Rav Chatzkel Abramsky – story with little girl crying

Sotah 14a torah begins and ends with chesed

Already had fig leaves, these were bigdei kahuna, or begadim that went to nimrod-eisav-yaakov-(Yosef
TYBU).

Reb Yeruchem explains (DCM shavuos) that when the beginning and end is chesed that means the
whole thing is chesed - the entire torah is based on chesed, and indeed – olam chesed yibaneh, the
whole world is chesed.

Clothing is a way of giving kavod. The ultimate kavod, the kavod acharon, is kavod hameis. It is also the
ultimate chesed, chesed shel emes.

Perhaps the Torah is teaching us that the source of our chesed should be from a place of respect. From a
place of recognizing that every human being is a tzelem Elokim, a human with a story and dignity. By
recognizing others, their situations and their stories and their contributions, and then helping them due
to our recognition of them, that is the ultimate in proper chesed.

We find this to be borne out in halacha – the halacha is that when giving tzedaka one must give the
person what they are used to - if they are accustomed to good steaks and nice cars, the mitzvah of
tzedaka is mechayiv good steaks and nice cars.

This is separate from the mitzvah of vechai achicha imach – to make sure they have what they need. It
would seem that this comes from a place of being mechabeid them - showing respect with the tzedaka.

The whole world was created with Chesed – but Chazal point to this incident as the Torah starting with
Chesed. Why? Why not the actual creation of the briah or of Adam and Chava? My cousin Rabbi Tanzer
suggested that this was the first act of chesed after the cheit – even though you messed up, and didn’t
live up to your potential, Hashem still wanted them to be dignified and respected. That is the prime
example of Chesed.

Ari, the chesed you see at home, is quiet chesed, The kind of chesed that doesn’t make it to the front
page of the paper, but makes an old man’s day, or a teenager’s night, or an old lady’s Shabbos. This kind
of chesed comes from appreciating, respecting and dignifying others, no matter what their lives may
have looked like. Your parents excel at this because they too saw it in their parent’s home, quiet,
humble chesed that was based on valuing and respecting others.

When my father was a rav in buffalo ….

Bereishis is a time of new beginnings. As we ease out of the holiday season, having gone through an Elul,
Rodh Hashana Yom Kippur and Sukkos, we are feeling cleansed and yom tovdig, but a little apprehensive
about a long quiet winter – it will be close to seven months before we have to explain to people which
days we won’t be available again! We now have the clean slate and opportunity to set how we want our
days, weeks and lives to look like for the rest of the year. Hashem’s chesed was telling us that even if
you messed up in the past -I believe in you and will give you the opportunity to start again.

A Bar Mitzvah is the first beginning - the ultimate in new beginnings. It’s when you set the tone for
adulthood, and begin to set out on the path you will be on for the next years. I give you a non Kohen
beracha, Ari, Having a bar mitzvah on Shabbos beresihis, that you will have clarity and confidence in
continuing down the path of Torah and Chesed. Mazal tov!