The World is Built on Kindness: Why Does Hashem Want Us to Do Good for Others?

You have likely heard of 'Good Deeds Day,' a day when organizations, schools, and companies engage in voluntary activities for the benefit of others and the environment. On this day, you might see young and old people alike packing food baskets for needy families, visiting the elderly in nursing homes, or lending a hand in painting and renovating daycare centers for adults with disabilities.

This sounds wonderful, but the catch is that it’s a one-time event, a single day a year. It reminds me of a time on a train when someone was collecting donations from the passengers. Most passengers politely refused, likely preferring to donate directly to a reliable source since they didn’t know the person collecting. There was one woman who explained her refusal by saying, "In our family, we have a tradition where once a year we all gather in the living room and decide together where to donate 100 shekels." This summed up their annual charitable contribution to the world. Luckily, I had enough self-control not to show my shock.

The Torah guides us to do acts of kindness not as a one-time positive act, nor as a check to mark on a list of good deeds, but with the goal of changing something within ourselves. The Torah wants us to become better people, not living solely in our own bubbles, but with the awareness to notice someone in distress. This is unlikely to happen when a good deed is a one-time act to quiet the conscience or as some proof that says "See, I'm a good person" before moving back to routine. It only happens when we develop the internal muscle of seeing others and giving as an integral part of who we are and how we live.

Why is it so important that we are inherently people of goodness and kindness? Physical closeness is measured by the distance between two, but spiritual closeness is measured by the shared values between them. Hashem wants us to draw closer to Him, and this closeness can only occur when we become 'like' Him and walk in His ways, as the Torah says: "And now, Israel, what does Hashem your God ask of you, but to fear Hashem your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him and to serve Hashem your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 10:12); "For if you shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love Hashem your God, to walk in all His ways and to cleave to Him" (Deuteronomy 11:22); "Hashem will establish you as a holy people for Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of Hashem your God and walk in His ways" (Deuteronomy 28:9). When we follow Hashem’s ways and emulate His traits, we draw closer to Him, and this is what Hashem asks of us. Our sages explained: "Just as Hashem is called gracious, you too be gracious; just as Hashem is called merciful, you too be merciful; just as Hashem is called pious, you too be pious" (Sifrei on Deuteronomy 11:22). Hashem bestows and influences our world at every moment, and He asks us to be givers and influencers in our essence. In this way, we resemble Hashem’s traits, and through this, our closeness to Him is intensified.

The Weekly Challenge

Think of a small act of kindness you can do regularly, with your family or in your environment.