as he can, he will give the poor man much more than a dollar or two.
Avrohom Avinu was a baal chesed. Throughout his life, he pursued opportunities to welcome guests and help them in any way he could. He sat by the gate of his tent (Bereishis 18:1) in order to find guests whom he could do chesed for (Bava Metziah 86B).
Since this was his outlook on life, he tested Rivkah to see if she too was a baalas chesed and was worthy of joining his household. He told Eliezer to ask her for a little bit of water to see if she would offer to give even more than that, which would be a sign that she is a true baalas chesed.
Chesed is Bigger Than Yiras Shomayim:
Rashi says that the reason he ran towards her was “because he saw the water rising towards her.”
The Rebbe of Kuzhmir zy”a (Sefer Maamar Yechezkel) asks why he waited for the other signs. Wasn’t seeing the water rising towards her enough to know that she possessed yiras Shomayim and was worthy of marrying Avrohom’s son?
He answers that he still needed to ascertain that she was a baalas chesed. Even though he knew that she possessed yiras Shomayim, he had to know that she did chesed before he could be certain that she was worthy of joining Avrohom’s household.
Meriting a Free Gift:
Sefer Tiferes Shlomo states that this pasuk hints to the importance of supporting Torah scholars. He says that even if one is not a talmid chochom himself, he receives the same reward as one if he uses his money to support him. This is seen from this pasuk as the word “l’gemalecha” (to your camels) can be seen as a reference to gomlei chesed, and the word “to draw” can be understood as referring to drawing out the influence of Torah by supporting those who learn it.
We see from this that even if one who does acts of chesed is unlearned and does not possess much Torah, Hashem gives him a free gift and rewards him as if he did learn Torah. This is because Hashem treats people the same way they act towards others, and if one is kind to others, He is kind to them.
Chesed Atones Like the Bais Hamikdosh:
Sefer Divrei Yisroel says that when it says that Yitzchok went to “pray in the field towards evening” it means that he went to recite tefillos about the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh and the darkness of golus.
It is stated in the Medrash (Yalkut Hoshea, Remez 522): “Rebbe Yochanon ben Zakai once was walking in Yerushalaim and Rebbe Yehoshua was walking behind him. They saw the ruins of the Bais Hamikdosh and Rebbe Yehoshua said, ‘Woe to us that the house, the place where our sins were atoned, was destroyed.’ Rebbe Yochanon told him, ‘My son. Do not feel bad. There is another way to receive atonement. What is that? Gemilus chasadim”.
Yitzchok went out towards evening to daven to Hashem and he cried about the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh, where Klal Yisroel received atonement for their sins. He worried how we would receive atonement after being sent into exile. He then lifted his eyes and saw “gamalim”, camels, coming towards him. This can be understood to mean that he saw gemilus chasadim and understood that it can bring about atonement just like korbanos. This led him to be calmed.
