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ShareChesed: Eternal and Divine
(I will build this world of love..… and if we build this world of love, then God will build this world of love)
Music and English lyrics by Rabbi Menachem Creditor
(ג) כִּֽי־אָמַ֗רְתִּי ע֭וֹלָם חֶ֣סֶד יִבָּנֶ֑ה שָׁמַ֓יִם ׀ תָּכִ֖ן אֱמוּנָתְךָ֣ בָהֶֽם׃
(3)I declare, “Your steadfast love is confirmed forever; there in the heavens You establish Your faithfulness.”
(א) הוֹד֣וּ לַה’ כִּי־ט֑וֹב כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
(1)Praise GOD, who is good — whose steadfast love is eternal. [ki l’olam chasdo]
(ח) מַה־יָּקָ֥ר חַסְדְּךָ֗ אֱ-לֹ֫הִ֥ים וּבְנֵ֥י אָדָ֑ם בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ יֶחֱסָיֽוּן׃
(8)How precious is Your faithful care [Your chesed], O God! Humankind shelters in the shadow of Your wings.
(ד) לֹֽ֣א־תַעֲשֶֽׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ וְכׇל־תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ מִמַּ֔֡עַל וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתָּ֑͏ַ֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם ׀ מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ׃ (ה) לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֮ וְלֹ֣א תׇעׇבְדֵ֑ם֒ כִּ֣י אָֽנֹכִ֞י יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵ֠ד עֲוֺ֨ן אָבֹ֧ת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י׃ (ו) וְעֹ֥֤שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֺתָֽי׃ {ס}
(4) You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. (5) You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I the ETERNAL your God am an impassioned God, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who reject Me, (6) but showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
(ו) וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר ה ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ ה ׀ה אֵ֥-ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃ (ז)נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֙סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֣ד ׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אָב֗וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃
(6) The ETERNAL passed before him and proclaimed: “GOD! GOD! a Deity compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness [rav chessed] and faithfulness [v’emet], (7)storing up kindness [notzer chessed] to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin—yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of parents upon children and children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.”
My summary translation of ideas relating to the 13 Attributes
Rav chessed (great kindness) - intervenes; strikes misdeeds from the record and weights scales towards the good. Emet (truth) - delivering the coup de grace in as swift and merciful a way as possible; and post facto adds a fine-tuned investigation of what happened; it helps us to find the silver linings and helps God find merit in the ways we have learned our lessons.
דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: תּוֹרָה תְּחִלָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים. תְּחִילָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיַּעַשׂ ה’ אֱ-לֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כׇּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם״, וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּקְבֹּר אוֹתוֹ בַּגַּי״.
Rabbi Samlai taught: With regard to the Torah, its beginning is an act of kindness and its end is an act of kindness. Its beginning is an act of kindness, as it is written: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). And its end is an act of kindness, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6).
(2) In our Commentary on the Sayings of the Fathers (chap. 5:7) we have explained the expression ḥesed as denoting an excess [in some moral quality]. It is especially used of extraordinary kindness. Loving-kindness is practised in two ways: first, we show kindness to those who have no claim whatever upon us; secondly, we are kind to those to whom it is due in a greater measure than is due to them. In the inspired writings the term ḥesed occurs mostly in the sense of showing kindness to those who have no claim to it whatever. For this reason the term ḥesed is employed to express the good bestowed upon us by God: “I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord” (Isa. 63:7). On this account, the very act of the creation is an act of God’s loving-kindness. “I have said, The Universe is built up in loving-kindness” (Ps. 89:3); i.e., the building up of the Universe is an act of loving-kindness. Also, in the enumeration of God’s attributes, Scripture says: “And abundant in loving-kindness” (Exod. 34:6).
If you are walking down the street and someone is walking beside you carrying a large box, and you offer to help the person carry the box, that’s not chesed. You’d simply be a terrible person not to help someone in that situation. What counts as chesed is when you are walking the opposite way from someone carrying a burden and you turn around to help carry that load in the direction he or she is going. That’s chesed.
Q: Do you agree with this definition? How do you understand ‘chesed’?
In Imitatio Dei: Chesed is Acting Like God
(ב) שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים:
(2) Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly. He used to say: the world stands upon three things: the Torah, the Temple service, and the practice of acts of piety. [Torah, avodah, gemilut chasadim].
