(Hebrew: חֶסֶד, also Romanized:) is a Hebrew word that means 'kindness or love between people', specifically of the devotional piety of people towards God as well as of love or mercy of God towards humanity. It is frequently used in Psalms in the latter sense, where it is traditionally translated as "loving kindness" in English translations.
In Jewish theology it is likewise used of God's love for the Children of Israel, and in Jewish ethics it is used for love or charity between people.[1] in this latter sense of 'charity' is considered a virtue on its own, and also for its contribution to tikkun olam (repairing the world). It is also considered the foundation of many religious commandments practiced by traditional Jews, especially interpersonal commandments.
Chesed is also one of the ten Sephirot on the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is given the association of kindness and love, and is the first of the emotive attributes of the .
The root has a primary meaning of 'eager and ardent desire', used both in the sense 'good, kind' and 'shame, contempt'.[2] The noun inherits both senses, on one hand 'zeal, love, kindness towards someone' and on the other 'zeal, ardour against someone; envy, reproach'. In its positive sense it is used to describe mutual benevolence, mercy or pity between people, devotional piety of people towards God, as well as the grace, favour or mercy of God towards people.[3]
It occurs 248 times in the Hebrew Bible. In the majority of cases (149 times), the King James Bible (KJV) translation is mercy, following the Septuagint (LXX) . Less frequent translations are: kindness (40 times), lovingkindness (30 times), goodness (12 times), kindly (five times), merciful (four times), favour (three times) and good, goodliness, pity (once each).Only two instances of the noun in its negative sense are in the text, translated reproach in Proverbs 14:34, and wicked thing in Leviticus 20:17.
The translation of loving kindness in KJV is derived from the Coverdale Bible of 1535. This particular translation is used exclusively of used of the benign attitude of YHWH ("the ") or Elohim ("God") towards his chosen, primarily invoked in Psalms (23 times), but also in the prophets, four times in Jeremiah, twice in Isaiah 63:7 and once in Hosea 2:19. While lovingkindness is now considered somewhat archaic, it is part of the traditional rendition of Psalms in English Bible translations.[4] [5] Some more recent translations use steadfast love where KJV has lovingkindness.
The Septuagint has 'great mercy', rendered as Latin misericordia.As an example of the use of in Psalms, consider its notable occurrence at the beginning of Psalm 51 (Hebrew: חָנֵּנִי אֱלֹהִים כְּחַסְדֶּךָ, lit. 'be favourable to me, Elohim, as your
In Judaism, love is often used as a shorter English translation.[6] [7] [8] Political theorist Daniel Elazar has suggested that cannot easily be translated into English, but that it means something like 'loving covenant obligation'.[9] Other suggestions include grace[10] and compassion.[11]
In traditional musar literature (ethical literature), is one of the primary virtues. The tannaic rabbi Simon the Just taught: "The world rests upon three things: Torah, service to God, and bestowing kindness" (Pirkei Avot 1:2). is here the core ethical virtue.
A statement by Rabbi Simlai in the Talmud claims that "The Torah begins with and ends with ." This may be understood to mean that "the entire Torah is characterized by, i.e. it sets forth a vision of the ideal life whose goals are behavior characterized by mercy and compassion. Alternatively, it may allude to the idea that the giving of the Torah itself is the quintessential act of .[12]
In Moses ben Jacob Cordovero's kabbalistic treatise Tomer Devorah, the following are actions undertaken in imitation of the qualities of :[13]
A person who embodies is known as a, one who is faithful to the covenant and who goes "above and beyond that which is normally required"[14] and a number of groups throughout Jewish history which focus on going "above and beyond" have called themselves chasidim. These groups include the Hasideans of the Second Temple period, the Maimonidean Hasidim of medieval Egypt and Palestine, the Chassidei Ashkenaz in medieval Europe, and the Hasidic movement which emerged in eighteenth century Eastern Europe.[14]
In Modern Hebrew, can take the generic meaning of 'charity', and a " institution"[15] in modern Judaism may refer to any charitable organization run by religious Jewish groups or individuals.Charitable organizations described as " institutions" include:
In the former USSR member republics there are Jewish charities, each one often called a plus a Jewish given name, usually of a Jewish history character like Hesed Avraam in Saint Petersburg, Russia, a member of Association of Heseds of Russia. They run multiple programs: daycare centres and health visitors/carers for the elderly and disabled (the latter equally available to people of non-Jewish ancestry with local government subsidies), crafts and arts societies, concerts, medical equipment rental for registered patients free or on small fees calculated from the size of the patient's pension, delivery of meals and grocery items to homestay patients, shopping subsidies for the poor, volunteer medical consulting, volunteer small repair of household items, assistance with documents processing to apply for compensation from Germany for Holocaust survivors.[16]