This time I want to share with you a very interesting idea from Rabbi Dessler.  This important Rabbi died in Israel in 1953, but during World War II, he lived in the UK, not far from Newcastle, and gave spiritual support to the writers of the letters he received at that time.  

Rabbi Dessler explained that a person who thinks that he/she should always receive and not give loves only him/herself.  Even when this person helps others it is for what he/she can get out of it and to earn respect.  Maybe this is the reason that Rabbi Hillel (Hillel Ha’Zaken) said “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”.  This is the Torah.  Without real “Chesed” (Charity/kindness) we can’t follow the Torah!  

One of the most important things today is “Chesed”. Over the last few generations it has become more difficult for us to keep the “mitzvot” so Rabbis have said that the answer is “Chesed”! 

We can find many reasons why it is so important today.  I will try to give a different one that we don’t think about when we give “Chesed”.  Our basic desire is to take, but in order to improve ourselves what we have to do is TO GIVE!  We learned from Abraham that even when he spoke with G-d, when he saw visitors he asked for permission to go to them and look after them. With real “Chesed” we are not asking for something back, and in truth, by giving of ourselves, love will grow. 

Rashi wrote in the “Gmora” that a prayer is “Chesed” with ourselves. That is strange.  How can we talk about “Chesed” with ourselves?  I think that the answer is hidden in G-d because G-d’s way is “Chesed”.  Even the Creation itself is “Chesed” but if we always wait for G-d to give us something, we don’t follow his example of giving – we do the opposite!

The prayer is about us and what we can do for others and it’s the beginning.  I said once that we can take an apple and because we want to eat it, we will make the blessing.  There is a different way to look at this – we should want to make the blessing, so we take the apple.  

Together with you I am trying to find the right way. If you have any ideas or you want to question anything I have written, please contact me.