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Lehavas David · Parshas Yisro · Maamar ז

One Heart through Kindness: Receiving the Torah Together

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 19:2
וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּחַן־שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר
They journeyed from Refidim and came to the Wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness; and Israel encamped there opposite the mountain.
1“And they came to the Wilderness of Sinai … and Israel encamped there opposite the mountain.”1 Rashi explains: “And Israel encamped there: as one man with one heart.” Why does the holy Torah make a point of mentioning this unity of hearts before the giving of the Torah? The great virtue of unity is well known; still, what does it have to do with preparing to receive the Torah?
וַיָּבוֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וְגוֹ׳ וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר (יט, ב). ברש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ, וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין לָמָּה הִזְכִּירָה הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה בְּיִחוּד עִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁל אַחְדוּת הַלְּבָבוֹת שֶׁהָיְתָה קוֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה, דְּאַף שֶׁנּוֹדַע גּוֹדֶל מַעֲלַת הָאַחְדוּת, אַךְ מִכָּל מָקוֹם יֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַה עִנְיָנָהּ בְּתוֹרַת הֲכָנָה לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה.
  1. Shemos 19:2; Rashi there. ↩
In shortIsrael encamped at Sinai “as one man with one heart”; why is unity singled out as the preparation for receiving the Torah?
2The Midrash says: “At that moment the ministering angels wanted to attack Moshe. The Holy One, blessed be He, made Moshe's features resemble Avraham's, and said to them: Are you not ashamed before him? Is this not the one you came down to visit, in whose house you ate? Then He said to Moshe: The Torah was given to you only in the merit of Avraham, as it says, ‘You took gifts on account of man,’ and the ‘man’ mentioned here is none other than Avraham, as it says, ‘the greatest man among the giants.’”2 But Avraham Avinu lived several hundred years before the giving of the Torah. Why should the angels' having eaten at his home be a reason to give the Torah to the Israel of a later generation? A second difficulty: Hashem gave Moshe Rabbeinu's face the features of Avraham Avinu. At first glance this looks like a kind of deception, and Heaven forbid that we should suggest that deception was used on high! And more broadly, the ministering angels had asked, “What is one born of woman doing among us?”3 What kind of answer is it to tell them that they once ate at Avraham's home?
אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה כח, א), בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה בִּיקְּשׁוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לִפְגּוֹעַ בְּמֹשֶׁה, עָשָׂה הקב״ה קְלַסְטְרִין פָּנָיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה דּוֹמֶה לְאַבְרָהָם, אָמַר לָהֶם הקב״ה אִי אַתֶּם מִתְבַּיְּישִׁין הֵימֶנּוּ, לֹא זֶהוּ שֶׁיְּרַדְתֶּם אֶצְלוֹ וַאֲכַלְתֶּם בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ, אָמַר הקב״ה לְמֹשֶׁה לֹא נִתְּנָה לְךָ תּוֹרָה אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּת אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״לָקַחְתָּ מַתָּנוֹת בָּאָדָם״, וְאֵין הָאָדָם הָאָמוּר כָּאן אֶלָּא אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע יד, טו) ״הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים״, ע״כ. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין, הֲרֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה הָיָה כַּמָּה מֵאוֹת שָׁנִים קוֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה, וּמָה נְתִינַת טַעַם בְּכָךְ שֶׁאָכְלוּ אֶצְלוֹ הַמַּלְאָכִים, לְעִנְיַן מַתַּן תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּיתְּנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר. עוֹד קָשֶׁה הָעִנְיָן שֶׁצַּר הקב״ה קְלַסְתֵּר פְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ כְּצוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה, שֶׁנִּרְאֶה לִכְאוֹרָה כְּעִנְיַן רַמָּאוּת, וְחָס מִלְּהַזְכִּיר כִּי בַּשָּׁמַיִם נָהֲגוּ בְּרַמָּאוּת בָּזֶה. וּבִכְלָל יֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַה תְּשׁוּבָה הִיא זוֹ, מַה שֶׁאָכְלוּ אֵצֶל אַבְרָהָם, לְמַה שֶׁשָּׁאֲלוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מַה לִּילוּד אִשָּׁה בֵּינֵינוּ.