וּבָזֶה מְעוֹרֵר מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד לְמַעְלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל, שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: וּמָה אֵלּוּ, שֶׁהֵן בְּעַצְמָן צְרִיכִין חֶסֶד, עוֹשִׂין חֶסֶד זֶה עִם זֶה, אֲנִי, שֶׁאֲנִי מָלֵא חֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לִגְמֹל חֶסֶד עִם בְּרִיּוֹתַי. וְכָזֶה אִיתָא בַּזֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ פָּרָשַׁת אֱמֹר:
And through this, one awakens the trait of chesed above. As the Sages say: "The Holy One Blessed be says: 'Now these, [human beings], who themselves need chesed, do chesed with one anther; I, who am full of chesed and mercy, how much more so must I do chesed with My creations!'" And thus do we find in the holy Zohar, Parshath Emor…
When the Almighty created human beings God made them capable of both giving and taking. The faculty of giving is a sublime power; it is one of the attributes of the blessed Creator of all things. God is the Giver par excellence; God’s mercy, God’s bounty and God’s goodness extend to all Its creatures. God’s giving is pure giving for God takes nothing in return. She can take nothing for God lacks nothing, as the verse says, ” . . . If you are righteous what do you give to God?”
Our service to Her is not for Her need but for our own, since we need a means of expressing our gratitude to Her. People have been granted this sublime power of giving, enabling us too to be merciful, to bestow happiness, to give of oneself. “God created man in Her own image.”
But Is Chessed Really the Greatest?
(א) אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם שִׁעוּר. הַפֵּאָה, וְהַבִּכּוּרִים, וְהָרֵאָיוֹן, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וַהֲבָאַת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם:
These are the things that have no maximum: Peah [corner of the field which, while harvesting, must be left for the poor], Bikurim [First-fruits that must be brought to the Temple and given to the priest], the appearance-sacrifice [brought to the Temple on Pilgrimage Festivals], acts of Chesed (kindness), and the study of the Torah. These are things the fruits of which a person enjoys in this world, while the principal remains for him in the World to Come: Honoring one's parents, acts of Chesed, and bringing peace between a person and their fellow. But the study of Torah is equal to them all.
צְדָקָה וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים שׁוֹקֶלֶת כְּנֶגֶד כָּל־מִצְוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה.
Charity [tzedaka] and acts of Chesed [gemilut chasadim] weigh as much as all [the other] commandments of the Torah.
(כא) רֹ֭דֵף צְדָקָ֣ה וָחָ֑סֶד יִמְצָ֥א חַ֝יִּ֗ים צְדָקָ֥ה וְכָבֽוֹד׃
(21) One who strives to do good and kind deeds [tzedaka va’chessed]
Attains life, success, and honor. [chayyim, tzedaka v’kavod]
Q: What do you make of this parallelism?
Tzedaka vs Chesed: Charity (or Justice) vs Kindness
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: גָּדוֹל הָעוֹשֶׂה צְדָקָה יוֹתֵר מִכׇּל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עֲשֹׂה צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט נִבְחָר לַה’ מִזָּבַח״. וְאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: גְּדוֹלָה גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים יוֹתֵר מִן הַצְּדָקָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״זִרְעוּ לָכֶם לִצְדָקָה וְקִצְרוּ לְפִי חֶסֶד״. אִם אָדָם זוֹרֵעַ — סָפֵק אוֹכֵל סָפֵק אֵינוֹ אוֹכֵל, אָדָם קוֹצֵר — וַדַּאי אוֹכֵל.
§ Rabbi Elazar said: One who performs acts of charity is greater than one who sacrifices all types of offerings, as it is stated: “To perform charity and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than an offering” (Proverbs 21:3), including all types of offerings.
And Rabbi Elazar said: Acts of kindness, assisting someone in need, are even greater than charity, as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves according to charity, and reap according to kindness” (Hosea 10:12).
This means: If a person sows, it is uncertain whether he will eat or whether he will not eat, since much can go wrong before the seed becomes food. However, if a person reaps, he certainly eats. In this verse, charity is likened to sowing, while acts of kindness are likened to reaping.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים גְּדוֹלָה גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים יוֹתֵר מִן הַצְּדָקָה. צְדָקָה — בְּמָמוֹנוֹ; גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — בֵּין בְּגוּפוֹ, בֵּין בְּמָמוֹנוֹ. צְדָקָה — לָעֲנִיִּים; גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — בֵּין לָעֲנִיִּים בֵּין לָעֲשִׁירִים. צְדָקָה — לַחַיִּים; גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — בֵּין לַחַיִּים בֵּין לַמֵּתִים.
