Hashem promised Yitzchak that a large nation would come from him and that this nation would inherit Eretz Yisrael (26:5) עקב ותורתי חקותי מצותי משמרתי וישמר בקלי אברהם שמע אשר, "because Avraham obeyed my voice, and performed My mission, My commandments, My chukim, and My Torah."
On the word חוקים, the Ramban explains that this means Yitzchak will bear children, and they will inherit Eretz Yisrael because of the deeds of chessed that Avraham performed. We quote the Ramban:
"חוקתי means that Avraham went in Hashem's ways to be kind and compassionate to all and to do tzedakah and judgment, and he commanded his family to follow in that path."
Reb Shimon Shwab zt'l asks that a chok always refers to a mitzvah for which we don't know the reason. But to do chessed and to be kind to others is logical and humane. Why are such deeds called חקותי in this pasuk?
Reb Shimon Shwab answers that there are people about whom you think there is no mitzvah to help them. You focus on their faults and feel that they aren't the type of people you are obligated to help. The Torah says that Avraham did chessed with all, even when it was like a chok, and logically, he didn't understand why he should be compassionate towards these people.
Chessed in Practice
Some people once insulted Reb Gedalyah Moshe of Zvhil zt'l, and Reb Gedalyah's gabaim wanted to rebuke them, to stick up for their Rebbe's honor. Reb Gedalyah told them to let it pass and not to make an issue of it. He explained, "My father, Rebbe Shlomke of Zvhil zt'l, was a rebbe because he was great tzaddik, but my only strength is that I am silent and don't respond when there is a machlokes. If you take that away from me, I have nothing."
Once, Rebbe Gedalyah Moshe davened Mussaf quickly. The reason was that when he was about to go to the amud to daven for mussaf, he heard two children say, "Oh no! The rebbe is going to daven mussaf. Davening will be very long." He didn't want to cause distress to those children.
When his first great-grandchild was born, he didn't tell anyone. Shabbos morning, people heard that the rebbe had a great-granddaughter and asked him, "Why didn't you tell us? We would have prepared a kiddush." For shalashudes, the gabbai arranged extra food in honor of the simchah. Reb Gedalya Moshe explained that one of his gabaim didn’t have children. He didn't want to celebrate the simchah so as not to cause tzaar to this gabbai.
Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt'l never put a grandchild on his lap because some of his children never had children. He didn't want them to suffer watching him enjoy his grandchildren from his other children.