  1. Shemos Rabbah 28:1; Tehillim 68:19; Yehoshua 14:15. The Midrash speaks of the moment when Moshe went up to Heaven to receive the Torah. The angels had once visited Avraham and eaten at his table (Bereishis 18:8). ↩
  2. Shabbos 88b. ↩
In shortHashem shielded Moshe by giving him Avraham's face; but how does Avraham's hospitality answer the angels, and why use what looks like deception?
3aLet us first cite the words of my holy father and teacher, zt"l, on the verse “And Israel encamped there,” which Rashi explains as “as one man with one heart.”4 My holy father asked what the words “like one man” mean [and why the verse did not say “all of them as one”]. He explained that the yetzer hara, as we know, is always trying to cool a person down by telling him, “What do your deeds matter in Heaven? You are only one individual. What can you do for the community?” But what the yetzer hara says is a lie. As Chazal teach, one who does a single mitzvah tips the whole world to the side of merit.5 This is what Chazal meant by “Do not be wicked in your own eyes.”6 They are hinting that if you think of your good deeds as done for yourself alone, that is the mark of a wicked person.
וְנַקְדִּים אִמְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה עַל הַכָּתוּב ׳וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ (יט, ב) שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ רש״י ׳כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד׳, דְּצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מַהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד [וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר כּוּלָּם כְּאֶחָד]. וּבֵיאֵר, דִּכְיָדוּעַ עֲצַת הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע תָּמִיד לְקָרֵר אֶת הָאָדָם לוֹמַר לוֹ מַה חָשׁוּב הַמַּעֲשִׂים שֶׁלְּךָ בַּשָּׁמַיִם, הֲרֵי אַתָּה רַק יָחִיד וּמָה אַתָּה יָכוֹל לִפְעוֹל לְמַעַן הַכְּלָל, אַךְ דְּבָרָיו שֶׁקֶר הֵמָּה, כִּי כַּיָּדוּעַ (קידושין מ, ב) עָשָׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם לְכַף זְכוּת. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (אבות ב, יח) אַל תְּהִי רָשָׁע בִּפְנֵי עַצְמְךָ, הָרֶמֶז שֶׁבְּאִם יֵשׁ לְךָ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת כְּאִלּוּ שֶׁאַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים רַק לְעַצְמְךָ זֶהוּ סִימָן שֶׁל רָשָׁע.
  1. Shemos 19:2; Rashi there. ↩
  2. Kiddushin 40b. ↩
  3. Avos 2:18; in standard editions 2:13. The words bifnei atzmecha, “in your own eyes,” literally mean “before yourself,” which the hint reads as “for yourself alone.” ↩
3bThe same hint lies in the verse “Remember what Amalek did to you,”7 which is said in the singular, lecha, and not in the plural, lachem. Amalek's ploy is always to remind a person that he is only an individual, and that his deeds have nothing to do with the community. This is also the meaning of “like one man”: even though you are one man, you can rise to the level of “one heart.” It is like the saying of Chazal: “Just as the date palm has only one heart, so Israel has only one heart, turned to its Father in Heaven.”8 Those are his holy words.
וְזֶהוּ הָרֶמֶז בְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (דברים כה, יז) ״זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּלְשׁוֹן יָחִיד וְלֹא ׳לָכֶם׳, שֶׁעֲצַת עֲמָלֵק שֶׁתָּמִיד רוֹצֶה לְהַזְכִּיר לְאָדָם שֶׁהוּא רַק יָחִיד וְאֵין מַעֲשָׂיו שַׁיָּיכִים אֶל הַכְּלָל. וְזֶה גַּם הַכַּוָּונָה ׳כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד׳, אֲפִילּוּ שֶׁאַתָּה אִישׁ אֶחָד, אַתָּה יָכוֹל לְהַגִּיעַ לְמַדְרֵגוֹת בִּבְחִינַת ׳לֵב אֶחָד׳, עַל דֶּרֶךְ מַאֲמַר חז״ל (סוכה מה, ב) מָה תָּמָר זֶה אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא לֵב אֶחָד אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין לָהֶם אֶלָּא לֵב אֶחָד לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, עכד״ק.
  1. Devarim 25:17. ↩
  2. Sukkah 45b. ↩
In short“Like one man,” the Rebbe's father taught, refutes the yetzer hara's claim that one person's deeds do not matter: one man can reach “one heart.”