The Sages taught that acts of kindness / gmilut chasadim are superior to charity / tzedaka in three respects:
Charity can be performed only with one’s money, while acts of kindness can be performed both with one’s person and with one’s money.
Charity is given to the poor, while acts of kindness are performed both for the poor and for the rich.
Charity is given to the living, while acts of kindness are performed both for the living and for the dead.
צְדָקָה וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים שׁוֹקֶלֶת כְּנֶגֶד כָּל מִצְוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. שֶׁהַצְּדָקָה נוֹהֶגֶת בַּחַיִּים וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים נוֹהֶגֶת בַּחַיִּים וּבַמֵּתִים. הַצְּדָקָה נוֹהֶגֶת לַּעֲנִיִּים וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים נוֹהֶגֶת לַעֲנִיִּים וְלַעֲשִׁירִים. הַצְּדָקָה נוֹהֶגֶת בִּמְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים נוֹהֶגֶת בֵּין בִּמְמוֹנוֹ בֵּין בְּגוּפוֹ. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בַּר מַרְיָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין אֵי זֶה מֵהֶן חָבִיב אוֹ צְדָקָה אוֹ גְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר וְחֶסֶד ה‘ מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד עוֹלָם עַל יְרֵאָיו וְצִדְקָּתוֹ לִבְנֵי אָדָם. הָדָא אָמְרָה שֶׁגְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים חֲבִיבָה יוֹתֵר מִן הַצְּדָקָה.
Charity and works of kindness are as important as all commandments of the Torah. Charity applies to the living, works of kindness apply to the living and the dead. Charity applies to the poor, works of kindness apply to poor and rich. Charity is through a person's money, works of kindness through his money and his person.
Rebbi Johanan bar Maria in the name of Rebbi Johanan: We do not know what is more beloved, charity / tzedaka or works of kindness / gemilut chassadim.
Since it says (Ps. 103:17): "The kindness of the Eternal [chessed YHVH] is from eternity to eternity on those who fear Him, and His charity [tzedaka] towards human beings."
That means that works of kindness are more beloved than charity.
R Johanan seems to say that they’re shown to be equal, but the last line of the excerpt seems to suggest that chesed is the winner. What is the reasoning? And do you agree?
Chesed vs Emet: Kindness vs Truth
(יא) חֶסֶד־וֶאֱמֶ֥ת נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ צֶ֖דֶק וְשָׁל֣וֹם נָשָֽׁקוּ׃
(11) Kindness [chessed] and truth [emet] meet;
justice [tzedek] and well-being [shalom] kiss.
(ה) אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבְרֹאת אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נַעֲשׂוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת כִּתִּים כִּתִּים, וַחֲבוּרוֹת חֲבוּרוֹת, מֵהֶם אוֹמְרִים אַל יִבָּרֵא, וּמֵהֶם אוֹמְרִים יִבָּרֵא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים פה, יא): חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת נִפְגָּשׁוּ צֶדֶק וְשָׁלוֹם נָשָׁקוּ. חֶסֶד אוֹמֵר יִבָּרֵא, שֶׁהוּא גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים. וֶאֱמֶת אוֹמֵר אַל יִבָּרֵא, שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ שְׁקָרִים. צֶדֶק אוֹמֵר יִבָּרֵא, שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה צְדָקוֹת. שָׁלוֹם אוֹמֵר אַל יִבָּרֵא, דְּכוּלֵיהּ קְטָטָה. מֶה עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נָטַל אֱמֶת וְהִשְׁלִיכוֹ לָאָרֶץ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דניאל ח, יב): וְתַשְׁלֵךְ אֱמֶת אַרְצָה, אָמְרוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים מָה אַתָּה מְבַזֶּה תַּכְסִיס אַלְטִיכְסְיָה שֶׁלָּךְ, תַּעֲלֶה אֱמֶת מִן הָאָרֶץ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים פה, יב): אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמָח. רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי לָהּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר אִידֵי וְרַבִּי פִּינְחָס וְרַבִּי חֶלְקִיָּה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר, מְאֹד, הוּא אָדָם. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית א, לא): וַיַּרְא אֱ-לֹהִים אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד, וְהִנֵּה טוֹב אָדָם. רַב הוּנָא רַבָּהּ שֶׁל צִפּוֹרִין אֲמַר עַד שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מִדַּיְּנִין אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ וּמִתְעַסְּקִין אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ בְּרָאוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. אָמַר לָהֶן מָה אַתֶּם מִדַּיְּנִין כְּבָר נַעֲשָׂה אָדָם.
