Are we being kind?

Rivkah Nachmias

Our Great Sages have taught us that we are supposed to emulate the ways of HASHEM.
When you think about it, this is not so difficult...

We are kind people to begin with...
We were chosen to teach the world HASHEM’S ways, and being kind is really easy.

So many people need kindness. Can we do more? Absolutely!
We can give a kind word that may be all that is necessary to make the day better for someone. Ask someone how he/she feels...care...

Think how you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed.

If we see someone who seems sad, acknowledge that maybe he/she needs a smile...communicate that you care with a smile.  We will not lose anything because we can put another smile on our face anytime we want...there is always one ready to show itself!

For example, if we have one lit candle and we light additional candles, the first candle does not lose its flame !

If we see someone who needs food, we can share the food we have because HASHEM will give us more... just as he has always does.

How do we have any of the things that we have? HASHEM takes care of us, and if we have something that someone else does not have, we must think about how we would feel if we were in that situation.
If this were happening to me, how would I feel, and if this were my brother or sister, what would I do to ease the pain.

So many people are in physical and emotional pain, so we try to ease it by visiting the sick...Bikur Cholim.
We must realize that we all have the power to ease pain.

Talk to someone from your loving heart...take the time to think of others.

A woman told me a story some years ago when she desperately needed a job and could not find one.
One day, she saw an ad in the newspaper that looked promising and called for an interview.

The personal manager was a kind woman and interviewed her, even though she saw at the first moment that she was not presentable. Her hair was not neat and her clothes were wrinkled. The personal manager spoke gently as she opened her purse and passed some money across the desk.  She suggested that she go and get something to eat, buy a comb, some lipstick and a new blouse, and then invited her to come back so they could explore some employment possibilities. The woman looked in amazement and asked the personal manager why she was doing this. The personal manager simply replied that she could be the one sitting in her chair needing a job, and the woman could be the one interviewing!...the roles could be reversed. The woman did return later on and though there was no job for her at that time, she knew that someone cared to give her direction which enabled her to renew her self esteem and she, later that week, found a wonderful job which she still holds today.

My parents, of blessed memory, believed that if someone passes your way and has a need, this now has become your job to help…they believed that you should not close your eyes or ears when there is someone in need.

"Think" before you look away from someone who might benefit from a little kindness...Care...Give food, money, a smile, a kind word, genuine caring...whatever is needed, try to fill that need. Emulate HASHEM...see how kind he is to us...Learn from the ALMIGHTY the biggest lesson in life....appreciate what you have….HE has given it to you…and HE is always giving. Now go and see what you can do for someone else...maybe HASHEM gave to you, in HIS profound wisdom, simply because HE wanted you to be the Shliach (messenger) to give to those who need.

See how you feel after you see the smile that was originally on your face suddenly appearing on the one you gave it to...you will not lose anything, but gain more than you realize. May you be successful and may your and yours be blessed.

Have a wonderful Sabbath.