(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com)

Unfortunately, Reb Reuvain Feinstein Shlita and his wife were in a terrible car accident.  Their names for Tehillim are Shalom Reuven ben Shima and Chava Sarah bas Ita Devorah.

Perhaps one of the best ways that one can give someone in need of rachamim – is to learn Torah that the person had innovated.  Two years ago, Reb Reuvain published a sefer on Bereishis entitled Nahar Shalom.  The following thoughts are from that sefer.

AVROHOM AVINU’S MIDOS

In Parshas Vayeirah, Rav Reuvain explains Avrohom Avinu’s midos that they are the source for Klal Yisroel’s traits of merciful, shy, and performers of acts of lovingkindness (Gomlei Chessed) [See Yevamos 79a]. Rav Feinstein explains how not only did Avrohom Avinu treat his wife in an exemplary manner, but everyone else as well. His quality of shyness never allowed him to stare down any one, for example.

He asks a few questions about this idea.  If Avrohom Avinu was the paragon of Chessed and hachnasas Orchim, why then did he not have food readily prepared? Why did he give his guests cream and then meat? Rav Reuven answers with two parables about hachnasas orchim that capture the picture. Essentially, Avrohom Avinu was prepared with both emergency food for guests as well as how to best prepare fresh food.

We should follow this example when we do chessed – to have emergency provisions, but also to be able to quickly provide the very best that one can.

WHAT NOT TO DO

In parshas Chayei Sarah, Rav Feinstein Shlita explains the chicanery of Efron – that it was much deeper than we might have originally thought. Efron knew that Avrohom Avinu would certainly pay for a Mitzvah. He, therefore, offered Avrohom Avinu both the surrounding land and the cave of Machpeilah together for free. The cave was worth much money, but the land was not. In creating this “package deal” Efron managed to get Avrohom Avinu to buy everything – the cave and the land at top cost.

We should learn from this what NOT to do.  Our actions should always be honest and we should try to attain a level of dover emes bilvavo – always being honest in our hearts.

THE TRAITS OF A TRUE BAAL CHESSED

Further in the Parsha, the Rosh Yeshiva asks how it was that Eliezer knew that Rivkah Imeinu offered him the water out of her quality of kindness? Perhaps it was because she was intimidated by the presence of Eliezer? He answers that if that were the case, she would not have offered to do more on her own accord. Also, he asks why did she offer to do chessed for someone who was completely able-bodied? The Rosh yeshiva answers that a true baal chessed does chessed for everyone – even a possible bully.

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