Chesed
The Brisker Rav zt'l escaped the war on a ship from Odessa to Eretz Yisrael. He brought along food so he and his family wouldn't have to eat questionable or not kosher food on the boat. But the trip took a long time, and he ran out of provisions. One of the sailors said to the Brisker Rav, "There are new pots on board; no one ever used them. I will cook some vegetables for you so you and your family can have food to eat." The Brisker Rav was pleased with the offer and asked Reb Simchah Kaplan (later Rav of Tzefas) to go with the sailor to light the fire.
As they walked to the ship's kitchen at the bottom of the boat, the sailor said, "I know why you are coming with me. You don't want me to light the stove. But you should know that you have nothing to worry about. I am a religious Jew." Reb Simchah Kaplan returned to the Brisker Rav to tell him. The Brisker Rav said, "You just answered a great question that I had. Chazal (Yevamos 79a) tell us, 'This nation has three signs: (1) They are compassionate, (2) they have shame, and (3) they do deeds of kindness.' I understand from this rule that goyim do not have these three traits. So, I couldn't understand why this sailor had compassion on me. But now I understand. It is because he is indeed a Yid."
The Chazon Ish zt'l would say, "Every day, we say the brachah גוי עשני שלא, he praises Hashem that he isn't a goy. He isn’t a goy, but how much is he a Yid? That is measured according to the amount of kindness he does for others."
We wrote above that Yosef HaTzaddik always loved his brothers. He said (45:4) אני מצרימה אותי מכרתם אשר אחיכם יוסף, "I am your brother Yosef, whom you sold into Mitzrayim," and the Or HaChaim explains, I considered you my brothers, even when you sold me." Let us learn from Yosef HaTzaddik's ways to love all our brothers of Bnei Yisrael and to seek to do chesed for them.
