An 80-year-old man arrived at his doctor’s office for an appointment. The waiting room was crowded, and he patiently sat in line for his turn. The doctor, noticing the elderly man glancing repeatedly at his watch, could tell he seemed to be in a hurry.

When it was finally his turn, the doctor invited him into the office. Before beginning the examination, the doctor asked gently,
“I can see you’re in quite a rush today. Where are you headed so urgently?”

The man smiled and replied, “Every morning at 9:00, I have breakfast with my wife. I don’t want to be late.”

Curious, the doctor asked, “Would it matter much if you were a little late? Would your wife be upset?”

The man’s smile softened. “She’s in a nursing home,” he said quietly. “She has Alzheimer’s disease and doesn’t recognise me anymore.”

The doctor was touched and asked, “If she doesn’t know who you are, why do you still go every morning?”

The old man looked down, then said with warmth in his eyes, “She may not remember me…but I’ll never forget who she is. 

I will always remember what she has done and is doing for me and my family.”

This week’s _Parsha_ is filled with a joyous narrative from beginning to end, centered around Avraham, the first Jew.
Avraham embodied the very essence of _chesed_ kindness. As our sages describe him, he was _“Ish HaChesed”_ a man of kindness. This means that kindness was not just something he _did_; it was part of who he _was_.

This identity of kindness is something we, as his descendants, have inherited. We practice _chesed_ not because we expect something in return, and not even because the recipient will necessarily remember or appreciate it but because it is part of our spiritual DNA.

When we perform acts of kindness selflessly, Hashem mirrors that kindness back to us. When we are generous and compassionate even toward those who may not know us or seem undeserving Hashem, in His infinite mercy, responds in kind, showering us with His goodness and love.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Zalman and Esty