(5) Rabbi Simon said: When the Holy One of Blessing came to create the Original Human, the ministering angels divided into various factions and various groups. Some of them were saying: ‘Let them not be created,’ and some of them were saying: ‘Let them be created.’ That is what is written: “Kindness and truth met; righteousness and peace touched” (Psalms 85:11).
Kindness/Chessed said: ‘Let humanity be created, as it performs acts of kindness.’
Truth/Emet said: ‘Let it not be created, as humanity is all full of lies.’ Righteousness/Tzedek said: ‘Let humanity be created, as people perform acts of righteousness.’
Peace/Shalom said: ‘Let it not be created, as it is all full of discord.’
What did the Holy One of Blessing do? God took Truth and cast it
down to earth.
[Following which the angels remonstrate with God, quoting various verses about Truth’s position relative to the earth. Then…]
The Sages teach in the name of R’ Simon, [when the Torah says] “very”
it is referring to “humanity.” [Yes, we are a bit “extra”… but partly this is based on a pun: me’od/very מאד and adam/humanity אדם are anagrams.]
So when it says in Genesis 1:31 that “God saw all that It had made and behold it was very good,” this refers to humanity.
Rav Huna the sage of Tzipporin said [going back to the original story]: While the ministering angels were still debating and busy with each other [discussing whether or not to create humans], God went ahead and created them. God said to them:
“What are you lot debating about? ‘We have made Humanity’ (Gen 1:26) already!” [Gotcha!]
(כט) וַיִּקְרְב֣וּ יְמֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לָמוּת֒ וַיִּקְרָ֣א ׀ לִבְנ֣וֹ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ שִֽׂים־נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֣חַת יְרֵכִ֑י וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֣סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֔ת אַל־נָ֥א תִקְבְּרֵ֖נִי בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃
(29) And when the time approached for Israel to die, he summoned his son Joseph and said to him, “Do me this favor, place your hand under my thigh as a pledge of your steadfast loyalty [lit. chesed v’emet - kindness and truth]: please do not bury me in Egypt.
(ד)חסד ואמת. חֶסֶד שֶׁעוֹשִׂין עִם הַמֵּתִים הוּא חֶסֶד שֶׁל אֱמֶת, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצַפֶּה לְתַשְׁלוּם גְּמוּל:
(4) חסד ואמת MERCY AND TRUTH — The mercy shown to the dead is “mercy of truth” [true, disinterested kindness] since one cannot hope for any direct recompense (Genesis Rabbah 96:5).
Shadow Chesed
וְאִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִקַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲחֹת֡וֹ בַּת־אָבִ֣יו א֣וֹ בַת־אִ֠מּוֹ וְרָאָ֨ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתָ֜הּ וְהִֽיא־תִרְאֶ֤ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתוֹ֙ חֶ֣סֶד ה֔וּא וְנִ֨כְרְת֔וּ לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י עַמָּ֑ם עֶרְוַ֧ת אֲחֹת֛וֹ גִּלָּ֖ה עֲוֺנ֥וֹ יִשָּֽׂא׃
If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace [lit chesed]; they shall be excommunicated in the sight of their kinsfolk. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister, he shall bear his guilt.
The Torah says a confounding thing when it refers to brother-sister incest as chesed. In Guide for the Perplexed (3:53), Rambam addresses what this means, especially in light of the more common use of the word chesed to refer to lovingkindness:
“We have explained the expression chesed as denoting an excess [emphasis added]. It is especially used of extraordinary kindness. Lovingkindness is performed in two ways. First, we show kindness to those who have no claim whatsoever upon us. Secondly, we are kind to those to whom it is due in a greater measure than is due to them.”
From the Rambam we learn two different lessons. One is that the root notion of chesed is excess. The Torah may be saying that brother-sister relations are over the top. That excess is evaluated negatively. We get corroboration for this idea right in the early blessings of the Amidah, which is the core of the Jewish prayer service. In the second blessing, we praise God as, “One who does good acts of kindness” [Barukh gomel chasadim tovim]. If acts of kindness are by definition in and of themselves good, why put the word “good” in front of these words? Isn't the word “good” redundant? No, it isn’t, because the essence of chesed is excess, and that can be excess for good or negative.
