Rabbi Paysach Krohn relates the story of a young man in his mid-forties who passed away, leaving behind a wife and many children. The oldest son Yosef left Yeshiva and took over his father’s business, in a desperate effort to support his family. Being young and inexperienced, competitors sought to take advantage of Yosef and each day brought new worries and struggles. One day a local businessman named Chaim Hans approached Yosef with an outstretched arm. "Yosef, I see that you are having a bit of a rough time with the business. I would like to give you this envelope of money to ease your burden somewhat. Please accept it." The envelope contained two thousand dollars. Yosef was reluctant to take the money because he didn’t want to accept charity. But Mr. Hans reassured him, "Don’t look at the money as charity but rather as a loan without a due date." Hearing this, Yosef accepted the money. A year and a half went by and Mr. Hans continued to help the family in many ways but never once was the loan so much as mentioned. Yosef felt he was steady enough in the business to repay the loan. He came to Mr. Hans’ office with the money and thanked him again for all his help. Mr. Hans smiled, "Thank you but I don’t want the money." Yosef was stunned, "I don’t understand; when you gave me the money you said it was merely a loan because I didn’t want to accept charity. It is my obligation to repay the loan."
    Mr. Hans motioned gently for Yosef to sit down. "I want to tell you a story. Many years ago when I was a young businessman I was having a very difficult time in business. I owed many people money and was on the verge of bankruptcy. At the time a man in my neighborhood named Mr. Louis Stein offered me a large sum of money. At first I was hesitant to accept it but he told me it was merely a loan with no date of repayment. I really needed the money so I accepted it. "A number of years went by and I was finally able to repay the loan. I approached Mr. Stein with the money and handed it to him but he refused to accept it. I argued that he had assured me that it was merely a loan and it was on that basis that I had accepted it. He replied that it was indeed a loan and had to be paid back but not to him. He told me that one day in the future, I would meet somebody that would need money and I should give that person the money and that would be the repayment of the loan. When I met you, Yosef, I was able to repay my debt from so many years ago. "Now the loan has been passed on to you and you too must pay it back, albeit when you find a person who needs it." Indeed, Yosef found a needy person and the loan was passed on.
    Egypt stood on the brink of utter disaster. Nine plagues had ravaged the country and destruction was imminent. The Egyptians themselves had come to the realization that their battle against the G-d of Israel was hopeless. But Pharaoh remained steadfast and stubborn, refusing to admit defeat. G-d called Moshe and said (11:1-2), "One more plague I shall bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; after that he shall send you forth from here. When he sends forth it shall be entirely – he shall drive you out of here. Please speak in the ears of the people: Let each man request of his fellow and each woman from her fellow silver vessels and gold vessels." Rashi explains, " ‘Please speak’ is an expression of request. G-d said to Moshe, ‘I request of you Moshe to direct Klal Yisroel carefully regarding this (to ask the Egyptians for their wealth) so that that righteous man Avrohom should not say, "He (G-d) fulfilled the decree: (Bereishis 15:14) ‘They will enslave them and they will afflict them’ but He did not fulfill the second part of the decree, ‘And afterwards they will depart with great possessions’." Why would Avrohom in particular have a complaint against G-d for not fulfilling the promise about wealth? If G-d had promised it, then all of Klal Yisroel should have the same complaint? Besides, since when does G-d only fulfill His word because someone may be upset if He doesn’t; isn’t G-d the epitome of truth?
    My Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchok Heimowitz shlita, explained that Hashem had promised wealth to the children of Avrohom after a servitude that would last four hundred years. Klal Yisroel was now gearing up for the exodus way before the dismissal bell had rung. G-d would be completely justified not to give Klal Yisroel the promised wealth. However Avrohom Avinu would still have a complaint against G-d for the following reason: The life of Avrohom was dedicated to performing acts of chessed. On the third day after his circumcision at a hundred years old while in excruciating pain he sat outside in the unbearable heat searching and pining for guests. By no standards of law was he obligated to do half that much. But his whole life was dedicated to chessed and he could not bear to go a day without doing such an act. It is Avrohom who would appear before G-d and say, "Even though they did not completely fulfill the first half of the dictum, nevertheless they have suffered enough. Give them the wealth anyway." Perhaps this is the meaning of the prayer we recite every day (in the chapter of "V’charos imo habris"), "You affirmed Your word, for You are righteous. You observed the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt and their outcry You heard at the Sea of Reeds." For a long time I was disturbed by these words; does G-d only affirm His word because He is righteous? Doesn’t any decent person keep his word? With the aforementioned idea we can understand these words. At that point in time, the quota of servitude was not filled and therefore G-d legally did not have to keep His word and take Klal Yisroel out of Egypt. But in His righteousness, He hearkened to their cries and did so anyway.
    Chazal explain that chessed does not mean to simply perform acts of kindness. Such acts are praiseworthy and beautiful but they are even prevalent by Non-Jews. Our obligation to perform chessed as the descendants of Avrohom is to go beyond the call of duty. To go out of our way for other s and care for their needs even when it’s not so conducive. Dovid Hamelech states, "Olam chessed yiboneh- A world of chessed must be built." Similarly, the Mishnah (Avos 1:2) quotes the famed Tanna, Rabbi Shimon, who described chessed as one of the pillars that upholds the world. Thus, in the generation of Noach when no one cared for the welfare of others, the world was doomed to corruption and eventual destruction.
    Being engaged b’h, I feel an obligation to add the following idea: The Sefer Ayzer Mekudash (55) relates that the reason the Chupah is open on all four sides is to symbolize the tent of Avrohom and Sarah which had openings on all four sides as a sign to travelers that they were always invited. This is the goal of every marriage: to be built based on the standards of chessed of Avrohom and Sarah, particularly with the mitzvah of inviting guests to symbolize that building a home of chessed is based on the woman. The Kaminetzer Mashgiach, Rabbi Moshe Aharon Stern zt’l, asks why G-d divided man into two entities called man and woman and didn’t leave him as a single being? If the whole purpose of marriage is to have children, man could easily have been like those plants that have single organism reproduction (i.e. binary fission, budding, sporulation, regeneration, and vegetative propagation)? We see that there is a deeper purpose in marriage and that is to do chessed with one’s spouse and constantly worry for each other’s welfare. It is comparatively easy to perform chessed outside the home where people see and admire the act. But at home when no one praises the acts, it is far more difficult to perform chessed. But that is genuine chessed with no ulterior motives.
    In the early years of the Lakewood Yeshiva a grandson of the Chofetz Chaim joined the Yeshiva. Some time passed and the Mashgiach, Rabbi Nosson Wachtfogel zt’l, noticed that the esteemed young man often came late to davening or missed davening in Yeshiva completely. The Mashgiach called the bochur into his office and asked him what was going on, "What would your holy grandfather have said about this?" The young man replied, "Rebbe, I would love to come on time. But I know of a woman who has several children and every morning as I am about to leave, I hear the children crying. One needs a bottle, another needs to be sent to school, and a third can’t tie his shoes. There is no one else to help her and I feel it is my obligation to assist. At times I can still make it to Yeshiva but other times it’s so late that I have to daven somewhere else completely." The Mashgiach was touched by the young man’s sensitivity and exemplary behavior. But he felt very sorry for the woman. "Who is this woman? Is she a widow? Maybe I can help her too." "Chas V’sholom," replied the young man, "the woman is my wife!"