4aPerhaps we can explain it this way. We know that the Torah endures only in a group;9 when each person sits alone, the Torah cannot be kept. We also find that the parshah of “You shall be holy” was said before the whole assembled people,10 because it is precisely by joining together that people can attain holiness and keep the words of the Torah. Similarly, the early Midrash Tanna Devei Eliyahu tells that when Bnei Yisrael were in Egypt, they all gathered, sat together and formed one united band.11 They made a covenant with one another to do acts of kindness for each other. Without it they could never have kept the Torah, and keeping the Torah was the very purpose for which they went down to Egypt.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ הָעִנְיָן, דְּהִנֵּה כַּיָּדוּעַ הַתּוֹרָה מִתְקַיֶּימֶת רַק בַּחֲבוּרָה (עיין עוד נדרים פא, א. תענית ז, א), כִּי בְּאִם כָּל אֶחָד יוֹשֵׁב בָּדָד אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְקַיֵּים הַתּוֹרָה. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ עוֹד שֶׁפָּרָשַׁת ״קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ״ נֶאֶמְרָה בְּהַקְהֵל (תורת כהנים ורש״י ויקרא יט, ב), כִּי דַּוְוקָא עַל יְדֵי הַהִכָּלְלוּת בְּיַחַד יְכוֹלִים לְהַגִּיעַ לְהַשָּׂגַת הַקְּדוּשָּׁה וּלְקַיֵּים אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ (תנא דבי אליהו פרק כג) שֶׁכְּשֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם, נִתְקַבְּצוּ כּוּלָּם וְיָשְׁבוּ יַחַד וְעָשׂוּ אֲגוּדָּה אַחַת, וְכָרְתוּ בְּרִית יַחַד שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים זֶה עִם זֶה, כִּי לוּלֵא זֹאת לֹא הָיָה בְּאֶפְשָׁר לְקַיֵּים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר לְתַכְלִית זוֹ יָרְדוּ לְמִצְרַיִם.
  1. See further Nedarim 81a; Taanis 7a. ↩
  2. Toras Kohanim and Rashi on Vayikra 19:2. ↩
  3. Tanna Devei Eliyahu, ch. 23. ↩
4bThis makes clear why the holy Torah makes a point of telling us that Israel prepared to receive the Torah by being “as one man with one heart”: only in this way does the Torah endure in Israel. That is why the Torah says: “All the people answered together and said, ‘All that Hashem has spoken we will do.’”12 The word “together” shows that it was out of the unity among them, and only out of it, that they could be privileged to say, “All that Hashem has spoken we will do.”
וּלְפִי זֶה מְבוֹאָר הֵיטֵב מַה שֶׁנִּזְכַּר בְּיִחוּד בַּתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה שֶׁהַהֲכָנָה לִקְרַאת קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה הָיְתָה הֱיוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד, כִּי דַּוְוקָא בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה הוּא קִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמְּבוֹאָר. וְלָכֵן נֶאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה (יט, ח) לֵאמוֹר ״וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל הָעָם יַחְדָּיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה״, וְתֵיבַת ׳יַחְדָּיו׳ מוֹרֶה שֶׁדַּוְוקָא מִתּוֹךְ הָאַחְדוּת אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה בֵּינֵיהֶם יְכוֹלִים הֵם לִזְכּוֹת לְ׳כָל אֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה׳.
  1. Shemos 19:8. ↩
In shortThe Torah endures only in a community, so Israel's unity, “as one man with one heart,” was the needed preparation for Sinai.
