The Rebbe Reb Zusha of Anipoli zt'l wanted to rebuke a certain talmid chacham who didn't feel it was important for him to occupy himself with tzedakah and chesed. This scholar would say, "Let others do those mitzvos. I devote myself only to Torah." Rebbe Zusha told him a story of a wealthy person who bought a beautiful, expensive jacket. Everyone in the town complimented him on his purchase. He appeared so regal in his new clothing.
A poor person in town was jealous of all the attention the wealthy person received, and he decided also to buy the same jacket. He saved up for it, sold some items from his home, and proudly came to town wearing an exquisite jacket. He waited for all the praise and admiration, but nothing came forth. Instead, he noticed people snickering and laughing behind his back.
He had to find out what he did wrong. He told his friend, “Tell me the truth, is something wrong with my jacket?" The friend replied, "Your jacket is beautiful but doesn’t match your other clothes. Your lopsided hat is seven years old, your pants have patches, and your shoes are falling apart. Your jacket is incompatible with your style of dress."
Rebbe Zusha explained, "Torah is beautiful but needs the right setting. It doesn't look nice when there aren't good middos or gemilus chasadim."
Rebbe Zusha told him that this is the meaning of the Mishnah (that we say each morning after birkas haTorah), אלו דברים שאדם אוכל מהם פירותיהם בעולם הזה והקרן קיימת לו לעולם הבא, והן כבוד אב ואם וגמילות חסדים... "These are the things that a person eats their fruit in this world, and the primary reward remains in Olam HaBa: honoring parents, doing kind deeds..." The Mishnah lists many examples of kind deeds, and then the Mishnah states ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם. These words can also be translated as "Torah goes together with all of them." כנגד כולם, they have to go together, Torah with chesed and chesed with Torah. One without the other isn't sufficient.
Someone once shamed Reb Chaim Goldfinger, the gabbai of the Bobover Rav Shlita, and he remained silent, not answering back. There was a person who didn't have children. He asked Reb Chaim to grant him the merit of his silence by the humiliation as a merit for him to bear children. Reb Chaim agreed and blessed him with children. Nine months later, he had a child, and there was a large shalom zachor celebration because it was a miracle. We live at a time of hester panim, we don't always see miracles, but there are times that Hashem shows us what He loves. Hashem loves it when we are quiet to avoid machlokes, Hashem loves it when one saves his fellow man from shame and humiliation, Hashem loves chesed, and these gestures are rewarded immensely, also in this world.