5In this light we can understand why the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Moshe's face the features of Avraham Avinu and said to the angels, “Is this not the one you came down to visit, in whose house you ate?” With these words Hashem explained to them why it is in the lower world that the Torah should be given. Down below, people can do kindness for one another, while among the beings on high there is no such thing at all. And since the Torah can be kept only through love, kindness and unity, through people giving to one another, it is Israel in particular that is fit to receive it. As proof, Hashem pointed the angels to Avraham Avinu, who lived by the way of kindness, a middah, a character trait, still planted in his descendants after him.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַה שֶׁצַּר הקב״ה קְלַסְתֵּר פָּנָיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה כְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה, וְאָמַר לַמַּלְאָכִים לֹא זֶהוּ שֶׁיְּרַדְתֶּם אֶצְלוֹ וַאֲכַלְתֶּם בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ. דְּבָזֶה בֵּיאֵר לָהֶם הקב״ה הַטַּעַם מַדּוּעַ רְאוּיָה הַתּוֹרָה לְהִנָּתֵן דַּוְוקָא בָּעוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן, לְפִי שֶׁבּוֹ שַׁיָּיךְ עֲשִׂיַּית חֶסֶד זֶה עִם זֶה, וְאִילּוּ בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים אֵין שַׁיָּיךְ כְּלָל עִנְיָן זֶה, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָבוֹא לְקִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי אַהֲבָה וְחֶסֶד וְאַחְדוּת, עַל יְדֵי הַשְׁפָּעָה מִזֶּה לָזֶה, לָכֵן דַּוְוקָא יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּיָם לְקַבֵּל הַתּוֹרָה. וְעַל זֶה הֵבִיא לָהֶם רְאָיָה מֵאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ שֶׁנָּהַג בְּדֶרֶךְ הַחֶסֶד, וַעֲדַיִין נְטוּעָה מִדָּה זוֹ בְּדוֹרוֹתָיו אַחֲרָיו.
In shortAvraham's face answered the angels: the Torah belongs below, where people can be kind to one another, a middah Avraham planted in his descendants.
6We find the same with Moshe Rabbeinu: “And Moshe went down from the mountain to the people.” Rashi explains: “This teaches that Moshe did not turn to his own affairs, but went from the mountain to the people.”13 We may explain that “the mountain” hints at the holy Avos, who are called “mountains.”14 The Avos devoted themselves to kindness and to doing good for others, and Moshe Rabbeinu learned this way from them. So instead of pursuing the lofty levels by which he could have raised himself up on his own, he devoted himself to kindness and to giving to the people.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה ״וַיֵּרֶד מֹשֶׁה מִן הָהָר אֶל הָעָם״ (יט, יד), וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מֹשֶׁה פּוֹנֶה לַעֲסָקָיו אֶלָּא מִן הָהָר אֶל הָעָם. וְיֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ, דְּהָהָר רוֹמֵז לָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ בְּשֵׁם הָרִים (ראש השנה יא, א), שֶׁמֵּהָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר עָסְקוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ הַחֶסֶד וְהַהֲטָבָה לַאֲחֵרִים לָמַד מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ, וְלָכֵן לֹא נִתְעַסֵּק בִּדְרָגוֹת נַעֲלוֹת שֶׁהָיָה יָכוֹל לַעֲסוֹק וּלְהִתְעַלּוֹת בָּהֶם בְּעַצְמוֹ, אֶלָּא עָסַק בְּחֶסֶד וְהַשְׁפָּעָה אֶל הָעָם.
  1. Shemos 19:14; Rashi there. ↩
  2. Rosh Hashanah 11a. ↩
In shortMoshe went straight “from the mountain to the people,” having learned from the Avos, the “mountains,” to put kindness before his own ascent.
7This also explains a teaching of Chazal: when the Torah was given, the nations of the world opened with the words “Hashem will bless His people with peace.”15 But what does peace have to do with receiving the Torah? The answer is that the Torah has to be received through kindness, and so peace comes about among Bnei Yisrael of itself. This is “Hashem will bless His people with peace.”
וּלְפִי זֶה מְבוֹאָר מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (זבחים קטז, א), דִּבְעֵת נְתִינַת הַתּוֹרָה פָּתְחוּ אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם וְאָמְרוּ ״ה׳ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם״, וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין שַׁיָּיכוּת עִנְיַן הַשָּׁלוֹם לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה. אֶלָּא דְּעַל יְדֵי זֶה שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לְקַבֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בְּמִידַּת הַחֶסֶד מִמֵּילָא נַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בֵּין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְזֶהוּ ״ה׳ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשָּׁלוֹם״.
  1. Zevachim 116a; Tehillim 29:11. ↩
In shortThe nations blessed Israel with peace at Sinai because a Torah received through kindness brings peace among Israel of itself.
8This also explains the story Chazal tell: “It happened that a certain gentile came before Shammai and said to him, ‘Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot’ … He came before Hillel, who converted him. Hillel said to him, ‘What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the entire Torah, and the rest is its explanation; go and learn it.’”16 But why is this the sum of the Torah? We have seen that the Torah is acquired through kindness. So we may say that Hillel was teaching him the way to acquire the Torah: through kindness and love.
וּבָזֶה יְבוֹאַר מַאֲמָרָם ז״ל (שבת לא, א) מַעֲשֶׂה בְּנָכְרִי אֶחָד שֶׁבָּא לִפְנֵי שַׁמַּאי, אָמַר לוֹ גַּיְּירֵנִי עַל מְנָת שֶׁתְּלַמְּדֵנִי כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כְּשֶׁאֲנִי עוֹמֵד עַל רֶגֶל אֶחָד וְכוּ׳, בָּא לִפְנֵי הִלֵּל גַּיְּירֵיהּ, אָמַר לוֹ דַּעֲלָךְ סְנֵי לְחַבְרָךְ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד, זוֹ הִיא כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, וְאִידַּךְ פֵּירוּשָׁהּ זִיל גְּמוֹר. וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר לָמָּה זֶה הוּא כְּלָל הַתּוֹרָה, אַךְ לְפִי הַמְּבוֹאָר שֶׁקִּנְיַן הַתּוֹרָה הוּא עַל יְדֵי חֶסֶד, יֵשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁלִּימֵּד אוֹתוֹ אֵיךְ הוּא הַדֶּרֶךְ לִקְנוֹת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא עַל יְדֵי חֶסֶד וְאַהֲבָה.
  1. Shabbos 31a. ↩
In short“What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow” is the whole Torah because it teaches how to acquire it: kindness and love.
9The tzaddikim on earth served Hashem almost entirely through kindness. It is well known that my holy ancestor, the Yid HaKadosh, zy"a, took it upon himself to fulfill the positive mitzvah of tzedakah completely.17 We find the same with other tzaddikim, and in my holy father, too, we saw a holy service built on kindness. For kindness is a foundation of the Torah's way.
וְהַצַּדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ, כִּמְעַט כָּל עֲבוֹדָתָם הָיְתָה בְּמִידַּת הַחֶסֶד, כַּיָּדוּעַ מִזְּקֵנִי הַיְּהוּדִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ זי״ע שֶׁקִּיבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ לִהְיוֹת שָׁלֵם בְּמִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל צְדָקָה (כתר היהודי אות י״ד), וְכֵן מָצִינוּ אֵצֶל עוֹד צַדִּיקִים, וְכֵן אֵצֶל כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה רָאִינוּ עֲבוֹדַת קוֹדֶשׁ בְּמִדַּת הַחֶסֶד, שֶׁכֵּן מִידָּה זוֹ הִיא יְסוֹד בְּדֶרֶךְ הַתּוֹרָה.
  1. Keser HaYehudi §14. ↩
In shortThe tzaddikim, the Yid HaKadosh and the Rebbe's father among them, built their service on kindness, a foundation of the Torah's way.
10May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us, too, to be privileged to conduct ourselves with kindness, love and brotherhood, and in that merit bring the redemption near. As Chazal said, “Great is tzedakah, for it brings the redemption near.”18 Amen, may it be His will.
יַעֲזוֹר הקב״ה, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה אַף אָנוּ לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּמִדַּת הַחֶסֶד וְאַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה, וּבִזְכוּת זֶה נְקָרֵב הַגְּאוּלָּה, כְּמַאֲמָרָם ז״ל (בבא בתרא י, א) גְּדוֹלָה צְדָקָה שֶׁמְּקָרֶבֶת אֶת הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
  1. Bava Basra 10a. ↩
In shortMay we live with kindness, love and brotherhood, and in that merit bring the redemption near.
Takeaway

The preparation for receiving the Torah was that Israel stood “as one man with one heart,” because the Torah cannot be kept by people who sit alone. The yetzer hara tells each of us that one person's deeds hardly count, yet one mitzvah can tip the whole world, and our claim to the Torah, even over the angels, rests on the kindness we do for one another, the middah we inherited from Avraham. Each act of giving, and each time we hold back from doing to another what we would hate, is a way of acquiring the Torah and bringing the redemption near.

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English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.